Upset Lincoln County supervisors grappled Monday with aHurricane Katrina debris clean-up bill that exceeded expectationsby more than $200,000.

Supervisors had contracted with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineersthrough the Federal Emergency Management Agency to pick up anestimated 3,000 cubic yards of debris along Heuck’s Retreat andNola roads and Mallalieu Drive. The contract was separate fromother debris removal agreements because those roads are on afederal aid program and therefore under the auspices of the FederalHighway Administration.

Shortly after Hurricane Katrina, State Aid District EngineerMarty Hilton, Federal Highway Administration Representative PeteDeere and the late James Barker with Engineering Associates,estimated there were approximately 3,000 cubic yards of debrisalong the three roads. They projected removal costs at nearly$100,000.

In January, supervisors received a bill for the removal fromOddee Smith and Sons Construction, who was subcontracted for thejob, for more than $314,000. According to the bill, more than11,000 cubic yards of debris had been removed.

County Engineer Carl Ray Furr, also of Engineering Associates,and Hilton reassured supervisors Monday that, despite theunexpected tripling of the bill, responsibility to ultimately paythe bill remained with FEMA.

“Technically, we have a liability of $314,000, but we also havea guarantee that FEMA will pay it,” said Chancery Clerk TillmonBishop.

However, FEMA has not yet finished reimbursing the county forall of its other disaster recovery activities. Supervisors areupset that they may have to pay the money and wait for FEMA toreimburse the county “tomorrow, six months from now or two or threeyears from now.”

Hilton said State Aid should finish the paperwork on the projectand have it in FEMA’s hands by the end of the month. He said hebelieves supervisors may get reimbursement in about 60 days.

When questioned about how the estimate could be so far off themark, Hilton said he thinks people continued to move debris fromtheir yards to the road rights-of-way after he and the others madetheir trip to estimate the amount of debris.