News
July 31, 2009
It is clear last Sunday's severe storm had impacts across the City. It is also clear that Councillors collectively agree on the need to provide assistance to residents impacted by storm flooding. The staff recommendations before Council balance our ability to help alleviate some of the hardship faced by residents, with the need to responsibly manage the needs of the entire community.
The Plan currently before Council would provide immediate compassionate assistance to all residents that experienced flooding as quickly as possible. The Municipal Disaster Relief Assistance Plan provides for a mitigation program for homes that have experienced multiple basement floodings and includes a grant to homeowners that were denied coverage. The criteria and grant amount would be determined following a staff report to Council that assesses the extent of the damage.
A program that would assume 100% of all damages not fully covered by insurers, for both surface and sewer back-up and include automobiles and past storms incidents, would clearly be monumental. The estimates at this time are unknown and without some analysis the magnitude of the cost, substantial. Simply, the municipality is unable to become an alternative or substitute to private insurance coverage. The voters of Hamilton expect their Council to make informed decisions on their behalf. Staff needs a reasonable amount of time to investigate and put in place a program that is both responsive and responsible.
It is vital for Council on Tuesday to declare the storm event of July 26 a disaster and invoke the Compassionate Grant Program. It is incumbent on Council to immediately pass the increase of the basic grant from $750 to $1000 and get assistance payments to people as soon as possible.
In a time of need, we come together as a community, neighbours, friends, family - all pitching in to help with the clean-up.
With more than 3,000 calls to the City's Grant Hotline and as estimates increasing from 1,000 to more than 4,000 potential claims, the City's damage estimates are indicating we are very close to reaching the threshold required to qualify for Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance. In this event, residents would be eligible to receive an additional support.
We are focused on being there to help residents and committed to addressing the needs of our community.
Mayor Fred Eisenberger
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