Written by Tanya Terry, with photos by Tanya Terry
Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley recently made a statement for the 28,720 individuals who have eligible claims from the $626-million water crisis settlement.
“The city of Flint has no authority or jurisdiction to release dollars or make any determination therein in the distribution or payments,” he said.
At a press conference held Friday, June 13, in office of the mayor at Flint City Hall, Neeley said he is a Flint resident himself and he is waiting for a payment from the water crisis settlement. He said City Administrator Clyde Edwards, who was present, is also a Flint resident waiting to receive a settlement payout, along with numerous others.
Neeley added that his office received dozens of calls each day from city residents who have questions about the settlement and who he understands may be frustrated.
This year, Neeley put pressure on the federal court to expedite claims. He wrote a letter to Special Master Deborah Greenspan asking for the court to act with urgency and compassion.
However, Neeley stated the responsibility of distributing water settlement funds and determining payout lies solely with the U.S. District Court in Detroit.
A court-appointed special master recently announced that approved claimants will likely receive their payments between late summer and early fall.
According to the Notice of the Special Master Regarding Status of Claims Process and Preparation for Distribution of Payments Under The Amended Settlement Agreement, approximately 85% of claims were initially being rejected. This number did not reflect the number of valid claims.
So, new guidance and procedures for reviewing claims was developed.
Additionally, data and documents were obtained directly from the State of Michigan, City of Flint and Genesee County to help claimants whose submissions did not have the required supporting documents and who were having difficulty obtaining the information by themselves. These documents included, but was not limited to, birth certificates.
The notice also stated “the resignation of the previous QSF administrator has no bearing on the claims process and it will not slow down the distribution of settlement payments.”
Although Special Master Deborah Greenspan could not be reached by publication time for comment, the phone number to direct questions related to the Flint Water Crisis settlement distribution to, which Neeley provided, is 866-536-0717.
