St. Louis Mayor Spencer Announces Disaster Relief Spending Plan, Creation of Recovery Office, and Additional Debris Removal

ST. LOUIS – Today, Mayor Cara Spencer announced a plan to invest $19.2 million in the next phase of recovery from the May 16 tornado. She also announced a new contract to scale up the City’s debris removal efforts.

This plan is for $19.2 million, including $18 million in allocated Rams funds and $1.2 million in Community Development Block Grant funds. Those funds will support efforts in the following areas.

• $2.5 million for resource hubs needs such as meals and supplies, including coolers, port-a-potties, dumpsters, and more.

• $2.2 million for unmet needs such as storage of personal belongings, rental assistance, and non-congregate temporary housing.

• $5 million for home repairs for uninsured and underinsured.

• $3.5 million for case management, mental health, and legal services.

• $1 million to provide cooling through water stations and water sprinklers.

• Up to $5 million for non-profit support, including for resource hub and distribution staffing.

“The need is urgent, and we have been working hard over the past few weeks to put this package together,” said Mayor Spencer. “These investments are designed to meet the most pressing needs while ensuring programs we are investing in do not overlap with FEMA’s.”

Mayor Spencer will present this plan to the Board of Estimate & Apportionment for approval next week at a special meeting. With the board’s approval, these funds will be rolled into City departments and service providers, and St. Louisans will begin to see some of the effects of this plan in the community this month.

Recovery Office

Also today, Mayor Spencer announced the creation of a Recovery Office that will be embedded in the Mayor’s Office. The Recovery Office will be led by Julian Nicks, who has served as interim deputy chief operating officer in the Mayor’s Office and has led the operations side of the tornado response. Nicks will now serve as the chief recovery and neighborhood transformation officer.

“I am grateful that Julian has agreed to step up his role with the City and take on this challenge,” said Mayor Spencer. “I have complete confidence in him, and I look forward to seeing the Recovery Office quickly take shape under his leadership.”

The Recovery Office will now lead the City’s recovery efforts, continuing the efforts that have begun out of the Emergency Operations Center and developing the long-term plans to restore and rebuild.

The office will also lead the City’s community engagement efforts. Announcements on how residents can take a central role in developing the vision for how we restore and rebuild will be made in the coming weeks.

Debris removal

In an effort to scale up debris removal, the City has executed a contract to bring in Spirtas Worldwide for additional debris removal and hauling. Starting next week, Spirtas will be moving through the impacted neighborhoods in a grid-based approach, starting in the northeast and moving west and south.

Residents are encouraged to continue putting debris at the curb line so Spirtas and City crews can pick it up.

These efforts are considered Phase 2 of 3. The final phase, under development with FEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, includes private property debris removal and will begin with individualized assessments of the debris removal needs on each property, followed by contracted services.

But starting next week, residents can expect to see:

• Heavy machinery and hauling trucks moving through blocks in a coordinated fashion.

• Environmental inspectors visually assessing piles and separating any potentially hazardous waste, like asbestos, for separate hauling and disposal.

• Hauling monitors stationed at intersections to photograph and catalogue debris removal - this is to maximize the City's potential for reimbursements from FEMA.

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