State of Emergency Declared in Ferndale, No New Worries Though
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Ferndale115 News Wire, 9/8/2011)
Ferndale Mayor Dave Coulter signed the proclamation for a State of Emergency this afternoon in the wake of massive Labor Day storms that left thousands without power and many smashed up homes and vehicles. Though the City is well along in the cleanup process, the declaration is a formality that will allow them to apply for disaster relief funds.
“There is no need to worry,” said Coulter. “The DPW has been working hard to get the streets cleared, and DTE has got power almost restored. We are down to 50 homes without power from 7,000 on Saturday. So things are getting better. This declaration is just a formality.”
The Oakland County Homeland Security Division is now in charge of managing the grant application process on behalf of the City. Coulter said that Hazel Park and Pleasant Ridge are also in the process of declaring.
“The amount of Federal money is capped at $30,000, so we won’t be able to recover all our costs, but we will at least be able to recoup some,” Coulter said. [Note, funds are coming from the State of Michigan, not Federally]
The Mayor praised City Manager April McGrath for her work researching grant opportunities and working with the County. He also commended residents and City workers.
“The DPW especially came through. A lot of those folks had left town for the long holiday weekend. They came back from their time off to do a great job of cleaning the streets. They have worked tirelessly
“And I appreciate all residents’ patience, and also their willingness to help out. I saw people raking the streets, people helping their neighbors drag giant tree branches out of their yards. Ferndale came together as it always does.”
McGrath said she does not know how long it will take before Ferndale receives word on their grant request, but she anticipates it being “at least a couple of months.”
To read more about the storm damage and to view our “best of” storm damage pics go to https://oaklandcounty115.com/2011/09/07/clean-up-continues-as-we-share-best-storm-pics/.