Mayor Cara Spencer announced four programs yesterday to help city residents to repair tornado-damaged homes. Spencer said that the programs are the result of partnerships between the city and community partners. In detailing one program to reconnect power to homes in particular, she described the city as “the glue holding the program together…but the heavy lift, the real work, is being done by community partners.” She made yesterday’s announcement at the union hall of one of those partners, the electrician’s union IBEW Local 1, in The Hill.
The city’s Electricity Reconnection Program will provide up to $4,000 in assessment and repair for affected residents to have their power restored. It’s estimated there are hundreds of households that still need to be reconnected to the power grid, Spencer said.
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Meanwhile, the Emergency Stabilization Program will provide free weatherization and hazardous tree removal to curb any further damage to homes. The Ask an Architect program, delivered in conjunction with the American Institute of Architects, will provide free consultation to residents as they plan to rebuild. The fourth program, a contractor registry, will allow contractors to attain a seal of approval, putting them on a city list of trusted operators. “We’ve heard from a lot of residents that are very worried about being taken advantage of by contractors—who’s a good one, who’s not—and so we’ve launched this program that can try to mitigate any fears about being taken advantage of,” Spencer said.
City Hall spokesman Rasmus Jorgensen says that the electricity reconnection and architecture programs are essentially in-kind donations from community partners like the IBEW, National Electrical Contractors Association, and the AIA. The $5.4 million for the weatherization and debris removal is being allocated from American Rescue Plan Act money designated for building stabilization. The funds were previously being used for a pair of programs that ended up mired in scandal after it came to light that they were being overseen by a city building inspector who was also associated with several construction companies getting millions of dollars in work from them. Spencer shut down the programs shortly after assuming office. “The allocation hasn’t changed. We’re just using those funds to stabilize tornado-damaged buildings instead of how it was being used before,” Jorgensen told SLM.
Why It Matters: Two weeks ago, the Board of Aldermen signed off on allocating $30 million in interest accrued from its Rams settlement funds for tornado relief. It has yet to specify how that money will be used.
In the meantime, the four programs unveiled by Spencer yesterday are focused on helping people whose houses are not totally destroyed. She has vowed to keep people affected by the tornado as city residents, saying in May that she wants to be judged for her work in keeping them here.
What’s Next: Gov. Mike Kehoe signed a bill last month earmarking another $100 million for tornado relief in the city. Then he got out his veto pen, making $2 billion in cuts to the budget passed by lawmakers. Many St. Louis programs took a hit, including $1 million designated for the City Justice Center. Spencer said she was “disappointed” by Kehoe’s cuts, but didn’t feel as though the jail wasn’t particularly targeted. “The governor’s veto list was enormous.”
