RED SPRINGS — Federal reimbursements for the town’s cost to make repairs and clean up in the wake of Hurricane Matthew are slowly rolling in, a town official said Tuesday.

Town Finance Director Kathy Pittman told town commissioners that about $239,968 in reimbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency have been received. That does not include town personnel salaries submitted for reimbursement. Red Springs has submitted a total of $1.5 million in claims. .

The reimbursements currently are in the town’s General Fund, pending transfer to departmental budgets, where they belong.

Getting the reimbursements back to the departments where they belong is a challenge, Mayor John McNeill said.

“This is untested waters for us,” he said. “We have $1.5 million we have to distribute back into the budget.”

The job of getting money back into the right place will be made more difficult because the town borrowed $400,000 from its General Gund to pay for immediate hurricane-related expenses, McNeill said.

“But this will all work out in the end with a lot of hair pulling and midnight oil being burnt,” McNeill said. “We will have a balanced budget when it is due.”

In other business, the commissioners:

— Recognized four students from Red Springs High School chosen as 2017 Students of Excellence. The annual award is presented by the Red Springs Chamber of Commerce. The students were selected for their academic achievements, extra-curricular activities and community involvement. At the meeting to be honored were senior Jessica Jones and junior Tariah Ferguson. ThSophomore Valerie Castro and freshman Makayla Hammonds were not at the meeting.

— Heard a presentation from Renet McQueen, of Community Wellness in Action, concerning her organization’s free Health and Wellness Fair on May 6. The event, now in its eighth year, will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Eigth Avenue and McLeod Road Park. McQueen said the event will include various health screenings, fitness tests, and activities for children.

— Scheduled second budget work session for Monday at 6 p.m.

Red Springs Mayor John McNeill congratulates Red Springs High School students Tariah Ferguson, left, and Jessica Jones for being named 2017 Students of Excellence. The students were selected to receive the award by the Red Springs Chamber of Commerce.

https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_red-springs201744224141607.jpgRed Springs Mayor John McNeill congratulates Red Springs High School students Tariah Ferguson, left, and Jessica Jones for being named 2017 Students of Excellence. The students were selected to receive the award by the Red Springs Chamber of Commerce.