CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The RISE flood relief effort in West Virginia isn’t far from getting 300 cases in construction management.
The leaders of the program aren’t saying they’re satisfied, but that’s a milestone they have been watching.
Construction management doesn’t necessarily mean a home is actively being built, but it does mean the case has entered a contract to move toward construction.
RISE is the state program with $149 million from the federal government to focus on relief from the devastating flooding of 2016.
The program has faced repeated scrutiny over the pace of long-term flood relief.
This past week, there were 423 cases in West Virginia RISE. The program has completed construction on 51 homes.
Then there are 291 in some phase of construction. That means the family is anywhere in the pipeline from permit to final construction.
There are 27 in active construction right now — the phase that those within RISE call “the hammer swinging phase of construction.”
“But what folks have got to understand is the path towards completion still has a lot of steps,” Adjutant Gen. James Hoyer said last week.
That may include steps such as permitting to possible asbestos tests or lead-based paint tests if the demolition of the prior home is necessary.
“My sense is these guys have made great progress to get us to that point, but what people need to understand is because there is a step process we’ve got to go through with HUD requirement to complete construction they’re not going to happen overnight,” said Hoyer, who is the point man for flood relief.
There are 132 cases not yet in construction management.
Of those, 45 are getting close. They are in request for solicitation with the state Division of Purchasing, meaning they are in the process leading toward a construction contract.
That leaves 87 cases even farther down the process.
Of those, West Virginia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster plans to handle construction on 20.
There are 30 cases that are considered significantly more difficult than the others, for a variety of reasons unique to each case. Those need further assessment.
“Those are the really difficult ones,” Hoyer said.
So that leaves 37 or so to continue moving toward getting under contract and into the construction pipeline, Hoyer said.
Senator Glenn Jeffries, D-Kanawha, indicated the number of homes in the construction management pipeline is significant.
“Are we satisfied with where we’re at? No, and we all agree on that. Everyone you talk with agrees. You wish you were further along. But that 300 number, I think it is a significant milestone,” said Jeffries, a construction company owner.
“I don’t want to jump up and down and say ‘Hey man that’s great, but it does show the progression of where everything was a year ago when the National Guard took it over.”
Senator Greg Boso, R-Nicholas, is frustrated with the pace.
“When we consider the length of time this process has been evolving, time of response and accomplishing the necessary task, I think has been unacceptable,” said Boso, who owns an engineering firm.
He acknowledged the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes, such as environmental assessments on properties, but suggested those tasks could move along more quickly.
“Three years just seems unfathomable,” Boso said. “I’m trying to approach this also from the aspect of where these people are, saying ‘You’ve told us for three years you’re coming. When are you coming?’ From that perspective we have to be more responsive to getting things done.”
Boso said it’s not clear that the pace is picking up.
“When people are need they need you immediately and they need a response. I think we’ve got to get our foot on the gas pedal and put pressure on it so that it goes faster.
“The governor made comment on that and we’ve not seen any acceleration. Where is the faster? I think we’re still sitting in the pits.”
Hoyer says the flood relief effort is moving as fast as possible while also trying to be careful with the available money.
“If we could get these done tomorrow we’d have them done tomorrow,” he said. “But these take time.”
Speaking on MetroNews’ “Talkline” last week, Hoyer said he feels the urgency.
“The governor presses me every day,” he said. “I feel the pressure every day to say hey move as fast as you can without making mistakes. I think we’re making good progress but it is going to take some time.”