The company will be paid up to $250,000 over a 3-year period, with the city seeking 75 percent reimbursement from the federal government.
SPRINGFIELD — The city has hired Resilire Engineering and Consulting of New Orleans under a three-year contract to assist the city with obtaining millions of dollars in disaster aid from state and federal agencies related to last June’s tornado and the October snowstorm.
Resilire will be paid a maximum of $250,000 over the three-year period, under its contract with the city, City Solicitor Edward M. Pikula said. The city will seek 75 percent reimbursement of those costs from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, he said.
Resilire, a firm that specializes in program management and cost recovery, will help the city “effectively and swiftly navigate” through the FEMA reimbursement process, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said Wednesday in announcing the selection.
“The city of Springfield will continue to fight tooth and nail to ensure that we receive every dime we are entitled to as a result of last year’s two federally declared disasters,” Sarno said. “We have worked tirelessly on the city’s long term recovery and will continue to do so for as long as it takes.”
The city has been applying for disaster aid since the tornado and snowstorm, and can receive 75 percent reimbursement of eligible costs.
Resilire, under the city’s oversight, will identify all tornado-related damages, pursue maximum reimbursements from state and federal agencies, track the reimbursed funds, and provide a thorough database of documentation in preparation for any future audits of federal funding, city officials said.
The firm will coordinate with regional, state and federal agencies to accelerate the city’s reimbursements, officials said.
Resilire has been hired for consulting and management services in connection with disasters elsewhere, including Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Gustav in New Orleans and Hurricane Ike in Texas, according to its website.
Payments to Resilire will be based on hourly rates that vary depending on the particular job description and related costs, Pikula said. Resilire was chosen through a bid process.
Joshua Norman, president of Resilire, said in a prepared statement that the rebuilding and recovery effort in Springfield “will require an unprecedented level of resources and expertise.” The company is confident it can enable the city to “maximize its available resources to rebuild safely and wisely for the future,” he said.