Greene County commissioners officially went on record Monday night accepting HEAL Program Funds from TEMA to help accelerate having those monies available more quickly for local water utilities for repairs from the September flooding.
Greene County has already received around $17.6 million through the HEAL (Helene Emergency Assistance Loans) program, which provides a 10-year zero-interest loan to help pay for flood damage repairs. The county was not able to disperse the funds however until County Commission action officially accepting the funds.
Mayor Kevin Morrison told commissioners he had learned Friday another $8.2 million dollars, around $8 million for bridges and the remainder for roads, would be available.
The amendment and resolution as amended were both approved by a unanimous vote of the 18 commissioners attending.
In other County Commission action:
The commission approved a resolution authorizing the county mayor to apply for $1 million in HOME Homeowner Rehabilitation East Tennessee Disaster Recovery funds through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Tennessee Housing Development Agency.
One million dollars is the maximum amount of funding a county can receive through the program that is geared toward assisting in housing rehabilitation for low-income residents affected by Hurricane Helene.
Mayor Morrison said the available amount had been raised from five hundred thousand to one million dollars to assist those counties affected by the September flooding.
Commissioners also approved appropriation of $420,000 to Greene County–Greeneville EMS for remounting of two ambulances.
