Parish Officials Discuss FEMA Rules

 Parish Officials Discuss FEMA Rules

BOBBY ARDOIN

St. Landry Now.com Editor

St. Landry Parish municipal officials were told on Thursday that new Federal Emergency Management Agency regulations are expected to eliminate bureaucratic impediments that have previously delayed local and parish disaster reimbursements. 

“FEMA is not going away. It is being restructured. That is the information that we are getting from all around the country,” said Van Reed, director of St. Landry Parish Emergency Preparedness.

Reed and parish president Jessie Bellard hosted the noon FEMA informational event for mayors and municipal officials at the Delta Grand in Opelousas, as St. Landry approaches the height of hurricane season.

Any significant changes in FEMA procedures implemented by the Trump Administration, said Reed, are not expected to become effective until sometime in 2026.

Bellard noted that he and 24 other parish presidents recently attended a FEMA conference hosted by the Governor’s Office Of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness which discussed potential disaster response changes that will be instituted by the Trump FEMA officials..

What is evident at this point, Bellard said, is that FEMA intends to accelerate the response process and redirect many of the previous federal responsibilities to state governments.

“Nothing however will change until next year. No one right now can predict what the changes will be after this year. We are hoping that the new model is what will be put in place,” Reed added.

However Reed also noted that new disaster threshold expenses for states and parishes could make it more difficult for local and state governments to receive FEMA funding.

The failure to meet the designated state and parish thresholds, Reed said, will eliminate the chances for parish and local governments to recoup disaster-related expenses.

As FEMA officials seek to accelerate the response process, Reed said the new procedure will require more clerical attention from parish and local governments.

Reed said parishes and municipalities will probably be required under new FEMA policies to have expenses ready for processing 30 days following a disaster..

“That deadline is very important in order for (municipalities and parish officials) to put all the numbers together, bring that to the state in order to turn in and reach the necessary thresholds,” said Reed.

It’s important for municipalities, Reed pointed out, to designate an employee to compile all the disaster-related expense information and submit that to parish government, Reed added.

Reed said the required municipal expense calculations will include costs expended for labor, equipment, materials, contractors and rentals.

Sandbags are ready to be transported to municipalities or collected by individuals, Bellard said.

The parish, Bellard added, already has a contractor in place to respond to debris emergencies.

For municipalities Reed added, the disaster accounting process is simple, but meeting the expedited deadlines are important in order to receive reimbursements.