Disaster Recovery office says V.I. gov't met FEMA deadline for fixed cost offers

ST. CROIX — The territory met a crucial deadline in its disaster recovery efforts, according to the V.I. Office of Disaster Recovery.

The agency, in a released statement on Thursday, said it finalized all fixed cost offers for the Federal Emergency Management Agency 428 Public Assistance projects days before the Sept. 30 deadline.

In February, FEMA announced that the federal government would retroactively increase its funding toward covered projects from 90% to 95% and that certain key infrastructure projects — including schools, hospitals and emergency operations centers — will be 98% federally funded. The announcement stipulated that projects must be found eligible by the September deadline and completed within 11 years for the 98% cost share to take effect.

In total, 241 projects are being completed under the FEMA 428 Public Assistance Alternative Procedures program, which allows facilities to be rebuilt to industry standards regardless of their pre-existing conditions.