Mayville council discusses tornado damage, establishes disaster relief fund and schedules public hearing on distribution

Mayor (title) reported that a tornado struck Mayville earlier this month and “we estimated around 25% of the city was hit with with some of some kind of damage.”

The mayor outlined city cleanup progress, said the city is “roughly 95% cleaned up,” and described conversations with county and state emergency-management officials about reimbursement. He said Dodge County submitted preliminary damage costs to the state and that the city applied for a state emergency-management assistance program in the amount of $380,000.

Why it matters: the storm damaged public and private property, and many cleanup items — uprooted trees, cemetery headstones and debris in waterways — may not be covered by standard property insurance or by city insurance. The council must decide how the city’s limited relief funds are distributed and how to apply for reimbursements that require documentation of costs and volunteer hours.

Details and council actions: the mayor said residents asked about federal FEMA aid but, after consulting the Dodge County emergency-services director, the city would not qualify under FEMA criteria. The mayor said the council has set up the Mayville disaster relief fund (city fundraising) and that, “as of today, we roughly paid $16,000 and we are seeking donations.” He said the council will develop eligibility criteria and an application process over the next month.

City staff explained that volunteer cleanup hours may be logged with City Hall and could count toward the local match or in-kind components for state reimbursement. The city clarified that some types of cleanup (outdoor property such as headstones and certain soft-surface garden work) are often not reimbursable under standard insurance but may be documented for grant applications.

The council voted to hold a public hearing at the next council meeting to solicit public input on distribution of the Mayville disaster relief fund and on establishing geographic boundaries for the relief area. Council members discussed potential uses mentioned by callers and residents, including tree replanting, help paying deductibles, and direct homeowner reimbursements; the council did not set caps or final eligibility rules at the meeting.

Next steps: staff will post notice of the public hearing and prepare a draft application and criteria for council review; the mayor and administrator will continue compiling reimbursable costs for the state grant portal. The council encouraged residents to register volunteer cleanup hours by contacting City Hall at the number provided in the mayor’s report.

Ending: The council asked staff to bring a detailed draft distribution policy and an outreach plan to the next meeting so the public hearing can inform the final eligibility rules.