Cullman Times | City asks full reimbursement for cleanup

City asks full reimbursement for cleanup
By Trent Moore | Cullman Times | August 27, 2011

CULLMAN — The City of Cullman has applied for 100 percent reimbursement for cleanup expenses related to the April tornadoes, following the lead set by Cullman County and at the urging of some federal officials.

The city council has appealed to U.S. President Barack Obama and the U.S. Congress for total coverage from work done after the city was hit by a series of powerful storms on April 27.

“We want fair and equal treatment for the City of Cullman,” Mayor Max Townson said. “For the taxpayers we feel we should be afforded something, or at least set our match at 95/5 percent. Other communities have gotten this in the past.”

Entire blocks of downtown were destroyed, and hundreds of homes and businesses across the city were damaged by the tornadoes.

Shortly after the storms hit, city officials signed a cleanup agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Debris removal costs throughout the cleanup process were constantly in flux, depending on which program was in effect, and which area the work was being done. To this day, officials still lack a clear picture of exactly how much the work will cost.

Townson said he recently had a meeting with U.S. Congressman Robert Aderholt, who serves on the committee that oversees FEMA, and the congressman urged the council to apply for total coverage. Aderholt also inquired about the city’s overall experience with the agency.

“He was very attentive when we spoke and seemed very concerned about our dealings with FEMA, and he wanted to hear about our problems so he could relay them back,” he said. “The biggest problem we had was a lack of consistent information and communication, and the time it took them to mobilize.”

Though cleanup is mostly complete, the city is considering a new agreement with FEMA and the Alabama Emergency Management Agency to participate in a demolition assistance program. The program would provide help to clear residential lots for those who may not have had insurance or the means to handle cleanup. The city would likely have to pay for a small percentage of the work, though FEMA would absorb the brunt of the costs.

“With all the houses we had damaged, some folks didn’t have quite as much insurance as they thought,” city building inspector Rick Fulmer said. “As we move on through this, we’re going to have some property owners who can’t clear their property, and it will eventually fall to us.”

Fulmer said he anticipates a small number of property owners will be eligible for the program, ranging from between 10-25.

At a meeting earlier this week, the council also:

• Recognized Mr. Bert McGriff, Mr. Chester Freeman and Police Lt. Craig Montgomery.
• Forwarded a request from Mr. Robert J. Richard to vacate an unopened street located on 13th Street SE at the end of 6th Avenue SE to the planning commission. He owns the property on both sides of the street.
• Approved a request for a noise permit from Shane Quick to host the annual “Youthquake” in October at the Fairgrounds.
• Awarded a bid for tree services (31 stumps to be ground in the southeast quadrant of the City) to Reeves and Son LLC from Vinemont in the amount of $4,460 which is the lowest responsible bidder.
• Awarded a bid for tree services (15 stumps to be ground in the southeast quadrant of the city) to Reeves and Son LLC from Vinemont in the amount of $2,250 which is the lowest responsible bidder.
• Tabled an ordinance to amend Ordinance 2010-01 of the City of Cullman to allow the procedure for the appointments of Department Heads, Superintendents and other officers of the City of Cullman.
• Tabled a resolution to authorize the mayor to sign an agreement with CDG Engineers to apply for grant funds for generators.

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