The program helps provide funds to demolish properties within a flood plain that have suffered repeated flood damages. The area Brookville seeks to use the funds for is adjacent to Wolf Creek and has experienced several flooding events.
Properties approved for the grant will be demolished and restored to green space, reducing future expenses in flood damages, according to Interim City Manager Sonja Keaton. The property, in this case, is a four-family dwelling, according to Keaton.
Properties must meet a Benefit Cost Analysis to qualify. BCA lists the pros and cons of fixing a property to prevent further costs in damages when flooding occurs.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is the sponsor and funds the grant program.
The city will be required to match 12.5 percent of the costs, if approved. FEMA will fund 75 percent, and the state will fund another 12.5 percent.
The Ohio EMA will review pre-applications and will notify the cities that will receive funds in mid-April. If Brookville is approved, the city will submit the full application for the project, Keaton said.
The key purpose of the grant program is to enact mitigation measures that reduce the risk of loss of life and property from future disasters, according to FEMA’s website.
Visit the city’s website or contact Keaton at 937-833-2135 for more information about the grant and the approval process.
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