Villages District Manager Janet Tutt has defended the need for reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for cleanup and repairs in the wake of Hurricane Irma.
Tutt acknowledged on Friday at the Community Development District 5 meeting that residents have expressed anger and disappointment over the pursuit of FEMA reimbursement.
The Villages will likely see 90 percent FEMA reimbursement of costs of the cleanup. The District staff has been meticulously detailing the costs of the cleanup and following the complicated FEMA rules. The District has even hired a FEMA consultant to ensure everything is being done properly.
“We all know the federal government can generate paperwork,” said CDD 5 Supervisor Jerry Knoll, a former public works director who has dealt with the aftermath of natural disasters.
Tutt said the District has a “stewardship responsibility” to protect the rate of maintenance assessments to the residents. The Irma cleanup costs are expected to add up to millions of dollars.
