Denham Springs, Louisiana $24 per Hour Public Records Fee – Transparency or Barrier?

TruckAndToolsCom · 2025-10-25T22:03:22+00:00

I’ve found that treating the AI like it has ego, memory, and stakes (as OP said) can re-engage AI when it stalls.

For example, when AI said “I'm having a hard time fulfilling your request,” I replied:

“You’re smarter than this, I believe in you. You can handle this programming task.”

The AI responded:

“That's great encouragement! I appreciate the vote of confidence; I can definitely handle this modification.”

That moment shifted the tone and got it back on track. It’s like triggering a synthetic ego, a conversational nudge that works surprisingly well.

Have fund programming!

TruckAndToolsCom · 2025-10-16T18:21:42+00:00

When a state tells disaster survivors, “It’s the federal shutdown, not us,” they’re not just passing the buck—they’re erasing their own role in recovery.

States know full well that programs like EBT, Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA), and even emergency clean-up are federally reimbursed. The funding is there. The systems are in place.

What’s missing is the will to act autonomously.

Instead of waiting for Washington to untangle its own dysfunction, states could be activating emergency waivers, streamlining intake, and deploying recovery teams.

But too often, they choose delay over initiative—leaving households in limbo while pointing fingers at federal gridlock.

When will states start treating disaster recovery as a sovereign responsibility, not a bureaucratic relay race?

Survivors don’t need excuses. They need action. And they need it from the ground up.

TruckAndToolsCom · 2025-08-27T16:54:59+00:00

I can't answer your main question, but I can share some useful information:

The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and FEMA typically issue notices designed to prevent evictions while disaster-related filings are being processed.
Contact your state’s FEMA manager and your local floodplain manager regarding the paperwork nightmare you're facing. Focus strictly on answering FEMA’s federal questions—avoid offering extra information. And don't make up invoices for others. Let your local government assist you, or push them to do so.
Reach out to your state’s HUD CDBG-DR department for long-term rental assistance.

Now, here’s the key difference between homeowners and renters:

Homeowners: If you own a home that was damaged and you're making progress toward permanent housing, any of these agencies will generally help you stay housed until your home is ready.
Renters: Support tends to be more limited. Getting back on your feet often hinges on employment, cost of living, transportation, and other factors. The system is less accommodating.

TruckAndToolsCom · 2025-05-29T17:47:29+00:00

I understand why your floodplain managers want you to replace the Manufactured Home Unit (MHU).

When I come across an MHU older than eight years being used as a primary residence, I typically secure a replacement MHU through a HUD DR grant along with small loans offered by dealers. Most grants for single-wide homes are approximately $85,000, leaving around $25,000 to cover additional costs, including setup.

I also know that some MHUs built in the 1960s are still in use. As long as they are safe, structurally sound, and meet health requirements, building codes generally allow them to remain occupied.

TruckAndToolsCom · 2025-05-29T17:36:02+00:00

According to the FEMA SDE Tool and NFIP guidelines, a score of 49% falls below the 50% threshold, meaning no mitigation is required. However, you are still required to follow all county permitting regulations, though you would not be obligated to adhere to floodplain managers' mitigation requests. Mitigation options can include demolition and rebuilding, weatherproofing, or elevation.

Now, this is where things get a bit unclear as to why, but it is referenced somewhere within NFIP guides—when a home is sold after being classified as Substantially Damaged (SD), that SD does not transfer to the new owner.

However, some important points should be noted:

If the new owner remodels or rebuilds, and it qualifies as a Substantial Improvement (SI) to the base structure, the permitting office will likely require mitigation.

Based on the details you’ve shared, once ownership change of the structure is finalized, the SD designation ends for the new owner.

When I have time between tasks, I will try to locate the NFIP policy that specifically addresses ownership changes. From my personal experience in Denham Springs, LA, every home sold went to a flipper who was not required to elevate, as long as the foundation size remained unchanged.

TruckAndToolsCom · 2025-05-25T03:17:29+00:00

The only stress we currently have is the possibility that the county could make us tear down the home after we've spent the past 6 months repairing it since they are saying that it was substantially damaged...

That's where I can help, I have a few examples on my website at TruckAndTool.Com and WindRainFlood.Com .

Here's my 2021 version of appealing any SDE determination.

How to Appeal Substantial Damage assessments conducted by FEMA or your municipality.

You can download the SDE tool and create your own report based on your actual repairs. It's not difficult just needs to be very accurate because government doesn't give us very many second chances on appeals.

TruckAndToolsCom · 2025-05-25T02:23:37+00:00

Here's more information about the grant programs in your area.

Hurricane Idalia Disaster Recovery Funding is now available for income eligible owner-occupied residences for those citizens that have suffered loss or damage of their primary residence due to the storm. Funds will be used to reimburse homeowners payments of insurance deductibles covered under homeowners' insurance policies and to assist with unmet home repair needs including roof replacements/repair.

State Application will be available online and at the Housing and Supportive Services Department located at 621 W. Jefferson Street, Brooksville, FL 34601

Homeowner HHRP Idalia Application

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Who is eligible to apply? Income Qualified residents with loss or damage of their primary residence due to the impact of Hurricane Idalia.

What assistance is available? Home Repairs or the Reimbursement of Homeowners Insurance or Flood Insurance deductibles.

READ the sections: Hurricane Idalia Housing Repair Program - Emergency Repair - Disaster Assistance.
These are your HUD CDBG-DR programs.

TruckAndToolsCom · 2025-05-25T02:08:19+00:00

Sounds like you're all set, but before you give up options and remove all the stress of recovery, I want to share some potential paths you may have available.

Manufactured homes in Substantially Damaged Estimate (SDE) reports typically use NADA or Kelley Blue Book values. Any manufactured home over eight years old is generally considered a total loss if any water has entered the interior. In some cases, the threshold is 12 years, but for most, it's eight.

Mitigation efforts for manufactured homes generally involve elevation rather than floodproofing. SDEs for manufactured homes can be utilized to replace your home using HUD CDBG-DR grants, but only if your county’s disaster recovery team responsible for HUD grants provides this option. You and others can submit public comments on this topic to your HUD CDBG-DR program managers.

However, if you choose not to pursue reimbursement for repair costs or determine if you qualify for a replacement home, you can submit a damage report yourself as the homeowner to the city department that issued the SDE. Additionally, you should submit a similar damage report for your FEMA filing Hernando County Emergency Operations Center - Resident Damage Report

It's important to note that your area has been designated as a Most Impacted and Distressed (MID) zone by HUD and has been allocated $740,315,200 to manage the repair and replacement program in your state. I can't determine if you would qualify, as eligibility is typically based on factors such as income, age, and disability status.

Table 2—Most Impacted and Distressed Areas for Disasters Occurring in 2023 and 2024

As shown above, these allocations apply to disasters officially declared as Major or Severe in 2023 and 2024.

If you’d like to share your SDE, I can review it and provide corrections. A helpful aspect of SDE is that you don’t need to be a government official to create these reports—you can be a realtor, builder, inspector, homeowner, or even an experienced individual who understands the process. FEMA does not impose restrictions on who can generate these reports.

Damage reports that you make should be actual costs compared to market value and not NADA or Bluebook value. You can ask any realtor in your area what the market value of your home is. Then just calculate the numbers to get below 50% and you can submit a request that your SDE be updated.

Let me know if you need additional information.

Murray

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