Help has arrived
Flood disaster assistance center opens at AuditoriumBy DAVE CALDWELL Staff Writer dcaldwell@minotdailynews.com
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Fact Box
Hoeven signs $1.35 billion bill for roads
By Gwen Bristol
Correspondent
BISMARCK - Gov. John Hoeven and Secretary of State Al Jaeger signed a $1.35 billion bill for North Dakota's roads in a special ceremony Friday.
"This is a tremendous piece of work," Hoeven said.
Hoeven compared House Bill 2012, the state Department of Transportation budget bill to the transportation budget bill of the past session, which contained about $900 million. It includes money for basic road repairs as well as money for roads damaged by snow removal and flooding.
"This is a huge bill and I want to thank North Dakota legislators for their work on it," he said.
House Majority Leader Rep. Al Carlson, R-Fargo, said the issues relating to roads and infrastructure have been touted as second only to property tax relief in priorities for this session.
"There were some days people were saying it's not enough," Carlson said. "We're proud that it's going to serve the people immediately."
"I was thinking this is the best form of tax relief we've seen this session," said Senate Minority Leader Sen. David O'Connell, D-Lansford.
Rep. Dan Ruby, R-Minot, who served as committee chairman for the House Transportation Committee, said the bill will do great things for the people of North Dakota.
Jaeger joined in the signing so that money for weather-related repairs could begin to be distributed immediately. He signed the bill immediately after Hoeven.
"It's a done deal," he said, smiling.
Help has arrived for area residents in need of assistance following the flooding disaster.
Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Administration joined other federal, state and local officials - including North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven - Friday morning at the opening of an individual assistance center at the Minot Municipal Auditorium.
Hoeven led the press conference, which rode hot on the heels of news that he would be able to approve more than $1.3 billion as soon as Friday afternoon.
"We're standing in a disaster recovery center (designed) to help individuals and businesses not only in Minot and Ward County, but in this
region that have been affected by flooding," Hoeven said.
Hoeven discussed the public assistance aspect of the recovery effort. He said now that a presidential disaster declaration is in place, he expects the federal government will pay 90 percent of the estimated $150 million to $200 million in damages as part of the public assistance.
"Now that leaves the 10 percent non-federal share," Hoeven said. "Typically, that's split between the state, the cities, counties and townships."
In response, Hoeven said, the state has ramped up its transportation spending.
"We've added significantly more money," he said. "Last year, our total transportation package was about $900 million. When I go back to Bismarck this afternoon, I expect to be able to sign a bill that's going to be closer to $1.35 billion and that's before we get the additional I would estimate around $150 million from FEMA. All in, we could be close to $1.5 billion for roads and for help with this disaster recovery between the state and the federal share. That's to help with that local share that is normally by the cities, the counties and the townships."
For individuals and businesses, low-interest loans will be available. In fact, even businesses that have not been directly affected but have suffered economic injury as a result of flooding can receive assistance, Hoeven said. Grant funding is also available in some instances.
"That's why it's important that people come in (to the disaster recovery center), go through the process and find out what's available for them through FEMA as well as from our state agencies," Hoeven said.
Scott Chamberlain of FEMA said that affected people can contact FEMA before coming to the disaster recovery center by calling 1-800-621-FEMA or by going online to (www.disasterassistance.gov).
"The disaster recovery centers are here for people to be able to come in and talk face-to-face with someone," Chamberlain said. "It may be in relation to a letter they received from FEMA, if they want to talk to other programs we have such as mitigation you do not have to be impacted by the flood to be able to come in and talk to anyone at these programs to find out what's available for you."
FEMA's job is to work together with partner agencies to ensure that all eligible benefits are utilized to get people and businesses back to "a new normal," Chamberlain said. FEMA is not a "make-whole agency."
"We want to make sure that people are going through their insurance companies and working through those programs before they come to the disaster recovery center, so that any other questions that come up, they'll be able to get answered here," Chamberlain said.
Chamberlain said that as of Friday morning, about 3,100 people across the state had registered with FEMA, and a total of $3.7 million had been approved already.
"Our focus for the individual households program is for people to be able to be safe and secure, and find some sort of temporary housing that they can live in while they're making their repairs or working on their housing plan," Chamberlain said.
The U.S. Small Business Administration is also playing a large role at the recovery center by offering low-interest loans to homeowners, renters and small businesses.
"We offer several types of loans, one of which is the Economic Injury Disaster Loan," said Cynthia Cowell of USSBA. "It's a loan that is put forth to help you recover from the disaster as far as capital. This way you can stay in business while you're making your repairs."
Loan amounts of up to $200,000 to repair or replace homes, or $40,000 to renters or homeowners to replace personal property are available. More information is available by calling the USSBA at 1-800-659-2955 or by visiting (www.sba.gov).
"There is no cost to apply for a loan, and you don't need an appointment to come in to the disaster recovery center," Cowell said.
Hoeven said that the Minot center is one of about a dozen that are either open or have been open during the past couple of months due to flooding. FEMA either has recently or will soon open centers in Lisbon, Jamestown and Mayville, as well.
"Some have already been opened, done their work and then moved," Hoeven said. He said the crew currently in Minot is the same group that worked in Beulah recently, where the flooding occurred earlier than it did in Minot.
Hoeven also introduced Gen. Terry Robinson of the N.D. National Guard, who has been appointed the statewide disaster recovery office. Robinson said he was glad to be back in Minot after spending much of his time in the Guard here.
"Minot has always been a tremendous partner and supporter of the Guard," Robinson said. "I will make myself and my staff available to meet with all the elected officials, and I certainly want to support the individual assistance program also."
Bruce I. Christianson, chairman of the Ward County Board of Commissioners, lauded the state transportation plan.
"It is a strong package," Christianson said. "It certainly recognized our infrastructure needs here in the county, and in the city of Minot and the other cities in Ward County."
Christianson also praised and thanked the center's personnel and teamwork.
"Isn't this a great example of how working together can accomplish great things?" he said. "And this is a great thing."
Ward County Emergency Manager Al Reynolds took the opportunity to thank the state, the Guard, county officials, federal officials and the county's residents for their hard work during the disaster.
"Everyone did a fantastic job, and I'm proud of our residents for pulling together and minimizing the amount of damage that could have come out of this flood," Reynolds said. He added that the county is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a plan to remove leftover sandbags, and that as soon as a plan is finalized it will be announced to the public.
The recovery center, located in Room 201A at the Minot Municipal Auditorium, is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Saturday and from 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday.
Chamberlain said that people coming in to the center could bring a letter received from FEMA outlining what was eligible for damages or their insurance paperwork.
"They can bring in any of those types of information," he said. "But they don't have to bring in their list of everything they've lost. Because every time they register, we send an inspector out to the site, to every home. And that's what their job is, to help document that loss."
"You can go ahead and start making your repairs," Cowell said. "Just keep your receipts, take pictures and document everything."
