Fairhope, Alabama thefairhopetimes.blogspot.com
 |
| Safe room design, |
SPRING'S GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN BLAMED
What to do about a hold-up in FEMA grant funding for the city's new $1.9 million hurricane safe room at the city's Pecan Avenue building was debated by the city council during their last meeting.
Last spring's federal government shut down caused the approval of a period of performance (POP) extension requested by the city to be delayed according to city engineer Johnson; such one-year extensions have previously been routinely approved.
Johnson: "On June 20th our POP expired ... we requested a one-year extension ... paperwork was delayed ... going to get it eventually (we were told) ... one of the ramifications of the government shut down .. it does have local effects ... ."
He said since a construction contract was awarded 60 days ago (to low bidder Roy Lewis Construction), the biggest problem now is "we gotta release him to go .... issue a notice to proceed ... we pay ... until we get the POP extension ... ."
Mayor Sullivan said she has been in contact with state representatives in Washington about it -- and she "thinks the money will be there" ... but added "it is a risk."
Councilman Burrell worried about earlier reports that the Trump Administration wants to cut back federal funding for FEMA generally; Sullivan thought their goal is just for FEMA to be administered by the individual states themselves, instead of at the federal level.
The council informally agreed to let the contractor begin; no vote was taken.