Published: May 08, 2008 08:42 pm            

State disaster funding on the way

County expecting ORCA money in near future

An announcement by the Office of Rural Community Affairs (ORCA) listing 15 communities receiving disaster funding — but not including Navarro County — left some wondering if this area had missed out on help needed to repair a road system devastated by flooding last year.

Not so, says County Judge H.M. Davenport Jr.

“This is still active,” Davenport said of the funding request process. “We’re actually going to use ORCA funding to cover the co-pay requirements of FEMA (funding).”

Navarro County saw many county roads nearly washed away by flooding that started in the spring and occurred through early summer. Residents have been complaining about the long process in getting repairs made as county commissioners have been scrambling to do what they can with suddenly overwhelmed budgetary demands.

The FEMA funding Davenport mentioned is on an 80/20 basis. When the amount awarded under that federal program is announced, 80 percent of the total comes from the Feds with the remaining 20 percent coming from Navarro County.

That’s where the ORCA funding at the state level comes into play, with the county leveraging those funds into the FEMA grant to represent its portion.

ORCA announced Tuesday that 15 communities and counties were receiving funding amounts that totaled about $3 million for disaster aid. That announcement was the one that didn’t mention Navarro County.

“I don’t know what the deal is with that one, but we’re going to get (ORCA funding),” Davenport said about Tuesday’s announcement. “I’ve already gotten notification that it’s forthcoming.”

He said there are some minor administrative issues to iron out and some “loose ends” to tie up, but it’s just a matter of time now before this county receives its funding.

Some other funding, under the Emergency Watershed Program, is already nearing the point of letting contracts. Davenport said he expects work paid for by those funds to begin sometime in July and complete in September.

        

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