Rochester-area elected officials say a bill now before the State Assembly to help communities deal with flood damage is only intended to help local governments pay to protect their public water supplies from floodwater contamination. It’s not intended to help lake and bayshore homeowners cover the damage their insurance companies won’t pay for.
But Assembly Majority Leader Joe Morelle of Irondequoit says he’s pushing to add compensation for homeowners to this or some other bill.
At a news conference on Irondequoit Bay, Morelle and other elected officials said the bill which has passed the Senate and is now before the Assembly taps money from a fund included in the state budget for renovation of rundown public water systems. It would let local governments apply to cover what they had to spend on water system flood protection and repair.
Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul toured flooded lake shore areas today and can’t say if the governor will sign this bill.
Hochul visited Sodus Point and other areas where waterfront roads are underwater.