CITY OF CLEWISTON helps Residents!

The City of Clewiston joins with CREW to help out local residents, according to minutes from City Council.

"FEMA Demobilization/Modified Sales Program.

Keith Denning, representing FEMA, said his agency will be ending its housing assistance program on April 24, 2007, although FEMA will continue to have a presence in the area.

City Manager Johnson said there were 29-occupied FEMA trailers left in the city limits. With the FEMA deadline approaching, Mr. Johnson asked the commission to consider options to provide housing for those families who cannot find housing accommodations by the deadline. FEMA’s modified sales program (MSP) provides three options: (1) sell the trailer to a disaster victim and end the responsibility for the trailer, (2) immediately donate the trailer to the disaster victim and end all responsibility for the unit, or (3) continue to house the hurricane victim in the trailer for an additional year; after that year, the City can use the unit for any purpose.

The City can use Disaster Relief Funds, estimated at $20,000 to $25,000, to buy the units. The concern is once the trailers are sold they must be moved since most of the remaining units are in nonconforming areas. Although FEMA will assist with moving the units to other locations, few conforming sites are available.

CREW, the organization established after Hurricane Wilma to help hurricane victims with the restoration and rebuilding of their homes, had Board approval to serve as a nonprofit agency for administering the MSP. CREW Director Trish Adams said they were willing to help the occupants find other housing or conforming lots for the trailers. Mr. Johnson said at the end of the 12 months, CREW would become the owners of the trailers and responsible for removing the nonconforming units. Purchasers must provide a certificate of zoning compliance. If not in compliance, the sale cannot be made.

Commissioner Pittman made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Richard Miller, to extend the emergency declaration for Hurricane Wilma to April 24, 2008, and to participate in FEMA’s Modified Sales Program by providing funds only, up to $30,000, to the CREW organization. The funds are to be disbursed by the city manager and the finance director on a case-by-case basis. The units may remain in the nonconforming areas; however, the nonconformity status still applies, but allows the units to legally remain until April 24, 2008. Motion passed unanimously on a voice vote.
City Attorney Schoech clarified that the Commission was not waiving the non conformance status, just providing an extension for that limited period of time. "