PRESS RELEASE Governor Jindal Taps LRA to Lead Recovery from Hurricanes Gustav and Ike
LRA Executive Director Paul Rainwater will serve as the Governor’s Authorized Representative to FEMA for the Public Assistance program in Louisiana for Gustav and Ike. FEMA’s Public Assistance program reimburses public entities, usually local governments, for repairs to or the rebuilding of damaged facilities. “Our state has learned many lessons in our more than three years of recovering from devastating hurricanes. We will use this knowledge to speed the pace of recovery for areas affected by Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Ike,” Rainwater said. “Our commitment to rebuilding safer and stronger is not limited to one region affected by one storm. We must restore our communities all across Louisiana and, working together, we will.” During his first day in office, Governor Bobby Jindal issued an Executive Order directing the LRA to be responsible for the state's actions with regard to FEMA's Public Assistance program for hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) operates the Public Assistance program under Rainwater’s direction. Working together, the LRA and GOHSEP introduced the state-administered “Express Pay System,” which cut the length of time applicants to the Public Assistance program wait for reimbursements from two months to around one week, speeding the flow of hundreds of millions of recovery funds to affected parishes. The LRA will also serve as the State Hazard Mitigation Team for the recovery associated with hurricanes Gustav and Ike for purposes of the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. HURRICANES GUSTAV AND IKE LOUISIANA RECOVERY AUTHORITY: WHEREAS, the Louisiana Recovery Authority was created to coordinate programs and funding from federal, state, local, and private sources to achieve the most effective and efficient use of monetary, human, and organizational resources toward services related to disaster recovery by the state of Louisiana; WHEREAS, the Louisiana Recovery Authority acts as the coordinating body for disaster recovery programs including overseeing the implementation of disaster recovery programs funded with Community Development Block Grant funds from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for housing, economic development, and infrastructure programs; WHEREAS, in addition to the Community Development Block Grant funds, Louisiana also receives disaster recovery assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the Public Assistance Program and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program; WHEREAS, the Public Assistance Program provides much needed financial resources to individual homeowners and state and local governmental units to help them recover from a natural disaster; WHEREAS, the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program provides grants to state and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures to reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters; WHEREAS, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness is tasked with the responsibility of administering the Public Assistance Program and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program; and WHEREAS, these programs and federal funds related to the devastation caused by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike administered by the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness are within the jurisdiction of the Louisiana Recovery Authority and the integration of the recovery programs should be managed through one organization. NOW THEREFORE, I, Bobby Jindal, Governor of the state of Louisiana, by virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution and the laws of the state of Louisiana, do hereby order and direct as follows: SECTION 1: The Louisiana Recovery Authority shall set priorities and offer broad direction to the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness relating to the use of funds made available to the state for recovery and redevelopment efforts through the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, as amended, and special congressional appropriations for the Public Assistance Program and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program associated with Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. SECTION 2: The Executive Director of the Louisiana Recovery Authority shall serve as the Governor’s Authorized Representative for Louisiana’s Public Assistance Program associated with Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. The Executive Director shall be afforded all duties and responsibilities conferred upon the Governor’s Authorized Representative in the state’s Public Assistance Administrative Plan. SECTION 3: The Louisiana Recovery Authority shall serve as the State Hazard Mitigation Team for the recovery associated with Hurricanes Gustav and Ike for purposes of the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. SECTION 4: The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness is authorized and directed to cooperate in the implementation of the provisions of this Order. SECTION 5. This Order is effective upon signature and shall continue in effect until amended, modified, terminated, or rescinded by the governor, or terminated by operation of law. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have set my hand officially and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of Louisiana, at the Capitol, in the city of Baton Rouge, on this 15th day of September, 2008. /S/ Bobby Jindal| ATTEST BY /S/ Jay Dardenne ### |
|
