Back in March , during the Business
Development Authority (BDA), there was a casual mention
of changing around how FEMA deals with $$$ coming to the
BDA for flood damage to the BC&G RR spur line going
up Buffalo Creek. They made it sound like ho hum, as a
matter of doing business type decision being made.
There was no mention of dollar amounts during the discussion.
The BDA Board assembled did not flinch or say anything.
It was as if this vote was all well known and just
routing. Nothing would have raised an eyebrow until
contractor Dustin Fitzwater spoke up.
Dustin commented something about FEMA "paying" members of the BDA. Chair Mitch DeBoard tamped it down quickly by saying, remember, we can't call it getting paid, we have to say, we are being reimbursed.
For this reporter, red flags went up. But, with other pressing matters, we failed to follow thru with asking questions.
During the June 10th County Commission meeting, the CCC mentioned the receipt of BDA meeting minutes and quarterly financial statements. Now with the info quick at hand, we took a gander. Down below re copies of that March BDA meeting minutes. Read em.
Dustin commented something about FEMA "paying" members of the BDA. Chair Mitch DeBoard tamped it down quickly by saying, remember, we can't call it getting paid, we have to say, we are being reimbursed.
For this reporter, red flags went up. But, with other pressing matters, we failed to follow thru with asking questions.
During the June 10th County Commission meeting, the CCC mentioned the receipt of BDA meeting minutes and quarterly financial statements. Now with the info quick at hand, we took a gander. Down below re copies of that March BDA meeting minutes. Read em.
Putting 6 and 2 together and coming up with 3, after the Great Wash Out four years ago, BDA Board members did a bunch of work both in the field and with office paperwork to clean up the mess. Turning in FEMA paperwork did not go so well. The Federal agency required the BDA change how they wrote up requests for $$$. Instead of saying the BDA was getting paid, they required the wording to read, reimbursement.
Had it not been for Dustin during the meeting and FEMA catching the goof up, we would have never known the issue of a volunteer getting paid.
Before going public with this story we emailed BDA Sec/Treas. Debora Saulsgiver seeking answers. Our email was brief: After looking at your March 2020 BDA minutes, my question is, are BDA members allowed to get paid for FEMA work. Has the issue been approved in writing from the W V Ethics Commission or some other regulatory agency?
Her timely response includes:
We are not allowed to get 'Paid', but we can be 'reimbursed' for hours spent on FEMA work. Trust me, we have checked with everybody and his brother. We were not about to receive any money for anything till we heard it from the horses mouth and we checked with several different people. We have to tow the line where FEMA is concerned, or they could pull the funding for the whole project. We are audited by FEMA on top of our regular audit, but at least we don't have to pay for the FEMA audit, and they go through everything with a fine toothed comb. (Makes me nervous as all get out. I do my best to keep good records, but I'm always scared to death that I've screwed something up). Invoices have to be very detailed.
On Saturday June 13th, Mitch DeBoard asked if her reply answered our question. Our response was No.
Much like Ms Salisbury's email response, DeBoard said they had contacted everybody they knew to make everything above board.
In response we asked, but, did you seek an opinion from the W Va Ethics Commission. Mitch said they talked with everybody but the Ethics Commission.
We think there is a big problem with a volunteer govt body getting paid. Getting an Ethics opinion puts an agency on good footing. If you follow one of those opinions, you are lawsuit proof.
While reading the BDA meeting minutes we spoke with County Clerk Connie Workman about such payments.
Workman brought us up to speed on a similar FEMA pay out but to the County Commission and her office. Connie provided, FEMA paid for clean up efforts at the Courthouse, stuff like cleaning out the wawa and yuck and sorting thru all the wet paper records. FEMA did pay County Clerk employees but those FEMA funds were put directly into the general account. No employee received an extra penny. That scenario seems legit.
Readers, we think the BDA has a problem.
AW