CHIPLEY, Fla. (WMBB)–Last week, Governor Ron DeSantis announced more than $735 million in disaster recovery funding for Hurricane Michael affected communities. The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity will be making several stops across the Panhandle over the next two weeks as they work to develop a State Action Plan. The plan will help to determine how the funds are spent.
“Our state action plan sets out the broad level overview of the programs we want to implement,” said Reginald Dixon, the Director of Disaster Recovery.
The funding comes from the Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery program.
“Once HUD approves that plan, then what we will do is specifically put guidance into how those plans will be implemented in our policies,” Dixon said.
Residents can attend the workshops to share their thoughts and ask questions.
“The workshops will help us get a sense of the need that is still out there,” Dixon said.
The DEO held workshops in Washington and Gulf counties on Wednesday. They will also be visiting Franklin, Bay, Calhoun, and Jackson Counties.
“To form a plan to help people recover, you need to try to make your plan broad enough so that you have activities that will address the small county as well as the big city,” Dixon said.
After HUD reviews and approves the State Action Plan, HUD and the DEO will sign an agreement to release the funding.
The remaining workshops are as follows:
Franklin County
Date: Thursday, February 13
Time: 9:30a.m. – 11:30a.m. EST
Location: City of Apalachicola Community Center
1 Bay Avenue
Apalachicola, FL 32320
Calhoun County
Date: Thursday, February 13
Time: 4:00p.m. – 6:00p.m. CST
Location: Calhoun County BOCC Meeting Room
20816 Central Avenue East
Blountstown, FL 32424
Bay County
Date: Friday, February 14
Time: 9:00a.m. – 11:00a.m. CST
Location: Gulf Coast State College
Language and Literature Building
5230 US-98, Panama City, FL 32401
Jackson County
Date: Wednesday, February 19
Time: 3:00p.m. – 5:00p.m. CST
Location: Chipola College Culture Center
3094 Indian Circle
Marianna, FL 32446
