Private Property Debris Removal (PPDR) program funding gets FEMA approval

Boulder County, Colo. - The Boulder County Commissioners unanimously approved today a recommendation from a multijurisdictional team composed of staff from Boulder County, the City of Louisville, and the Town of Superior, to award the Marshall Fire Private Property Debris Removal contract to DRC Emergency Services, LLC (DRC). After a multi-day review and deliberation process, the team recommended DRC because of the firm’s ability to deploy dozens of crews throughout the region, complete the project by July 1, and demonstrate competitive pricing.

DRC is expected to begin work by March 1, following a 10-day period for other bidders to appeal the decision per county policy. During this time, completion of contract negotiations and program planning with DRC and the three local jurisdictions will include determination of specific task orders involving:

• Schedule and locations
• Order of operations
• Air and soil testing conditions
• Project monitoring, inspection, and management

More information will be provided on each of these items to the property owners who have opted into the debris removal program by signing a Right of Entry (ROE) form. The deadline to submit ROE forms has been extended to 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 14. Currently, more than 800 property owners have signed the forms, indicating their intention to participate. It is expected that property owners who choose not to participate in the county’s debris removal program will hire their own contractors at their own expense to complete debris removal work on a similar timeline, and under conditions set by local governments through their planning departments’ demolition permit processes.

“This bid award is an important step in the recovery process and will allow huge progress towards rebuilding,” said Boulder County Commissioner Claire Levy. “I want to thank everyone who worked on securing the right contractor for the job and everyone who has signed-on to let the county help them get closer to the rebuild of their homes. We will get through this together.”

Private Property Debris Removal (PPDR) Program Funding

Boulder County also received a letter from the Federal Emergency Management Agency late Wednesday stating that the federal government will cover much of the cost associated with the debris removal program. The state of Colorado also has pledged funding to help share the cost of the required 25 percent local match for FEMA grants. View FEMA's Private Property Debris Removal Fact Sheet for more information on the approval process.

FEMA has deferred decision-making on two components of the proposed program related to covering the cost of debris removal from partially destroyed structures, as well as removal of any foundations, asking the local governments to provide more information about the economic necessity of this financial support. Boulder County, Louisville and Superior are working together to provide additional information to FEMA as soon as possible.

As a condition of receiving federal funding, local governments will be collecting insurance information and insurance proceeds specifically dedicated in policies to debris removal from residents who have opted in to offset the cost of the program.

Updated information about the debris removal program is available at www.boco.org/marshall-debris-cleanup.