Mayor’s Letter to Kenneth Feinberg

Mayor Van Johnson

July 1, 2011

Mr. Kenneth Feinberg, BP Compensation Czar

The Willard Office Building

1455 Pennsylvania Ave, Suite 390

Washington, D.C. 20004-1008

Re: Possible closure of Apalachicola Claims Center

Dear Mr. Feinberg:

It has come to our attention that the Gulf Coast Claims Facility may be closing the Claims Center in Apalachicola, Florida, effective August 1, 2011. That possibility creates a tremendous amount of stress on our service area communities, and we ardently request that you reconsider the action. Please allow me to itemize our situation.

1. Just last month the Port St. Joe/Mexico Beach Claims Center and the Wakulla County Claims Center were closed and consolidated into the centrally located Apalachicola Claims Center. The Apalachicola Claims Center no services clients from Perry, FL (Taylor County), Wakulla County, Franklin County, Gulf County, and the Easton portion of Bay County (Mexico Beach). Closing this location virtually terminates the servicing for residents in these counties. It is impractical for clients in these areas to travel greater distances; the added cost and imposition punishes those in greatest need.

2. We realize that the daily-weekly counts of claims recipients is small compared to other larger areas, but if you analyze the ratios you will note that our service area actually services a higher percentage of needy individuals based on a per capita basis for our population.

3. The Gulf Oil Disaster created an overwhelming burden on an already distressed local economy. Curtailing claims to those qualifying individuals will only serve to create greater stress and hinder any hope for an economic recovery.

4. Lastly, when the Gulf Coast Claims Facility opened an office in Apalachicola we were given a verbal commitment that our local claims center would remain active until 2013. Since the Gulf Oil Disaster continues to have a negative impact upon our community, we implore you to live up to that commitment.

Respectfully submitted,

Van Johnson, Mayor

City of Apalachicola, FL