State seeks public input on disaster recovery plan
May 14—State officials are seeking public input on a plan for spending more than $4 million in federal funding designated for recovery from the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire and other related disasters of 2022.
An action plan from the state Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management proposes spending about $3.8 million to develop a "building resiliency center" in San Miguel County meant to assist rehousing efforts in the region that was devastated by the historic fire.
The plan lists examples of services such a center could provide to residents in the region, including:
* A pre-application screening to help homeowners towards a complete submittal package and streamline the issuance of a permit,
* Identification of local building contractors who are approved by the local jurisdictions and licensed through the state Regulation and Licensing Division, North Central New Mexico Economic Development Department's Contractor Database and the DHSEM's Disaster Case Management Program Contractor Database,
* Navigating insurance, and federal aid programs,
* Providing general planning assistance throughout the entire rebuild process referencing local jurisdictional zoning codes, setbacks, separation from structures, floodplain maps, and ArcGIS, and
* Support in evaluating rebuilding construction proposals. These bid reviews help determine whether the scope and pricing of construction bids are appropriate for rebuilding projects.
The funding comes from the federal Community Development Block Grant program, meant to support long-term disaster recover for "wildfires, flooding, mudflow, and straight-line winds" that prompted a federal disaster declaration in 2022 in Colfax, Mora, San Miguel, Lincoln, Los Alamos, Sandoval, and Valencia counties.
A study from the state Department of Homeland Security identified at least $249 million in "unmet recovery needs" in those counties from the 2022 fires and related disasters, according to the action plan.
The plan states "there is a higher degree of uncertainty in New Mexico's total assessed needs, based on the presence of the [Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon] Claims Office ... which is responsible for administering funding authorized under the Fire Assistance Act," noting the claims office had paid approximately $500 million of its almost $4 billion appropriation by the end of April.
