51黑料

ST. LOUIS 鈥� Mayor Cara Spencer on Thursday unveiled plans to spend $19 million to repair homes damaged by the May tornado, pay rent for displaced residents, and bolster nonprofits helping with recovery.

The money, $18 million of which is Rams relocation settlement cash, is also slated to pay for meals, supplies and legal assistance for people hurt by the storm, as well as cooling stations in affected areas amid the summer heat.

鈥淲e know that the need is greater than this package,鈥� Spencer said at a press conference at City Hall. 鈥淏ut it is a major start, and it鈥檚 a good start.鈥�

Spencer also announced the hiring of a new contractor to continue the city鈥檚 debris clearing efforts, and the creation of a recovery office. Julian Nicks, Spencer鈥檚 deputy operations chief, will lead the new bureau. Details of the new contract, including the cost, were not immediately available.

The announcements marked the latest moves to help the city recover from a storm that killed five people and damaged thousands of buildings. The city assessor has estimated it could cost more than $500 million to rebuild what was lost. Officials have voiced concern that people may not come back. And Spencer, who campaigned on reversing decades of population decline, has asked to be judged on how well she does at retaining residents in the wake of the disaster.

The city has help. The federal government has paid out more than $25 million in disaster assistance to more than 5,000 households hurt by the storm. City officials were set to meet with state counterparts Thursday afternoon to coordinate the spending of $100 million in aid recently approved by the Legislature.

But the city money discussed Thursday is supposed to fill in gaps:

• $5 million can go to home repairs for the uninsured and underinsured.
• $3.5 million can go to case management, mental health, and legal services.
• $2.5 million can pay for supplies being distributed at various hubs set up in affected areas, including meals, coolers, port-a-potties and dumpsters.
• $2.2 million can pay to store residents鈥� personal belongings, help them pay rent and get temporary housing.
• $1 million can pay to set up water stations and water sprinklers.

Another $5 million will be available for nonprofits, including those running hubs where supplies are given out.

The Board of Aldermen approved spending up to $30 million in interest earned on the Rams settlement last month. Spencer said the remaining $12 million will be held back while staff wait to see which categories spend their allotments the fastest.

Aldermanic President Megan Green said she expects the money for temporary housing will be in high demand with people struggling to find affordable places to live while they try to rebuild their homes.

鈥淭here are so many needs,鈥� she said.

Spencer said the plan will be officially approved next week by the city鈥檚 Estimate Board 鈥� made up of Spencer, Green and Comptroller Donna Baringer 鈥� and staff will try to get the money out the door as quickly as possible after that.

Spencer added that residents should begin seeing heavy machinery and the city鈥檚 new debris hauling contractor, Spirtas Worldwide, in neighborhoods next week, clearing remaining material block by block. There will also be inspectors flagging hazardous waste to be disposed of separately.

鈥淧lease keep putting your debris at the curb line,鈥� Spencer said.