Brandon Twp – Governor Granholm’s denial of disaster relief funds on Tuesday, April 22, has many officials questioning the governor’s community support.
‘I was disappointed with the decision,? said Ron Lapp, Brandon Township supervisor.
‘When we needed her support she has turned her back on us.?
‘What do we need to declare a disaster? This was a devastating storm and we spent money, through no fault of our own,( to clean it up).?
What we need to declare a disaster are the right numbers from Oakland County, according to Mark Wesley, Public Affairs Officer for the State Police Emergency Management Division.
Wesley said the disaster fund request was denied because county numbers failed to meet the criteria for the threat of life, health and safety.
‘Residents are unhappy and that’s understandable,? said Wesley.
‘But looking at it from an emergency management perspective, the reporting of the numbers by the county did not meet the criteria for assistance.?
‘The numbers were just not there to justify the declaration,? he said.
Wesley said the disaster act is not to provide financial reimbursement, and based on the county reported numbers, the only hardship was financial.
He also states the county was asked to include estimates of insured and uninsured losses. Not only were those numbers not reported but county officials did not demonstrate the need for help by asking for direct assistance with clean up, according to Wesley.
Damages from the storm paralyzed most of Oakland County, and sent thousands of residents into a deep freeze for more than a week. More severe storm damage resulted in several house fires, and accidental deaths, yet Wesley said direct state clean up assistance would have been available if Oakland County officials would have asked for the help. Instead, residents in most communities were left to clear debris from their own properties.
Wesley said Ionia County was awarded the reimbursement, as well as clean up by the area prisoners because Ionia County demonstrated the need through numbers and request for help.
‘The process (of disaster reimbursement) is dependent on the county numbers, we just didn’t get the reports from the county, and no request for state direct assistance.?
Within 24 hours of the storm, however, Brandon Township and the Village of Ortonville joined a county effort to recuperate emergency work force cleanup expenses by applying for a State of Emergency. If granted, the maximum amount of relief funds would have been $30,000 per community, to be used at their own discretion.
Brandon Fire Chief Bob McArthur supplied accurate figures for the fire department payroll, alone, running in excess of $7,000 for the weekend clean up, and fuel costs were over $400, however total county figures are the numbers Emergency Management are looking for.
With state budget cuts already impacting community budgets, Chief McArthur said it will be tight to cover the expenses generated by the disastrous storm and has faxed a list of expenses to Senator Deborah Cherry in hopes she can make an appeal to the governor’s denial.
‘We will manage but things have to be cut,? said McArthur.
‘We’ll have to get it out of our budget someplace.?
Village Manager, Paul Zelenak said he was disappointed that village officials were not notified of the denial, that they found out from news reports.
‘It’s really too bad,? ‘I know there are a lot of communities that went through a lot.?
‘I’m not sure what the criteria for disaster are but between the township and the village we lost about $10,000.?
‘It would have been nice to be notified of the denial,? said Zelenak.