Palm Coast to press FEMA for Dorian reimbursement

Palm Coast Observer
News

Even though Hurricane Dorian missed Florida, it still cost local governments money — and now they have new options for getting it back. The federal government announced in October that Florida counties and cities are eligible to seek reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for money they spent on Dorian.

Company considers $48,000 proposal for hackathon management

Palm Coast may pay an event management company called BeMyApp $48,425 to manage the city’s proposed hackathon event, which will be held in Town Center on Jan. 17-19.

Objectives of the event, according to BeMyApp’s proposal, would including developing “innovative healthcare solutions for your hospital partners using Salesforce” and generating “awareness around the City of Palm Coast’s technological and healthcare initiatives.”

BeMyApp would be responsible for creating an event website, designing a logo and marketing materials, creating an event schedule, determining criteria for judging submissions, emceeing and hosting the event, and conducting post-event surveys, among other tasks.

The proposed cost includes payment for three BeMyApp staff members to spend three days working at the event.

It does not include travel and accommodation costs, which, under BeMyApp’s proposal, would be reimbursed after the event.

The council will vote at an upcoming City Council meeting on whether or not to approve BeMyApp’s proposal.

Palm Coast and Flagler County are both doing so.

Palm Coast dipped into its reserve fund to cover the costs associated with the storm, which totaled about $150,000, much of it in the form of sand and sand bags.

City Council members discussed a budget amendment during their Nov. 12 meeting to cover the cost.

At this point, the city has notified the federal government that it will be seeking reimbursement, and, over the next month or so, will be submitting more detailed documentation to support its claims.

Mayor Milissa Holland said that elected officials at the state and federal level are keeping an eye on Palm Coast as it goes through the FEMA process.

“Congressman [Michael] Waltz, when he was here, he had some concerns with the continual delay of FEMA, with the federal agency blaming the state agency and then the state agency blaming the federal agency,” she said. “It just seemed to be a very big disconnect. So I have offered for Palm Coast to be a case study to help other communities in the process itself, and to better enhance the process and expedite it moving forward when we have these storm events.”

She warned staff members that they might receive a call from Waltz, or from Florida Rep. Paul Renner or Sen. Travis Hutson.

Other mayors have said that turnover at FEMA has contributed to the delays, she said, “And, on top of it, it’s [the process] rather cumbersome.”

“We spend resources going through these dollars, and ... then we have to hold off other projects when our funds are depleted waiting for that reimbursement. ”

— MILISSA HOLLAND, Palm Coast mayor