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Motion Expressing the Sense of Council of Allegheny County requesting that the Governor of the State of Pennsylvania, Chief Executive of Allegheny County and Mayor of Pittsburgh review the recent grants awarded from the Pennsylvania Stimulus Package and consider a temporary redirection of that financial support to help aid the residents and businesses of Allegheny County who were harmed by the recent flooding caused by Hurricane Ivan.
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WHEREAS, on September 17 and 18, 2004, the storms and rain of the remnants of Hurricane Ivan caused widespread flooding in Allegheny County, causing the destruction of housing and businesses throughout Allegheny County, and in particular, the communities of Carnegie, Heidelberg, Bridgeville, Oakdale, Millvale and Etna;
WHEREAS, the business districts of some of these communities have been ravaged by floodwaters, specifically the entire business district of Oakdale Borough, and the Main Street business district of Carnegie;
WHEREAS, the residents and business owners of many of Allegheny County communities that were devastated by the flooding of Hurricane Ivan were not protected by flood insurance because they did not reside in a designated “flood plain”, and business and homeowners insurance does not cover the losses that they experienced;
WHEREAS, the grants and loans provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) may not be, in and of itself, sufficient to provide the aid to these businesses and residents to return to their homes and businesses;
WHEREAS, due to the flooding from Hurricane Ivan, there is an immediate need to provide financial aid and support to the residents and business owners of the Allegheny County communities that were devastated by the flooding of Hurricane Ivan;
WHEREAS, on April 1, 2004, Governor Rendell signed into law House Bill 1026 and Senate Bill 10, collectively entitled the Pennsylvania's Economic Stimulus Package, which included programs for grants and loans for business in our state and “Community Revitalization”, all aimed at fueling investment in communities across the Commonwealth;
WHEREAS on August 19, 2004, Governor Rendell came to Allegheny County and announced $73 million dollars in grants from the Stimulus Package for Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh;
WHEREAS, some of these grants are for projects which are currently in the process of being built, while some of these grants are designated for projects far off in the future, for example the $4 million to the Steelers to help fund an amphitheater project on the North Shore and $5 million to Station Square to build a pedestrian bridge from the Monongahela Incline;
WHEREAS, as an example, Steelers President Art Rooney II acknowledged that the he is having a hard time attracting investors for the amphitheater project on the North Shore near Heinz Field, and that the amphitheater “may not get built”
WHEREAS, grant money for those such projects, which needs are not immediate, can be temporarily redirected to provide no-interest loans to many of the communities of Allegheny County which were affected by the flooding of Hurricane Ivan;
WHEREAS, moreover, since the loan will be no-interest, and not a grant, the money will be repaid, and then the original purpose of the grant can be fulfilled;
WHEREAS, since the purpose of the Pennsylvania Economic Stimulus Package was for “Community Revitalization”, such a temporary redirection of funds would provide the perfect opportunity to fulfill this promise;
NOW THEREFORE, IT IS MOVED, AND IT IS THE SENSE OF THE COUNCIL OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY, that the Governor of Pennsylvania, Chief Executive of Allegheny County and Mayor of Pittsburgh review the recent grants awarded from the Pennsylvania Stimulus Package and temporarily redirect the financial support and aid to help the residents and businesses of Allegheny County who were harmed by the recent flooding caused by Hurricane Ivan.