Calhoun County is just days away from reaching into its own coffers to pay $574,917 for debris removal that federal and state governments pledged to pay for, but help may be at hand.

The company tasked with managing the debris removal process, Lee Helms Associates, has been calling on FEMA to pay for the first week’s worth of work since May 18. The agency didn’t release funds for debris removal until Monday, but the roughly $74,700 obligation won’t be enough to cover the $574,917 bill the county owes contractors by the end of the week.

“We signed a contract to pay those folks within 30 days and that’s our obligation,” Calhoun County Administrator Ken Joiner said. “We’re fortunate that we do have enough cash flow to pay it, but if they drag it out for any length of time we’ll be facing some difficulty.”

It’s not clear when the federal government will pass the rest of the money along, but county officials received encouraging word from state and federal officials Monday following an impromptu meeting with a Helms Associates representative, owner Lee Helms said. The representative hand-delivered documents detailing the cost Calhoun County incurred during the earliest days of the recovery process, giving the federal agency the information they need to release funds to the county.