Louisiana Recovery Office
New Orleans, LA
Recovery News
July 14, 2010
LA-1603-07-10-900
MEDIA CONTACTS:
FEMA News Desk: 504-762-2477
GRETNA TO BEGIN ROADWAY REPAIRS THROUGHOUT THE CITY
JEFFERSON PARISH, La. – Come Monday morning, residents throughout Gretna may notice recovery work in
progress as street and sidewalk repairs, funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), begin
throughout the city.
In total, repairs will be made to approximately 75 different Gretna locations, benefiting community members in
various neighborhoods as travel ways are made smoother for commutes in and around the city.
The start of this repair work follows post-Katrina street assessments done by both FEMA and city officials.
During these assessments, FEMA worked closely with Gretna’s city engineer, Burk-Kleinpeter, Inc., and the
Gretna Public Works Department to identify Katrina-related damage. From these assessments, FEMA developed
a Project Worksheet to fund the needed repairs.
“Gretna residents will soon notice safer streets throughout their neighborhoods,” said FEMA’s Louisiana
Recovery Office Interim Director Mike Karl. “For this reason among many, FEMA is glad to support Gretna’s
recovery progress by aiding in such crucial work.”
The federal agency previously obligated $390,460 in public assistance funding to the city of Gretna in support of
the street and sidewalk repairs.
Gretna Mayor Ronnie Harris stated, “The city of Gretna is pleased for the continued assistance from FEMA to
address the damages from Hurricane Katrina. It shows that even five years after the storm, rebuilding is a
comprehensive and coordinated effort by the city and the federal government.”
When FEMA approves projects through its supplemental Public Assistance grant, the funds are transferred to a federal
Smartlink account. Once the funds have reached this account, the applicant can request reimbursement from GOHSEP
for eligible work completed.
The Public Assistance program works with state and local officials to fund recovery measures and the rebuilding of
government and certain private nonprofit organizations’ buildings, as well as roads, bridges and water and sewer
plants. In order for the process to be successful, federal, state and local partners coordinate to draw up project plans,
fund these projects and oversee their completion.
FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to
build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate
all hazards.
###
Editors: For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/latro.