City of Orange Beach Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were ordered to vacate BP contractor cleanup sites on Monday at 8:30 a.m. for one single reason. Money.

Since the initial establishment of contractor deployment sites by BP back in May, following the DeepWater Horizon oil spill, the city has provided equipment, medical units and personnel trained as paramedics at multiple sites throughout the city.

While billing procedures and rates continued in the same manner for 15 invoices, the last four invoices, totaling $270,041.75 for services rendered remain unpaid by BP. In addition the city has loss of revenue claims exceeding $2 million that have also not been paid.

“It is the principal of the issue that a small town of 5,000 people has been providing these required medical services throughout the crisis and paying for them with tax payer dollars, and for months we have had trouble collecting reimbursement for those services already rendered to this multi billion dollar international corporation,” Mayor Tony Kennon said. “We have extended our role throughout the crisis with our limited manpower and there should be no reason to have trouble in collecting the current balance which is past due. The public needs to be aware that this is going on and their taxes that we use in city operations are at stake.”

Kennon also said that he can relate to the businesses in the region that are having trouble being “made whole” by BP.

“If the City of Orange Beach is having this much trouble in being made whole by BP, we can only imagine the difficulty the small businesses face today in collecting claims.”

Kenneth Feinberg has accepted an invitation from Orange Beach officials to attend a “Town Hall” to answer questions and concerns from individuals and business owners regarding the Gulf Coast Claims Facility. Feinberg took over the claims process from BP on Aug. 23.

While many locals were hopeful that the system would improve and that claims would be processed faster, unfortunately, the opposite appears to have taken place. Local officials continue to hear many complaints and concerns regarding the process which changed from the BP Claims system to the GCCF.

A complete pattern exists of applicants receiving no answer to their submittal meaning no check for payment of lost revenues due to the oil crisis or checks being sent for only a fraction of what was due.

Also present at the meeting will be BP officials to discuss ongoing cleanup efforts, as well as state and local officials to answer questions.

The meeting is today beginning at 11 a.m. at the Orange Beach Recreation Center and is open to the public.

The Rec Center is located at 4849 Wilson Blvd. in Orange Beach, at the corner of Wilson  and Canal Road.

Overflow parking is available at the fields north of the tennis courts across from the Orange Beach Elementary School on Wilson Boulevard. The Feinberg Town Hall is expected to last until at least 2 p.m. in seeking information to improve the process.