A back-and-forth battle between the City of Hattiesburg and the Federal Emergency Management Agency over the rebuild of the Timberton Softball Complex may finally be over, as Hattiesburg City Council members recently accepted a bid of approximately $2.9 million for work on the park that was heavily damaged in the January 2017 tornado that tore a path through the area.
The bid was awarded on March 5 to Culpepper Construction & Masonry, with construction expected to begin this summer at the site off William Carey Parkway in Hattiesburg. Officials hope to have the park up and running in approximately a year.
“It’s a mixed bag of emotions,” Mayor Toby Barker said. “Obviously, I’m relieved that it’s finally going to be rebuilt, but I will tell you, in all my years as an elected official, this has been the most frustrating process trying to deal with (FEMA).
“All of the back-and-forth, going to arbitration and having obligations rescinded – you just kind of come out of it with a jaded view of FEMA. But with that said, I’m glad that in a year from now, we’re going to have a park and be hosting activities for people in that neighborhood and across our city.”
The tussle between the city and FEMA stretches back to May 2017, when FEMA calculated the damage to the park at $565,572. However, that amount was based on a site visit by FEMA and city staff, and not an engineer’s report, which is required by FEMA for large category projects.
In June 2018, city officials appealed that amount, estimating the damages at approximately $2.45 million. In October of that year, fire destroyed the press box at the complex, for which insurance paid $147,287.
In April 2019, FEMA issued a revised cost estimating format of an additional $1.88 million, for a total estimate of $2.45 million for repairs at the park. Four months later, then-Congressman Steven Palazzo announced the obligation of $1.4 million for the complex.
In September 2019, city officials received an obligation letter of $2.54 million for Timberton. However, it was determined that approximately $957,683 had been omitted from cost revisions related to project management and construction trade requirements such as permits, safety and security, bonds, insurance and architect/engineering costs.
In February 2020, the city received a letter from FEMA stating that $1.71 million of the $2.45 million obligated for repair of Timberton had been de-obligated due to a FEMA re-inspection of the project. Repair of Timberton was estimated at $3.4 million related to the 2017 tornado and $275,000 related to the replacement of the burned pressbox.
In April 2020, the city filed an appeal of the February 20, 2020 Eligibility Determination Memo from FEMA. In August 2021, the city received a letter stating that appeal was denied, which led officials to file a Request for Arbitration to the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals.
In January 2022, the board of appeals determined with finality the statement of work and the associated cost estimates to repair the damage to the softball complex shown to have been caused by the January 2017 disaster, as well as allowable and unallowable proposed hazard mitigation costs.
Bids for the project were finally advertised in October of last year, at which point three bids were received before being opened the next month.
Pre-construction activities will soon take place at the site.
“We’re one step closer,” Ward 5 Councilman Nick Brown said. “I’d like to the community for being patient with us as we’ve been battling back and forth with FEMA to get what’s needed for our community.
“It’s one of the parks that’s in the heart of my community and will be utilized greatly. Once we get past this, it’s going to be great for not only Ward 5 but for the entire city.”
