Full Notification

Sun Prairie Disaster Relief Committee
For Immediate Press Release
Contact. Info: Aaron Oppenheimer, City Administrator
P: 608-825-1193
E: [email protected]

Sun Prairie Disaster Relief Committee Approves Allocation of Funds

Sun Prairie – The Sun Prairie Disaster Relief Committee met on Monday, September 10 to allocate the remaining donations received to assist in the recovery from the downtown incident. The total donations received in the fund exceeded five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000). Immediately following the incident, funds were disbursed to displaced residents for emergency housing and basic needs.

At their September 10 meeting, the Disaster Relief Committee authorized two hundred and twenty thousand dollars ($220,000) to assist residents and employees who had been displaced from their residences or places of employment due to the gas explosion downtown. Displaced residents and workers submitted applications detailing their losses due to the incident. Applicants received assistance for temporary and long-term housing, lost wages, furniture and household items. The Disaster Relief Committee collaborated with the United Way of Dane County and The Sunshine Place to review the applications and provide recommendations for funding. Members of the committee did not receive the applications nor any identifying information regarding the applicant.

At their September 10 meeting, the Disaster Relief Committee allocated one hundred and forty-eight thousand dollars ($148,000) in funding to the affected businesses and property owners in the downtown. Businesses and property owners submitted applications detailing the losses suffered as a result of their business being closed, lost inventory, damage to the buildings, etc. To ensure the applications were reviewed fairly and uniformly, the Disaster Relief Committee requested the Sun Prairie Community Development Authority (CDA) develop criteria to evaluate funding requests. The CDA was selected due to their experience in reviewing revolving loan fund applications and economic incentive requests. Once the criteria was developed, the City’s economic development team processed each application using the criteria and provided a recommendation for funding. Members of the committee did not receive the applications nor any identifying information regarding the applicant.

At this same meeting, the Disaster Relief Committee also allocated one hundred and forty-one thousand dollars ($141,000) in funding to emergency first responders. Applications for funding were reviewed by the Sun Prairie Fire Department’s management review team. The committee submitted recommendations for funding to the Disaster Relief Committee. Members of the committee did not receive the applications nor any identifying information regarding the applicant. All subsequent donations to the fund will also go to support emergency first responders.

The Disaster Relief Fund will remain open at the Bank of Sun Prairie until the end of the year to receive donations and to make disbursements to first responders. The Disaster Relief Committee expresses their appreciation to all those who donated funding to those impacted by this tragic incident. The outpouring of support, generosity and acts of kindness has been amazing. A special thanks to the United Way for their support at no cost to the fund.