City hires debris monitor to document storm damage for FEMA reimbursement

Little Rock staff said on July 29 that the city will engage a contractor to perform preliminary damage assessments and to monitor storm debris collection and landfill drop-off so the municipality can document costs for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reimbursement. The proposal is for a debris-monitoring contract; work will include damage assessment and monitoring of debris collection and disposal.

Why it matters: the city—s 311 tracking system does not distinguish storm debris from other trash, and FEMA requires monitoring documentation before it will reimburse public works operations or reimburse residents who paid privately for debris removal. Staff said more than 100 residents have already paid private contractors and that the city has decided to reimburse them; the timing and method of reimbursement were described as "to be provided" by staff.

Staff explained the contractor will first conduct a preliminary assessment to estimate quantities, then monitor pickup and landfill drop-off. If debris volumes are small, the city may perform cleanup with its own crews; if volumes are large, staff said they will hire contractors for removal. The board asked for clarity on costs: staff said an earlier memo noted individual reimbursements of about $6,000; staff later said current reported private payments are closer to $15,000.

Board members asked about the contractor selection and cost. Staff said the $500,000 contract figure is an upper budget cushion; the city competitively bid the contract and Tetra Tech was the responsive bidder. Staff said prior work for tornado damage monitoring had been under a million dollars and that the Rock Creek project was about $50,000-$60,000. The contract is required to collect documentation that FEMA will accept for reimbursement.

Staff also noted that city crews are performing voluntary overtime to pick up debris while procurement and monitoring are finalized.