HOUSTON – Channel 2 Investigates has learned it could be several years before some Meyerland residents benefit from a FEMA grant designed to elevate their homes, according to a new timeline provided to KPRC by the mayor’s office.
A handful of Meyerland residents cornered Mayor Sylvester Turner on Tuesday, after a news conference, to express their exasperation with what they see as bureaucratic red tape.
“With respect sir, there are houses in our neighborhood that have been elevated in four days, a year ago," said Mark Katzenellenbogen, a Meyerland resident.
Katzenellenbogen and 41 of his neighbors are slated to benefit from a nearly $15 million FEMA grant to elevate their homes approximately five feet.
Houston’s City Council rubber stamped the agreement to receive the funds, connected to the 2015 Memorial Day flooding disaster, in late September, but months have passed with questionable progress.
“No, I don’t think the city is doing a competent job,” said Frank Inselbuch, a Meyerland resident.
Turner did announce a step forward Tuesday.
“As of this morning, the Texas Water Development Board approved the city’s contractual bid to raise the housing, the 42 houses, and now we have the clearance to go out and get the contractors,” Turner said.
Monday, KPRC asked the mayor for a more detailed and updated timeline of the process. His office provided the requested updat, Tuesday afternoon.
It appears that some residents closer to the bottom of the list of homes to be elevated are years away from actual work being performed.
Janice Evans, Chief Policy Officer & Director of Communications for the Office of Mayor Sylvester Turner said:
We received word yesterday that the TWDB approved our preliminary contract documents for the 2015 FMA Grant. That means we can move forward. Here is a rough outline of what we anticipate.
1. Administration of process: 2 to 3 weeks (done concurrently):
- Advertisement for contracting bidders
- Mail daft documents to Grant Candidate Homeowners
- Meeting w/ Grant Candidate Homeowners
- Pre-bid meeting w/ contractor
2. Bidding Process: 5- 6 months (but working w/ SPD to cut down to 2 months or less):
- Sealed bid process
- Selection of Contractors by City
- Meet & Greet w/ Homeowners & contractors
3. Construction Process for each home: Varies (typically 5-6 months):
Important Notes:
- Advanced funding from TWDB is limited to 10 homes at a time; they will have to be rotational; homeowners were informed.
- Funding is being advanced to the City
- Homeowner is not a direct recipient of funds
- 2 contracts per property: City/Homeowner and Homeowner/Contractor
- Contracting Teams will consist of General contractors and Subs which include: elevation specialists, engineers, surveyors, soils engineers, building trades
- Contracting Teams will be “pre-certified”
- Grant Candidate Homeowners are emailed regularly with updates as information is available
- List of homeowners is kept confidential
- Our webpage with FAQ’s and information: houstonrecovers.org
- We continue to work with the FEMA on the process for the 2016 FMA Grant for 39 homes. The schedule is up to FEMA. The next step should be for FEMA to make award to TWDB.