[StBernard] FEMA Reverses Position, Will Pay For St. Bernard Trailers

[Westley Annis]

FEMA Reverses Position, Will Pay For St. Bernard Trailers 

January 21 , 2006

By: Steve Cannizaro


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St. Bernard Parish officials said Saturday they have learned the Federal
Emergency Management Administration has reversed itself and agreed after
months of haggling to pay for 6,500 travel trailers parish government
ordered on its own months ago at a savings of some $18 million from FEMA's
normal cost.

Local officials also said FEMA agreed to begin paying some of the $45
million now owed contractors for debris removal in St. Bernard, an issue
parish officials have said has dragged on for months to the point of
endangering the parish's hurricane recovery because the parish council was
about to be forced to stop debris pickup if the federal officials didn't
come through with some money.

When the news came about FEMA's decision, both Parish President Henry
"Junior'' Rodriguez and Council Vice Chairman Joseph DiFatta Jr. had just
finished railing against FEMA policies Saturday at a meeting at Nunez
Community College set by state Rep. Nita Hutter, specifically mentioning the
trailer issue and the unpaid contract for debris pickup.

Rodriguez and DiFatta said FEMA representatives tried to coerce them to use
the Corps of Engineers as the contractor for debris removal, which they said
seemed to smack of an attempt to have the Corps choose the subcontractors
that would get the work.

But St. Bernard chose another contractor, Unified Recovery Group, for debris
pickup and "ever since we've had trouble with FEMA ,'' Rodriguez said.

DiFatta said FEMA's action in not releasing money owed Unified was "going to
shut down the recovery of St. Bernard Parish.''

Parish government couldn't pay Unified the $45 million they and
sub-contractors are owed and the Council would soon have to order them to
stop work, DiFatta said.

On Thursday night, appearing on CNN, Rodriguez blasted FEMA and called for
an investigation into why FEMA didn't want to save $18 million in taxpayers'
money by paying for the 6,500 travel trailers that St. Bernard had ordered
from a manufacturer months ago at a price of about $15,000 each, which he
said is $2,500 to $3,000 each less than FEMA normally pays for trailers.
While housing is scarce, St. Bernard can't afford the trailers and would
have to return them if FEMA didn't agree to pay, Rodriguez said.

But shortly after their comments on Saturday, word came that FEMA had
reversed its position and is willing to pay for the trailers and will also
start paying out money for the contract for debris pickup, parish officials
said.

Rodriguez said, "We're very pleased'' with the FEMA reversal of position.
Housing is critical to the parish's recovery and the 6,500 trailers will be
a big help, he said. Rodriguez said many people forced to live outside St.
Bernard now can't afford the cost of fuel of driving back and forth to come
clean up their homes and try to rebuild their lives.

"Finally, they pulled the cotton out of their ears and listened to us,''
DiFatta said after hearing about FEMA's decision. He said he hopes it
signals the start of better relations with the federal agency.

The addition of 6,500 trailers should hasten the recovery of St. Bernard by
making it easier for thousands of people to move back into the parish,
DiFatta said.

There weren't any details available on whether the 6,500 trailers will
immediately be available for occupancy by people who have applied for the
temporary housing.