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Council Deadlocks Over $5.8M Hurricane Sally Relief; Awards Port Base Bid After Amendment
Summary
Council members and dozens of residents clashed over unspent Hurricane Sally CDBG-DR funds; an effort to reallocate about $5.8 million to port infrastructure failed (3–4), and the council voted to approve the port base-bid contract with alternates removed.
The City Council on Jan. 15 faced sharp criticism from residents and council members over roughly $5.8 million in Hurricane Sally disaster-recovery funds that, residents said, had not been deployed to repair privately owned homes as intended.
Betsy McDonald, the city’s housing director, told the council the department administers countywide Section 8 and several housing programs and outlined prior accomplishments, but acknowledged staff turnover and delays in standing up the CDBG-DR program.
"There are people still reeling from that damage and still time to make it right by putting your time and energy into sorting out a plan to distribute those funds," said Deshaun Mackenzie…
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