Remarks by Alison Dennington
473 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 11 of 19
- Play at 51:25
“What about the FEMA money? There's no discussion in the budget message about the FEMA money, who in our most recent audit still says that it is fully believed to be fully collectible. There's no discussion of, and for years that has been requested, and there's no discussion of, oh, by the way, we might have 500 or $600,000 that could mysteriously appear in the budget after we've passed it. But if we knew what the status of that was, which has been asked repeatedly for years, and we get responses of, we're not sure, we'll get back to you. But there's never been a resolution. And I did provide…”
Town Commission · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 53:37
“I would like to. Could you read it, please? Because I've been asking about this now for the last week. I mean, I spent hours researching it and trying to figure it out, and there's, because the way I understand it, correct me if I'm wrong, but what happens is the federal government obligates a certain amount, and so there's an amount that was obligated, and that is still obligated, but they are reimbursements, and so you have projects, the estimates that you submit, And you do the work, and you submit the reports, and you submit the things, and then they repay you. And that money right now,…”
Town Commission · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 55:23
“I know all that, and a lot of cities have had to wait a long time, particularly for Irma, because there was a lot of Irma fraud. So they were kind of being a bit tighter on it. But in the last two years, I mean, since I've been in office, I go to these meetings and people are complaining about Irma, but almost every city that I know now has all gotten their Irma money now. I think we might be one of the only that haven't. And so it didn't”
Town Commission · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 56:31
“So I mean, you could go back two years of meetings and this has been discussed and I don't know. Here's a question. Who's actually responsible? Is there a delegation to anyone that says you're responsible for this or you're responsible for this? The town has an account with a log in to submit. Who has that log?”
Town Commission · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 56:52
“OK, right. And then, because I know in the past, it's a lot of times it is public works who discusses the FEMA. So, but is he responsible for getting, like, is there, because...”
Town Commission · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 57:18
“There's a lot of other. But we've been having these meetings and we've been being told that, oh, yeah, we're following up with them. But has that been happening? Yes.”
Town Commission · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 57:28
“And I mean, in 2020, there was some response where we submitted paperwork on this Irma, this very specific project, and it was rejected or there was a response back that they needed more information from us. Was there a follow up back in 2020 to that communication?”
Town Commission · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 57:52
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
Town Commission · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 58:00
“The former town manager. Correct. Okay. until october 3rd 2025 it was not that the person that was when she left it was handed over to you okay that's when i began okay and then you've been giving ever since october there's because in that project portal it's every communication irma was the very first hurricane where everything had to go through the portal so from that date forward there's stuff back and forth between you and them okay all right okay do you Is there a sense of, I mean, one of the questions that I've never even known or gotten an answer to is, because you don't get the money…”
Town Commission · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 59:08
“As part of the project, you submit the estimate, all of that. This is how much it's going to cost. This is the project. And then you do the work, and then you submit the payment receipts that you paid for that work.”
Town Commission · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 59:23
“Nobody can say for sure whether we actually even did the work for the project. I doubt it would get this far if we hadn't.”
Town Commission · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 59:35
“I'm not submitting stuff we didn't do. We think that we did do all of the work that would entitle us to the money, so they're And you've been working on it since October.”
Town Commission · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 59:48
“So there is a good chance then that we're going to get the money. There's a point of order.”
Town Commission · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 1:00:04
“I will wrap it up with one sentence. I appreciate it. The $680,000 is highly relevant. It's been going on for a while. It should be included in the budget. It would make a difference, so I will leave it at that. Okay, we have a motion and a second. Is there any other discussion? Is there any public comment? Okay, come on up.”
Town Commission · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 1:07:23
“Aye. All opposed? Okay, that carries 5-0. Please continue.”
Town Commission · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 1:07:27
“Sorry, it's just it happened at the very last meeting and they said no completely.”
Town Commission · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 1:09:46
“Thank you. Thank you. Any other public comment? Seeing none, we will close public comment. We have a motion and a second, which I will not restate because there's about six different things, but we talked about it ad nauseum. So all in favor, say aye. Aye.”
Town Commission · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 1:10:06
“Okay, so that carries three-two. Does it require a four vote for that? It does. Okay, so that did not pass. Okay, so would somebody like to make a motion for the rollback?”
Town Commission · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 1:10:25
“Oh, do you want to take a roll call? Sorry, I said pass, but it didn't. That's correct. That motion did not pass because it failed for a 3-2 vote. Correct. 3-2 is a majority, but for this tax increase, the non-rollback, the 4.6, requires a 4 vote, and it only received a 3-2 vote with Commissioner Reed and myself, Dennington, voting against it. So that did not pass. So we would need a motion for something else.”
Town Commission · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 1:11:18
“Okay, so that failed for lack of the required four to one vote. So if somebody would like to make a motion for the rollback, because that is the only other resolution we have.”
Town Commission · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 1:12:04
“I know that you stated that in the in the nature of emotion, but I don't believe that would be a proper motion because I don't know how to.”
Town Commission · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 1:12:23
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
Town Commission · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 1:13:10
“Yeah, it has to be different from the prior. It has to be different from the prior. So you'd have to literally make a motion that, okay, since that failed, I make a motion that we pass the 4.6, but that these are the conditions. No, it was more of just, I think it was, we want to find out. So I think instead what you're asking for is before we do a motion, you'd like to... Suspend the rules perhaps and have a discussion.”
Town Commission · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 1:14:17
“So what, wait, hold on, because we do have procedural rules and so I, would you please make a motion to suspend the rules? Because we're not, we don't have a motion on the floor. So make a motion that we suspend the rules for now to engage in discussion and see if somebody seconds it.”
Town Commission · Sep 3, 2026
- Play at 1:14:37
“Second. Okay, we have a motion and a second to go to informal rules so that we can engage in discussion. We don't go to public comment on that. All in favor, say aye. Aye. All opposed, say nay. Nay. Okay, that carries three-two. Actually, I believe that you need a four-to-one vote to suspend the rules. That is the rule. So that motion dies. Is that correct?”
Town Commission · Sep 3, 2026