Times Journal | Aderholt urges FEMA policy change

Aderholt urges FEMA policy change
By Lindsay Slater | Times Journal | September 14, 2011

Congressman Robert Aderholt said Thursday he's working on a plan to allow Plainview school to keep a "temporary" safe room at no additional cost.

"I spoke directly with FEMA Director Craig Fugate, and he acknowledges the problem with this particular situation, and over the next 30 days, I'll be working with him and my delegation colleagues to find a solution," Aderholt said. "In addition, Congressman [Spencer] Bachus and I introduced legislation [Wednesday] that would make storm shelters available to local governing bodies at no additional costs. Hopefully, this will not take an act of Congress to ensure we get this done and get it done right."

Plainview school will receive a $500,000 "temporary" safe room to house students taking classes in portable classrooms. FEMA will pay 75 percent of the construction costs.

According to the current FEMA policy, once the portable classrooms are gone, the DeKalb County School Board would face three options.

The board could buy the structure from FEMA at a cost equal to fair market value, it could sell it and revert the proceeds back to FEMA or it can demolish the structure and FEMA would pay any costs associated with the demolition and debris removal.

Superintendent Charles Warren said he thought the policy was "ridiculous" and a "complete waste of taxpayer money" to simply demolish the structure instead of allowing the board to keep the structure for future use. The board cannot afford to buy the unit and doesn't see where it would be feasible to sell the unit.

Aderholt has agreed with Warren saying, "rules should not run counter to common sense" and the situation "appears to be one of those cases."

Warren said he's pleased with the efforts of Aderholt contacting FEMA on the situation.

"It sounds like they are working in the right direction," Warren said. "Of course, we hope people that are making the decisions will make wise decisions. It looks like everything is headed in the right direction and, hopefully, it will continue. I appreciate what they are doing to help."

Bachus jumped on board with the efforts to allow the structure to stay.

"It makes no sense to demolish perfectly good storm shelters just to satisfy a misguided bureaucratic requirement," he said. "The safety of our children and citizens should always be the foremost concern. If it takes legislation to set this right, that's what we will do.

"Under current FEMA policy, storm shelters built with FEMA funds to serve portable classrooms must be torn down once damaged schools have been repaired or replaced," said Bachus, who is chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. "While the structures can be purchased from FEMA at fair market rates, the cost is prohibitive for school systems already dealing with storm-related expenses. The added insult is that the shelters would then be torn down using more taxpayer funds."

In addition to Plainview, safe rooms are planned at Hackleburg and Phil Campbell schools.

For more information, click here.