The city of Portage is spearheading tornado relief efforts with a recent approval of $1.6 million allocated specifically for businesses and homeowners affected by the devastating storm that ripped through the area eight months prior. The City Council agreed with Kalamazoo County to distribute these funds, with $1 million earmarked for business recovery and $600,000 for residential repair, as reported by WWMT.
Adam Herringa, Portage’s chief operating officer, clarified the conditions for candidate eligibility. “Homeowners and businesses will have to demonstrate a need, they’ll have to demonstrate loss,” Herringa explained in a statement detailed by WWMT. The state funds, originally directed to Kalamazoo County, are now pending a secondary approval from the Kalamazoo County Commission. The final decision is scheduled for January 21, with applications anticipated to be available in February.
Additional state funding to boost the ongoing tornado cleanup operations has been confirmed, bringing the total aid to $3 million for the fiscal year. “The state wants to give the money to the county, who wants to give it to the city and several other nonprofits,” noted City Manager Pat McGinnis in an interview, as per WOODTV. The streamlined application process aims to reduce red tape, asking applicants to outline their losses, insurance coverage, and remaining needs…