Ash County commissioners on Feb. 17 approved amendments to state debris-removal contracts for public-right-of-way work, contingent on FEMA confirming that the increased unit rates are reimbursable.

County staff and Patty (county staff member) told the board the state has modified unit prices to reflect increased debris volume across the region and that the state believes the new rates fall within FEMA‑reimbursable guidelines. The board’s motion to approve the amendments was made contingent on explicit FEMA confirmation of reimbursement.

Patty updated commissioners on Army Corps of Engineers activity in county waterways. She said the county submitted 664 points for evaluation; about 314 of those points had been approved and the remainder were deemed ineligible. County staff plan to write appeals for ineligible sites rather than accept a blanket appeal; Patty said each appeal would need to be prepared individually and that the work would be "extremely labor intensive."

"The actual work ... should start in 2 to 3 weeks," Patty said, noting contractors were expected to stage equipment and begin work on approved waterways soon.

Commissioners were also briefed on state-level discussions about private-bridge funding. Patty said the county has a meeting scheduled with the state Office of State Budget and Management to discuss grant funding that may be available for private bridges; she said agriculture-related bridges are currently excluded from that program.

Separately, Commissioner Mark raised concerns about a backlog of FEMA Individual Assistance (IA) cases. He said he and other board members found about 700 applicants had not received action on their FEMA applications. Board members urged residents with "pending" status to visit Family Central to have their files checked; officials said visiting in person had triggered follow-up in several recent cases.

Family Central staff were also publicized as holding three dates for residents to apply for personal debris removal from private property (debris removal appointments listed on the transcript as Feb. 23, 24 and 25). The transcript records county staff asking residents to bring identification, a county tax bill, a utility bill from the time of the hurricane, homeowner’s insurance and, for house removal, a deed to the property.

Ending: The board approved the contract amendments contingent on FEMA confirmation and directed staff to proceed with appeals for Army Corps ineligible sites and to continue outreach so residents can file or check FEMA applications.