September 6, 2011
Re: Federal Disaster Aid
has been approved for
all 21 counties
Dear Mayor:
Today, Governor Christie
announced that Federal
Disaster Aid, individual
and public assistance,
has been approved for
all 21 counties in New
Jersey.
There are two types of
work eligible for
reimbursement through a
Public Assistance Grant:
emergency work and
permanent work. Each of
these work types are
further divided into
categories based on the
action being performed
for emergency work, or
the type of facility
repaired for permanent
work. The categories
are:
Emergency Work
A. Debris Removal: The
clearance, removal
and/or disposal of items
such as trees, woody
debris, sand, mud, silt,
gravel, building
components, wreckage,
vehicles and personal
property. For debris
removal to be eligible,
the work must be
necessary to:
• Eliminate an immediate
threat to lives, public
health and safety
• Eliminate immediate
threats of significant
damage to improved
public or private
property
• Ensure the economic
recovery of the affected
community to the benefit
of the
community-at-large
• Mitigate the risk to
life and property by
removing substantially
damaged structures and
associated appurtenances
as needed to convert
property acquired
through a FEMA hazard
mitigation program to
uses compatible with
open space, recreation,
or wetlands management
practices
Debris removal from
private property is
generally not eligible
because it is the
responsibility of the
individual property
owner. If property
owners move the
disaster-related debris
to a public
right-of-way, the local
government may be
reimbursed for curbside
pickup and disposal for
a limited period of
time. If the debris on
private business and
residential property is
so widespread that
public health, safety,
or the economic recovery
of the community is
threatened, FEMA may
fund debris removal from
private property, but it
must be approved in
advance by FEMA.
B. Emergency Protective
Measures: Actions taken
by the municipality
before, during, and
after a disaster to save
lives, protect public
health and safety, and
prevent damage to
improved public and
private property.
Emergency
communications,
emergency access and
emergency public
transportation costs may
also be eligible.
Examples of eligible
emergency protective
measures are:
• Warning devices
(barricades, signs, and
announcements)
• Search and rescue
• Security forces
(police and guards)
• Construction of
temporary levees
• Provision of shelters
or emergency care
• Sandbagging
• Bracing/shoring
damaged structures
• Provision of food,
water, ice and other
essential needs
• Emergency repairs
• Emergency demolition
• Removal of health and
safety hazards
Permanent Work
C. Road Systems and
Bridges: Roads are
eligible for permanent
repair or replacement
under public assistance
unless they are
federal-aid roads.
Eligible work includes
repairs to surfaces,
bases, shoulders,
ditches, culverts, low
water crossings and
other features, such as
guardrails. Damage to
the road must be
disaster related, not
the result of normal
deterioration, to be
eligible for repair.
Landslides and washouts
often affect roads.
Earthwork in the
vicinity of a road may
be eligible, but only if
the work is necessary to
ensure the structural
integrity of the road.
Permanent restoration of
a road or bridge that
service USACE or NRCS
levees and dams, private
and commercial roads,
and homeowners'
association roads or
fall under the authority
of the Federal Highway
Administration is not
eligible for public
assistance. For more
information on this
category please visit
www.fema.gov/government/grant/pa/re_categories.shtm#catC
D. Water Control
Facilities: Water
control facilities
include dams and
reservoirs, levees,
lined and unlined
engineered drainage
channels, shore
protective devices,
irrigation facilities
and pumping facilities.
For more information on
this category please
visit
www.fema.gov/government/grant/pa/re_categories.shtm#catD#catD
E. Buildings, Contents,
and Equipment:
Buildings, including
contents such as
furnishings and interior
systems such as
electrical work, are
eligible for repair or
replacement under the
Public Assistance
Program. In addition to
contents, FEMA will pay
for the replacement of
pre-disaster quantities
of consumable supplies
and inventory. FEMA will
also pay for the
replacement of library
books and publications.
Removal of mud, silt, or
other accumulated debris
is eligible, along with
any cleaning and
painting necessary to
restore the building. If
an insurance policy
applies to a facility,
FEMA will deduct from
eligible costs the
amount of insurance
proceeds, actual or
anticipated, before
providing funds for
restoration of the
facility. FEMA will
reduce public assistance
grants by the maximum
amount of insurance
proceeds an Applicant
would receive for an
insurable building
located in an identified
floodplain that is not
covered by Federal flood
insurance. The reduction
in eligible costs will
be the larger of the two
reductions just
described.
FEMA may pay for
upgrades that are
required by certain
codes and standards.
Examples include roof
bracing installed
following a hurricane,
seismic upgrades to
mitigate damage from
earthquakes, and
upgrades to meet
standards regarding use
by the disabled. For
repairs, upgrades are
limited to damaged
elements only. If a
structure must be
replaced, the new
facility must comply
with all applicable
codes and standards
regardless of the level
of FEMA funding.
If a damaged building
must be replaced, FEMA
has the authority to pay
for a building with the
same capacity as the
original structure.
However, if the standard
for space per occupant
has changed since the
original structure was
built, FEMA may pay for
an increase in size to
comply with that
standard while
maintaining the same
occupant capacity. A
Federal or State agency
or statute must mandate
the increase in space;
it cannot be based only
on design practices for
an industry or
profession.
F. Utilities: Typical
utilities include water
treatment plants and
delivery systems, power
generation and
distribution facilities,
sewerage collection
systems and treatment
plants and
telecommunication. For
more information on this
category please visit
www.fema.gov/government/grant/pa/re_categories.shtm#catF#catF
G. Parks, Recreational,
and Other: Repair and
restoration of parks,
playgrounds, pools,
cemeteries and beaches.
This category is also
used for any work or
facility that cannot be
characterized adequately
by Categories A-F.
Eligible publicly owned
facilities in this
category include
playground equipment,
swimming pools, bath
houses, tennis courts,
board docks, piers,
picnic tables, and golf
courses. For more
information on this
category please visit
www.fema.gov/government/grant/pa/re_categories.shtm#catG#catG
In addition to public
assistance, residents
and small businesses are
now eligible to apply
for different types of
federal assistance,
including temporary
housing, repair,
replacement or other
needs such as Disaster
Unemployment Assistance
and Small Business
Administration disaster
loans. Survivors of
Hurricane Irene who
suffered damage should
apply for disaster
assistance with the
Federal Emergency
Management Agency – even
if they have insurance
or aren't sure they are
eligible.
Residents and small
business can register
for assistance by phone
at 800-621-FEMA (3362)
or TTY 800-462-7585 for
those with hearing or
speech impairments.
Specialists are standing
by at the toll-free
numbers seven days a
week, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
local time, until
further notice. Help in
other languages is
available. They can also
register online at
www.DisasterAssistance.gov
or by applying through a
web-enabled mobile
device or smartphone by
visiting m.fema.gov and
following the link to
"apply online for
federal assistance."
There will be applicant
briefings for all 21
counties, which will be
coordinated through the
State and County OEM to
reduce the number of
briefings. In addition,
kickoff meetings, which
will provide you with
specific information for
formal preparation of
the project worksheets,
will be scheduled for
each municipality.
Please contact your
local OEM Director to
coordinate your
municipality’s public
assistance application.
If you have any
questions or need
additional information
please do not hesitate
to contact Lori Buckelew
at lbuckelew@njslom.com
or 609-695-3481 x112.
Very truly yours,
William G. Dressel, Jr.
Executive Director
New Jersey
League of Municipalities
222 West State Street,
Trenton, NJ 08608
609-695-3481
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