St. James Parish initiates Private Property Debris Removal Program for Hurricane Ida

Published 12:01 am Saturday, April 23, 2022

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LUTCHER — St. James Parish is accepting applications for a FEMA program that can help eligible property owners with hurricane‐related structural demolition and debris removal. Through the program, up to 90% of the costs incurred by the Parish for the work performed can be reimbursed by FEMA. The Hurricane Ida PPDR program is being managed by Rostan Solutions LLC, a St. James Parish contractor, with final eligibility determinations issued by FEMA.

If eligible for the program, residents can receive help with the demolition of residential structures deemed to be health hazards, not recoverable or in threat of collapse. The program can also help with the removal of additional hurricane‐related hazards such as loose debris, hazardous limbs and trees, and partially uprooted stumps near a property’s commonly used and/or maintained areas.

The following types of property will not qualify for this program: Vacant lots, unimproved properties, unused or unmaintained property areas, agricultural lands used for crops or livestock.

To be considered for this program, property owner(s) will be required to complete an application and sign a Right‐of‐Entry (ROE) agreement ‐‐ which grants Parish representatives’ access to the property for inspection, demolition activities, and removal of eligible storm‐generated debris. All owners may be required to sign the application and ROE for properties owned by multiple people, depending on how the property is titled and in lieu of legally granted authority.

To participate, property owners must visit an Intake Center to complete the application, sign the ROE agreement, and submit the necessary documentation, as follows:

  • A copy of the property insurance policy, if the property is insured, including detailed policy with cover page and itemized statement of coverage
  • A proof of loss/statement of loss from the insurance company, if the property was insured at the time of Hurricane Ida
  • A COLOR copy of each owner’s driver’s license or government issued identification
  • Proof of ownership, such as a warranty deed, title, tax statement, etc.

Once the application is complete, Parish officials and contractors will review each application and reach out to schedule a site visit. During the site visit, officials will identify and document hurricane-related damage and hazards, and this information will be submitted to FEMA for review and approval.

If approved by FEMA, a work order will be issued. The scheduling of all site work will be done in coordination with the property owner. Please keep in mind that this program requires several administrative reviews and approvals prior to work being scheduled and that actual work may not commence for weeks or months, depending on the complexity of individual applications.

The Application Intake Center will be located at the following location:

Monday through Friday (Regular Business Hours)

DHR Satellite Office

2430 Louisiana Ave, Lutcher, LA 70071

For more information or if you have any questions, please contact Rostan Solutions LLC either by phone at 813‐777‐7102 or by email at stjamesppdr@rostan.com.

If you need to contact the Parish directly or if you need to send any documents via email, please contact ppdr@stjamesla.com.