Board committee advances $30 million tornado relief fund after hours of public testimony

President Megan Green and the Housing, Urban Development and Zoning Committee advanced Board Bill 31 on a committee vote Tuesday night, sending the measure to the full Board of Aldermen with an amendment. The bill would establish a Tornado Relief and Recovery Fund, to be set up by the comptroller and maintained by the city treasurer, and direct $30,000,000 in interest earned on the —Grama settlement— into immediate recovery work.

The bill's sponsors say the interest-driven fund is intended to deliver quick relief for residents and organizations after the city's May 16 tornado. "This conversation around Board Bill 31 tonight is a start. It's not the finish," President Megan Green told the committee before public comment, and she said the committee intends to move the bill quickly so the funds can supplement FEMA and state aid. Green noted FEMA's designation and a 25% matching requirement the city must meet to access full federal assistance.

The bill would allow the fund to pay for temporary housing, emergency home repairs, storage for belongings, help with insurance deductibles, legal aid, repairs to public infrastructure (streets, sidewalks, lighting, hazardous trees), and support for nonprofits providing shelter and staffing. Private donations and other appropriations could be placed in the fund; interest earned on the account would remain available for relief and recovery. The measure caps city administrative spending on the fund at 5%, while explicitly allowing nonprofits to use…