Thursday, August 4, 2016

Ellicott City - August 4, 2016

Obviously, the primary concern today, as it was yesterday, is getting access to the properties along Main Street.  Yesterday afternoon, Council-member Jon Weinstein posted this aerial photograph indicating what properties could be accessed for clean-up and repair:

Click to Enlarge
Per Jon's post, those interested in accessing these properties should call 410-313-2900 for more information.

As for the remaining properties, I expect that we will hear more information today regarding when business owners can access their stores and for how long.  Many business and property owners are concerned about mold and sustained water damage to otherwise salvageable materials.  I also understand that the County's primary focus is making sure we do not compound this tragedy with unnecessary deaths or injuries.  I wish I knew more on this subject, but that's all I have for now.

What is the Ellicott City Partnership doing?  Yesterday, Kelly Secret (an all around amazing person) was handing out Visa gift cards to residents and business owners for clean-up supplies and other necessities.  The ECP also continued to coordinate supply distribution with Courtney Watson (also amazing).  We have also arranged a resident/merchant/property owner ONLY meeting for Saturday.  Due to the nature of this meeting, I am not comfortable posting the details here, but please feel free to email me for details.  In the coming weeks, we intend to hold resource workshops to help business owners with the practical issues they may face after an event like this (i.e., insurance coverage, corporate filings, tax issues, etc.).  Nevertheless, please be advised that the BEST way to navigate these hurdles is by contacting the HCEDA.  As always, stay tuned.

Ellicott City resident Alex Belush (corrected) has created the "Keep Ellicott City Working" page for Main Street employees who need to find work.  If you find work through that page, make sure to come back once we rebuild.

Floria Volynskaya accomplished what I could not, which is a comprehensive list of GoFundMe pages.  You may find that list through this link.

Yesterday afternoon, I drove over to the Columbia Alehouse to thank them for raising money for the Ellicott City Partnership.  I had to park next to Potbelly (sorry Potbelly) and walk.  It was packed.  Thank you Justin Dvorkin and Flying Dog for being such great friends to Ellicott City.

And on that note, many people have asked me where they should contribute money if they want to help.  We have a number of great nonprofits that are focused on doing important work in Ellicott City.  My focus is on the Ellicott City Partnership.  We are the only organization that has Main Street business owners and residents on our board.  These are our friends, neighbors, and family members.  The ECP has created a separate fund for all money raised in response to Saturday's flood, which will be 100% dedicated to Main Street residents, merchants, and business owners.  You can contribute through this link.

Have a great Thursday helping Ellicott City.