DIXFIELD – Whether the town will receive all or some of the promised federal $113,039 grant for work on Severy Hill Road won’t be known before December.

But the reimbursement could be in jeopardy because of work done that was not in the grant application.

“All we can do is sit and wait,” Town Manager Eugene Skibitsky said.

An application for funding went to the Federal Emergency Management Agency early this past summer for work on the gravel road, which has a history of washouts. Apparently the number of culverts indicated on the application was not correct and the result was that two culverts were upgraded without permission, Skibitsky said.

Skibitsky took over as town manager in early October and was not involved with the application.

JoAnn Mooney, mitigation grants manager for the Maine Emergency Management Agency, said Friday afternoon that the main concern is the effect of road work on the environment.

“If there is a change in the number of culverts, that changes the amount of water passing through,” she said.

She said similar changes have been made by other towns where work was done that was not outlined in a grant application. Sometimes, the changes don’t make a difference environmentally. At other times, they do.

An inspector from FEMA checked out the completed work last week. He will take his findings to the Region 1 office in Boston where they will be reviewed. The agency has 60 days to get back to the town with its determination.

Skibitsky said the total project was funded by the FEMA money along with $37,680 raised from the town road account, and another $4,014 for administrative fees.

The Wayne firm of C.H. Stevenson completed the project earlier this month at a cost of $142,477.

Skibitsky said about 4,600 feet of road was excavated, a new base laid, and gravel applied, along with 1,800 feet of ditching. Two culverts not written into the application were upgraded, and another eight to 10 were not identified in the application.

“The problem is that the description in the FEMA grant did not match the description of what Stevenson bid on,” he said.

He said the project is still a good one.

“We’re expecting reimbursement,” he said.

If total reimbursement isn’t provided, he said the Board of Selectmen will have to decide what action to take. The town does have sufficient funds in its road account if all the expected money does not come through. Stevenson has already been paid.

Mooney said FEMA most likely has two options: to determine that no adverse environmental impact has been made despite the nonalignment of the approved plan and what was done; or, a finding that significant environmental impact has been made as a result of the nonapproved changes. That would be followed by a mandate by FEMA to follow a plan that would assure that no environmental damage would be done. If the town met all requirements, it is likely that the grant would be released.

“This is usually a very simple thing. No penalties. Most just want to get the work done,” she said.