Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : FEMA OKs $5 Million for Santa Clarita

SANTA CLARITA —  Federal officials have so far approved the city’s requests for about half the estimated $12 million of federal disaster assistance needed to repair public facilities damaged by the Northridge earthquake.

The $5 million that has been approved will cover the costs of 19 out of 95 rebuilding projects slated in Santa Clarita.

The city is hoping that all of the projects can be completed entirely with funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said Adele Macpherson, city emergency preparedness coordinator.

The projects include removing debris and operating transit buses after the quake, running the city’s emergency operations center and making repairs to roads, bridges, drainage facilities and parks.

Some of the projects approved include: $507,000 for road repairs in Valencia; $301,000 for collecting and removing debris; $251,000 for engineering and repairs along Tourney Road; $237,000 to fix roads and medians in Canyon Country; $150,000 for safety inspections; and $146,000 for emergency traffic control.

FEMA has turned down only one project that the city has proposed: A request of $22,500 to repay the city for having to relocate its cowboy poetry festival after the quake damaged William S. Hart High School auditorium.

A FEMA spokesman said events are not eligible for the funds.

FEMA has also agreed to repay the city for $663,909 of sewer repairs in the Four Oaks neighborhood where flooding occurred a year ago.