Ritchie: Flooding Workshop Helps Connect Hundreds Of Homeowners With Flood Relief Information

Hundreds of homeowners from throughout the region packed the Sandy Pond Sportsmen’s Association Wednesday evening for a workshop cohosted by Senator Patty Ritchie, Assemblyman Will Barclay and Neighbors of Watertown on how to apply for flood relief funding.

Those in attendance were able to apply for and ask questions about the state’s new Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence Seaway Flood Relief and Recovery Grant Program, which provides $45 million in funding to homeowners—including owners of seasonal homes—businesses, farms, not-for-profits and municipalities that have sustained flood-related damage recently.  The aid builds on $22 million made available by New York State in May.

“The number of people who attended Wednesday night’s workshop speaks to how serious of a situation people living along our shoreline communities are facing and how critical it is that we get them the support they need to recover,” said Senator Ritchie.  “I know how devastating the damage done by high water has been for so many people in our region. That’s why my colleagues and I worked to provide this funding—and that’s why we’ll continue to work to see that every person impacted gets the help they need to rebuild and protect their property for the future.  I would like to thank those who partnered with me to make this event possible and encourage others throughout our region who are seeking assistance to attend upcoming workshops in Jefferson and St. Lawrence Counties.”

Assemblyman Will Barclay said, "Last night's large turnout was another indication of how widespread and problematic the flooding is for residents and property owners along Lake Ontario.  I sympathize with all the people who are affected.  While there is more to be done, I am pleased we were able to pass legislation before session ended that gives property owners access to some financial relief.  The purpose of the workshop was to provide answers to questions on the grants available to help rebuild.  I'm glad the Senator and I were able to partner on this outreach.  We will continue to work with local, state and federal representatives and advocate for more assistance."

In addition to learning about the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence Seaway Flood Relief and Recovery Grant Program, attendees were also provided with information from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation on emergency permits, as well as warnings from the New York State Attorney General’s Office on how to avoid scams when hiring contractors to assist with flood damage.

Senator Ritchie, Neighbors of Watertown and local officials will team up again to host several other workshops in the coming weeks.  Details of the events are as follows:

July 24th

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Address: Dobisky Visitors Center, 100 Riverside Ave, Ogdensburg, NY 13669

July 31st

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Address: Town of Alexandria Offices (Community Room) 46372 County Route 1, Alexandria Bay, NY 13607

August 2nd  

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Address: 112 N. Broad Street (Sackets Harbor Municipal Building), Sackets Harbor, NY 13685

Individuals attending workshops are encouraged to contact Neighbors of Watertown at (315) 782-8497 or visit www.neighborsofwatertown.com in advance to obtain an application for funding and view a list of required documents.  Assembling required documents and preparing as much of the application as possible in advance of the workshops will help to accelerate the application process.

Municipalities, small businesses, farms, homeowners associations, and not-for-profit organizations seeking funding to help cover the cost of damage caused by flooding are encouraged to visit Senator Ritchie’s website—www.ritchie.nysenate.gov— for additional information on applying for grants.

In addition to offering funding, the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence Seaway Flood Relief and Recovery Grant Program also provides local governments and school districts with special permission to cut property tax bills for affected property owners. That provision was modeled on separate legislation introduced by Senator Ritchie, which was previously approved by the Senate.

(Attn. photo editors: Those seeking help with recovering from high water are pictured in the above photo at a special workshop Wednesday evening on how to apply for state funding cohosted by Senator Patty Ritchie, Assemblyman Will Barclay and Neighbors of Watertown)