County and Mount Pulaski receive storm recovery funds         

[JUNE 21, 2006]  Logan County Emergency Management Agency director Dan Fulscher had lots of good news for the county this month. Storm reimbursements and grant funds have been rolling in for actual event recovery, as well as for support system equipment replacement.

If you recall, the end of winter and beginning of spring weekends were a bit rough about every other weekend this year. A blizzard sandwiched between several weekends of storms and tornadoes left miles of debris that created weeks of work for emergency crews and volunteers using county and municipal equipment, as well as loaned equipment. Most damage occurred south and east in the county, with the biggest and most in and around Mount Pulaski.

The Logan County Emergency Management Agency submitted costs for state and federal disaster declarations. The federal declaration request of $33,125.22 was granted at 75 percent return: $24,943.62. Mount Pulaski will receive $19,308.49 of those funds. The remaining $5,535.13 goes into the county general fund.

Grants were also received for local emergency planning and equipment. There was $2,700 from an SERC grant for chemical emergency preparedness and prevention, and $5,099.96 was received from the Illinois Emergency Services Management Association to go to the Emergency Telecommunications System Board.

The total of additional funds coming in through emergency management this month was $32,643.58.

County finance chairman Chuck Ruben thanked Fulscher for his leadership in securing these funds.

Fulscher said, "I had lots of good help."

The telecommunications room will be moving its location, and equipment will be completely overhauled over the next few years. A new generator bid was accepted from Cummings. It was the lowest bid of three at $38,508.

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