Statement addresses bidding process, reimbursements
Graham County Manager Becky Garland read a lengthy statement to listeners of the April 21 board of commissioners teleconference, answering several concerns citizens have raised over reimbursement of Federal Emergency Management Agency funds.
Garland said the county has already began the process of applying for FEMA reimbursement in regards to costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As soon as the governor and the president declared the emergency status, Larry Hembree (director of Graham County Emergency Management Services) and I began working with the state (Emergency Management Agency) to begin the process of working toward reimbursement of all of our costs,” Garland said. “We immediately began working to get our registration in place and all of the paperwork, in order to make requests for reimbursements of all of the costs we are incurring, to respond to the emergency. This including putting a permitting process in place for non-residents.”
Graham County Land Co. was the contractor used to provide both manpower and supplies for all of the checkpoints placed at the borders. The reason for this was two-fold, Garland said.
“We had to locate a contractor who not only had the supplies (light stands, generators, traffic signage and cones, barriers of three varieties and staffing to man the checkpoints), who were experienced in dealing with FEMA-declared disaster situations and have been recognized by the Department of Homeland Security, for their years of experience in working with FEMA and getting their costs reimbursed,” she added. “This experience is vital in defending costs, as we submit our requests for reimbursements.
“We will have to submit a high level of documentation. In addition, FEMA requires safety officers and appropriate supervision to comply with OSHA standards.”
What started as a three-checkpoint system soon evolved into five, as two of the locations originally began as hard-barrier closures, requiring no workers to man the stations. The cost of manpower and supplies averaged roughly $17,000 per week – or $16.86 an hour – and included payroll, FICA, worker’s compensation and general liability insurance.
“The two checkpoints that had to be added because of state mandates required additional manpower, because they were riskier portals of entry without good communications and more risk of contentious situations,” Garland said. “This dictated having more staff for safety reasons.”
Multiple questions have been raised about the bidding process for such a job.
Garland added that while the normal procedure would be to place the contract on the market for bids, this was a unique situation.
“Would we have bid it off in a normal scenario? Absolutely,” Garland asked. “However, in a State of Emergency, FEMA says under 2 CFR 200, local governments are allowed to make emergency and exigency procurements without a bidding process when the health and safety of the public is at risk, and time is of the essence.”
The costs incurred by the county – including a recent purchase of 25 new radios for officers – is something Garland is confident will be reimbursed by FEMA.
“Do I feel that we will get reimbursed? Yes,” Garland said. “Some disagree, but from my study and research of the situation – as well as knowing our good relations with the state, our staying ahead of the situation better than our neighboring counties and having former Congressman Mark Meadows as President Trump’s chief of staff helps me to be more optimistic.
“In addition, we have been diligent in our documentation and my experience working with federal agencies helps me to also feel that optimism. Will it take time? Absolutely.”
Included in her address to the board was criticism the county has received throughout the process.
Garland responded by pointing out that the checkpoints and permits were something that had to be adjusted in a trial-by-fire format.
“There was no good scenario here,” she said. “Any way we sliced it, we are bound to be criticized and second-guessed. I feel the commissioners made the best decisions before and during the process in such a rapidly changing environment, where things were changing moment by moment.
“I feel that the staff acted – in good faith – to accomplish the goal and mission that was set before us. We were given a herculean task to accomplish, with limited staff resources, and we got it done. That is government efficiency; effectiveness is up for debate.”
Following Garland’s statement, the board turned its attention to county business:
* During the manager’s report, Garland said a recent movement at the congressional level supports a bill – separate from the Cares Act or a potential Cares Act 2, and applies at county levels – that if passed, would give Graham County around $750,000.
“That would go a long way in helping us to cover costs for this crisis,” she added.
* The N.C. Association of County Commissioners is pushing for counties to do “interim” budgets for the 2020-21 fiscal year, even proposing a potential Sept. 30 start date instead of June 30. Garland said she did not feel comfortable doing an interim budget, so she is tentatively planning to do a budget similar to the one in place during the 2009-10 recession.
* While updating the board on capital projects, Garland said the county has around $1.9 million in a Certificate of Deposit – which has been accruing interest over the last two years – for the courthouse project. County project manager Jason Marino has met with Duke Energy at the planned site for the new courthouse on Fort Hill Road, discussing the topography map. Marino has been stressing the need in finalizing the stacking and blocking model for a justice center on the property.
* The board unanimously approved both the 1-year reappointments of Brian Johnson and Edd Satterfield to the Rural Development Authority board. Commissioners also awarded Joe Waldroup a contract for mowing the Santeetlah ($300), Yellow Creek ($400), Lone Oak ($150) and Old Mother Church ($125) cemeteries.