Assemblyman Will Barclay (R,C,I,Ref-Pulaski) today announced that the Assembly passed a bill he is a sponsor of that will assist property owners dealing with damage as a result of flooding on Lake Ontario and connected waterways. Property owners along the southern and eastern shores of the lake have faced record-high lake levels, resulting in enormous amounts of property damage. The legislation would make financial assistance available to help property owners pay for repairs. Also included in the bill is a property tax relief measure for those who have experienced major damage or erosion to their property.

“Thousands of homes, camps, and businesses are being affected by this long-term disaster and each deserves the state’s assistance in rebuilding efforts. In addition, I will continue to push back on Plan 2014 and urge that those at the federal level revisit this international agreement that is responsible for this man-made devastation,” said Barclay.

The bill, which has now passed both the Senate and the Assembly, will establish a $90 million flood recovery grant program to assist small businesses, farms, property owners and municipalities with flood-related repairs and restoration. Funding will be awarded through a grant process, $15 million of which will be made available to homeowners, $25 million for businesses, farms and non-profits, $25 million for local municipalities, $15 million for flood mitigation activities to prevent future flooding and $10 million for additional disaster relief for municipalities still recovering from the impact of previous natural disasters. The bill will also create an interagency response team to assist in allocating and distributing state and federal resources and develop a comprehensive multi-agency flood response plan to respond to future water level increases related to the International Joint Commission Plan 2014. Finally, the bill allows local governments and school districts to provide a reduction in real property assessment for those affected by the floods.