Manatee County to receive over $252 million for disaster recovery


Gulf Drive is indistinguishable from the beach on Anna Maria Island following Hurricane Helene.
Gulf Drive is indistinguishable from the beach on Anna Maria Island following Hurricane Helene.
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Manatee County was awarded a $252,711,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to rebuild after Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton damaged some western portions of the county. 

While the islands were the hardest hit, East County could benefit from the grant money, too. 

County Administrator Charlie Bishop said staff was looking into getting permits to “snag and drag” the Braden River. A piece of heavy equipment would drag along the bottom of the river, pulling debris as it goes. 

The grant targets low and moderate income areas, but there’s a lot of flexibility in how the funds can be spent. It’s not limited to clearing debris or rebuilding what was lost. 

Bridges that bottleneck during evacuations can be widened. Land can be acquired for flood control, and infrastructure can be elevated. 

Deputy County Administrator Evan Pilachowski called the grant an opportunity to take some watershed management studies “off the shelf.”

“There are only a couple that are completed,” he said, “and there are many more that need to be completed.”

Staff is compiling a list of eligible projects for the board to prioritize and approve. Once approved, the goal is to have an action plan posted online by March 22. The public will have 30 days to make comments before the plan is submitted to HUD for approval.

Grants Administration Division Manager Michele Davis said the over $252 million grant was the largest award the county has ever received. 

 

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Lesley Dwyer

Lesley Dwyer is a staff writer for East County and a graduate of the University of South Florida. After earning a bachelor’s degree in professional and technical writing, she freelanced for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Lesley has lived in the Sarasota area for over 25 years.

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