Mayor Cara Spencer Announces Plan to Invest $12 Million in Rams Interest Funds for Tornado Relief
In a bold move, Mayor Cara Spencer has revealed a plan to allocate the remaining $12 million in Rams interest funds towards tornado relief efforts. The majority of these funds will be directed towards debris removal and housing, two crucial areas that still require significant attention.
According to Mayor Spencer, the Recovery Office has identified private property debris removal and intermediate housing as top priorities. These funds will serve as a starting point for a larger pool of resources that will ensure all debris is cleared from affected communities and that impacted residents have access to safe housing before winter.
The breakdown of the $12 million in funds is as follows:
– $5.35 million for private property debris removal, including dumpsters for non-profits and community groups, as well as consulting services for right-of-entry and site assessments to facilitate City-supported demolition and debris removal on private property.
– $5 million for intermediate housing, which will cover repairs for hundreds of affordable, public, and non-profit vacant units, and potentially provide rental assistance for tornado-impacted residents.
– $1.65 million for Recovery Office staffing and cost recovery consulting support services for the City of St. Louis, specifically for FEMA and State reimbursable expenses.
These funds are in addition to the $9.5 million already allocated for right-of-way debris removal and $10.4 million for housing stabilization and repairs from other sources such as Rams, ARPA, and CDBG.
Mayor Spencer and the Recovery Office are also in ongoing discussions with FEMA, the State, the Board of Aldermen, and the Comptroller’s Office to secure additional funding for larger private property debris removal and housing programs.
Chief Recovery Officer Julian Nicks emphasized the importance of these efforts in ensuring that communities can continue to drive clean-up in their neighborhoods and that impacted residents have access to safe housing as they make decisions about rebuilding.
The plan will be presented to the Board of Estimate & Apportionment for approval next week, along with select contracts, at a special meeting. Once approved, the funds will be deployed to support the designated areas.
In addition to these efforts, the City has also contracted Looks Great Services to carry out disaster-related debris removal from public right-of-ways, street curbs, and alleys, starting this week. This work is expected to last four to eight weeks.
The debris pickup schedule by week is as follows:
– Week of September 2 – September 6: Fountain Park, Lewis Place, Kingsway East, Penrose
– Week of September 8 – September 13: Jeff Vander Lou, Academy/Sherman Park, Visitation Park, Kingsway West, O’Fallon
– Week of September 15 – September 20: West End, Skinker DeBaliviere, Central West End, The Greater Ville, The Ville, College Hill, Fairground
After the initial three weeks of neighborhood sweeps, crews will focus on follow-ups and clean up outside of these designated zones as needed.
Residents are reminded to only place debris in the public right-of-way, between sidewalks and streets. Debris should not be placed on private property or in alleys. This will ensure efficient and timely removal by the designated crews.
