County staff urge emergency hire of debris monitor to document flood damage for FEMA, NRCS

At a special Lincoln County Commissioners meeting, county staff recommended beginning an emergency procurement to hire a debris monitor immediately and to follow with competitive procurement for both a monitor and debris-hauler to document flood-related waterway debris for federal reimbursement.

Laurel, a county staff member who presented the update, said the county expects FEMA and state preliminary damage assessment teams on site next week and needs a monitor in place "as soon as possible" to map debris, quantify material and help the FEMA/state teams feel "comfortable that we're taking the proper steps." She described two contractor roles the county will need: a debris monitor (third-party oversight of haulers and documentation) and debris haulers to remove material.

The recommendation included specific environmental precautions: staff said asbestos testing may be required for waterway debris and that testing and disposal requirements should be built into procurement documents. Laurel noted local agencies will assist on asbestos and disposal issues. Contrary to airborne concerns, staff said wetting material reduces airborne asbestos risk but disposal depends on contamination and landfill acceptance.

Contracting options and resources were discussed. Commissioners and staff identified a firm referenced in the meeting (referred to in the transcript as Debris/Debbie Tech) that has worked on past FEMA public assistance events in the state. John McNiss, introduced on Zoom and identified in the meeting as an executive vice president, said his firm could provide drone surveys, helicopters and additional aerial resources to quantify rock, sediment and vegetation and prepare documentation intended to meet FEMA reimbursement requirements: "We're happy to assist any way possible," he said.

Staff also flagged a parallel federal program. Laurel explained that the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service's Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program could fund waterway work and that the county must submit an NRCS letter to request assistance. She said both FEMA and NRCS can fund waterway cleanup but with different focuses (FEMA on structures/improved property; NRCS on watershed-scale work) and warned that "FEMA will say if you didn't submit your NRCS letter, we may not do any of your waterway." Because of the NRCS timing windows, staff advised timing the letter submission to preserve the county's ability to identify locations within the program deadlines.

Procurement approach was discussed in detail. Staff recommended issuing an RFP (request for proposals) rather than a lowest-price bid because experience, specialized equipment and correct documentation are critical for FEMA-eligible debris work. Commissioners agreed to post procurement promptly; staff set an internal target to deliver materials to the paper by Monday at noon to meet statutory publication timeframes.

County staff and the contractor agreed to re-send an emergency agreement that was referenced but not attached to an email so county legal can review contract language and a proposed not-to-exceed amount (the transcript records a referenced "not to exceed 80" but does not specify currency or units). Staff said legal review is required before any contract is executed. The contractor requested maps and footprint information to plan drone survey start and stop points. State and FEMA damage assessment teams are expected on site next week, and the state is working to secure additional LAR (overflight/LiDAR) runs to compare pre- and post-flood imagery.

No formal motion or vote was recorded during the meeting; participants agreed on next steps (contract resend, legal review, mapping and coordinating FEMA/state visits). The meeting adjourned after staff confirmed the follow-up actions and contact details.