The Carter County Board of Commissioners on April 3 approved a package of payments and purchase orders tied to ongoing storm‑damage recovery, including engineering invoices for three bridge repairs, debris‑removal work and architect fees for school roof and building repairs.

County recovery staff said the county will submit invoices for FEMA "rapid funding" reimbursements once vendor invoices are paid and uploaded to the federal portal; staff estimated reimbursements could arrive in roughly 30 to 45 days but gave no guaranteed date.

The approvals covered routine county operating needs and storm response work. Commissioners voted to pay engineering firms for work on three bridges, to approve multiple debris‑removal and cleanup invoices, to authorize a roof‑repair contract for four locations on Heaton Creek Road and to issue architect contracts for school repairs at several county schools.

"Once those invoices are paid, we'll be able to submit those through the portal and start the reimbursement process," a county recovery staff member said during the meeting. "That'll be the first things that we will be able to get back, and those will come back fairly quickly. I don't have an exact date on how long it will take." The staff member added the county expects the first reimbursements to arrive within about 30 to 45 days.

Mayor Wigbe told the board the county has removed about 40,000 cubic yards of debris so far and is pressing to add eight tributaries to the waterway cleanup contract; the eight tributaries contain an estimated additional 1,900 cubic yards of debris. "As of today, we've cleaned up 40,000 cubic yards of debris," Mayor Wigbe said, using the example that a cubic yard is roughly the size of a washing machine or dryer to illustrate scale.

Several payments and purchase orders were presented and approved without extended debate. Items on the agenda included: engineering invoice payments to RK&K for work on three county bridges identified as Rapid‑Funded projects; multiple check requests to TFR Enterprises for removal services; a payment to Thompson Consulting Services for pre‑monitoring services; purchases such as copier services and sign supplies for the highway department; and architect contracts for school roof and building work. Commissioners noted debris work should be completed and that available Hill loan funds will cover certain large expenses.

Votes at a glance

- Agenda item 6b — Approve payment to RK&K (invoice 25020.00011) $48,456.56 for engineering on Hokey Bridge No. 1: approved.
- Agenda item 6c — Approve payment to RK&K (invoice 250211000-1) $52,056.22 for engineering on Pokey Bridge No. 2: approved.
- Agenda item 6d — Approve payment to RK&K (invoice 25047-1) $22,409.87 for engineering on Long Island Bridge: approved.
- Agenda item 6e — Approve check request to Thompson Consulting Services (invoice 2411100401) $90,734.58 for pre‑monitoring services: approved.
- Agenda item 6f — Approve check request to Tri‑City Business Machines (invoice AR40556) $194.63 for copier use: approved.
- Agenda item 6g — Approve check request/payment to TFR Enterprises (invoice 2102) amount not specified in transcript (removal services; paid from Hill funds): approved.
- Agenda item 6h — Approve PO/payment to TFR Enterprises (invoice 2146) $164,323.46 for removal services: approved.
- Agenda item 6i — Approve check request/payment to TFR Enterprises (invoice 2181) $4,694.09 for pre‑removal services: approved.
- Agenda item 6j — Approve payment to Shouse Protective Services (invoice 3432425) $7,014.75: approved.
- Agenda item 6k — Approve PO/quote for Summer and Taylor for roof repairs at four locations on Heaton Creek Road $419,750: approved.
- Agenda item 6l — Approve check request/payment to Maury County Government (mutual aid/procurement response) $11,654.54: approved.
- Agenda item 6n — Approve payment to Landmarks Construction (invoice 20250111) $5,600 (monthly lease payment for Tunbury Bridge): approved.
- Agenda item 6o — Approve check request/payment to United Rentals (invoice 243406947-004) amount not specified in transcript (portable restrooms and related facilities): approved.
- Agenda item 6p — Approve proposal/PO for storm repairs in Hampton area amount not clearly specified in transcript: approved.
- Agenda item 6q — Approve agreement with Environmental and Civil Engineering Services for H&H studies on impacted roadways (amount not specified in transcript): approved.
- Agenda item 6r — Approve PO for Honda Industries Inc. (proposal 0000028481) $456 for sign‑machine supplies: approved.
- Agenda item 6s — Approve PO for Thompson Litton, Inc. (proposal 000001464) architect fees (amount reported in transcript as $1,900 — transcript unclear; recorded as "estimated architect fees for HHS" in packet): approved.
- Agenda item (architect fees) — Approve Thompson Litton requisition 0000051623 $27,500 for architect fees addressing roof replacement at HDHS (school department approved): approved.
- Agenda item — Approve Thompson Litton requisition 000001872 $17,440 for architect fees at HVMS (school department approved): approved.

Discussion and context

Commissioners repeatedly identified the bridge and debris items as part of the county's FEMA‑eligible recovery work. The recovery staff member said the county has invoices ready to submit through FEMA's portal for rapid funding; the meeting transcript references roughly $10,000,000 in rapid funds already sent to FEMA's portal for these types of projects and the county's ability to seek reimbursement once invoices are accepted.

Several items were explicitly tied to emergency response and to funds being managed from a "Hill loan," which staff said will cover large project expenses without drawing from the county's general fund unless new contractor costs arise. Commissioners asked few substantive questions on the vendor payments listed; most motions passed on voice votes with brief seconds and no recorded roll‑call tallies in the transcript.

Procedural notes and next steps

County staff said debris removal work remains ongoing and that efforts continue to add eight tributaries to the waterway cleanup contract. Commissioners were introduced to Chip Chambers, who the record shows was named landfill director effective Tuesday; the introduction followed the board's business on payments and procurement.

The meeting packet included the invoices and purchase orders discussed; county staff indicated additional paperwork for FEMA reimbursements will be submitted through the federal portal once vendor payments clear.

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