UPDATE, 08/05 — This story has been updated to include correct links for FEMA and state assistance programs.
LANSING — Nearly three months after passing the Michigan House, a $100 million state aid plan for Northern Michigan’s ice storm recovery still hasn’t been considered in the Michigan Senate.
The proposal passed nearly unanimously through the House, and Northern Michigan officials say they’d like to see the aid sooner rather than later.
“We got federal help before we got state help,” said Rep. Parker Fairbairn, (R) District 107, Harbor Springs. “You’d think the more local and the more close to the impact, you’d see help coming from them — and we haven’t seen that help from the state.”
That aid request is different from the $50 million from FEMA, which President Trump approved two weeks ago.
“The funding is going to go back to basically local entities, both county and local government, townships and cities, for monies that they expended out in emergency form during the ice storm,” said Bryce Tracy, director of Mackinac County Emergency Management.
The aid proposal at the state level could bring in significantly more funding — that $100 million could receive a 3-to-1 federal match from FEMA, potentially bringing in up to $300 million.
Fairbairn, who put forward the state aid bill, says that the plan would be geared towards individuals and businesses, while federal aid would mostly go toward municipal governments.
“It’d be a reimbursement program. So it’d be something — people that had to spend tens of thousands of dollars to get trees removed from their home, they could see some of that money coming back to them,” he said.
The additional federal aid would not be guaranteed, but Fairbairn says he’s hopeful the state’s action would sound the alarm for national leaders.
Fairbairn says that he plans to meet with the Senate’s budget chair this week about the proposal.
“We’re trying to get advocates and allies on this in the Senate — we’re having a hard time,” he said. “Hopefully, after some of the stories are heard, we’ll move it quickly through the Senate and get it to the governor’s desk as soon as possible.”
Fairbairn says he’s unsure if the plan could make it through before the more than $80 billion state budget, which lawmakers must pass by the end of September.
“Hopefully the House of Representatives and the state Senate and the governor’s office can work towards a resolve to get that expedited,” Tracy said.
Separately, federal requests for public assistance must be submitted by Aug. 21. Those funds can only go to local governments or certain nonprofits to reimburse for costs incurred during the storm and recovery process.
Applications for Public Assistance can be submitted online at grantee.fema.gov. For more information about eligibility and delivery of the program, visit the Michigan State Police here and FEMA here.
Captain Kevin Sweeney with the Michigan State Police said last week that the state’s request for individual assistance was denied by FEMA, a decision that is being appealed in the coming weeks.
Requests for physical damage loans from the Small Business Administration must be submitted by Aug. 8. More information on those requests can be found here.
Economic injury loan requests must be submitted by March of next year.
