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Spencer City Council Votes To Offer Microgrant Pgms. To Assist Flood Victims

October 16, 2024 Steve Schwaller

(Spencer)– Meeting in special session Tuesday evening, the Spencer City Council voted to offer two different micro grant programs to assist residents impacted in the June flood. One of those is to assist those who’s property was damaged with special paint markings applied by city crews during the flood. Those markings were made on structures to help delineate them for water rescue crews as well as to identify those that had damaged foundations. Interim City Manager Kevin Robinson says the microgrant program will assist those who’s building’s were damaged by the paint that was used…

“So the council has decided on a $1,000 grant. There’s no match to this, it’s just one thousand dollars towards that property owner in an effort to help them repair the damage that was caused by the paint.”

Another microgrant program offers up to $3,000 in matching funds to help restore foundations. Robinson says they’re also looking at the possibility of a third microgrant program that would assist owners of rental properties who were not eligible for FEMA assistance…

“We need those units back on line. About 70, 75 percent of the people in the temporary housing program with the state of Iowa and the FEMA program currently are from rental units.”

Robinson says cash reserves in the city’s budget are being used to fund the microgrant programs as well as to cover upfront costs of repairs to public infrastructure…

That reimbursement will come from FEMA. Robinson says reserves in the city’s Economic Development Fund could also be tapped if need be.