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City of North Port reaching out to aid local businesses following Hurricane Ian
Francesco Abbruzzino, The Uncensored Report, LLC
CITY OF NORTH PORT, FL – Before, during, and immediately following Hurricane Ian, the City of North Port’s Call Center fielded thousands of calls from residents seeking information. Once the storm passed and the flood waters began to recede, however, a different call center went into action to reach out and aid local businesses following Ian’s destructive wake.
Since Oct. 14, City staff from various departments have been busy calling nearly 1,000 of North Port’s local businesses. Calls are being made to provide disaster recovery and assistance information and to encourage businesses to log any financial or physical damages from the storm.
“Many of our residents own and operate businesses here in the City, and it is incumbent upon us to check in on them following a storm of Hurricane Ian’s magnitude and make sure they are aware of the resources that have been made available to them,” City Manager Jerome Fletcher said. “North Port embodies a Community of Unity, and we are united in helping our residents and businesses get back on their feet so we can continue our City’s forward momentum.”
Any business that paid a business tax to the City in the last year and that has a North Port address will be receiving a call. A team of volunteer City employees is making sure that business owners know to fill out the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (FL DEO) Business Damage Assessment Survey for financial and physical damages suffered from the storm. Businesses are also being sent a North Port Business Resource Guide put together by the City’s Economic Development Division. The guide includes links to apply for disaster assistance through FEMA, the Small Business Administration (SBA), FL DEO, and additional resources made available from partners such as CareerSource.
“Many of the local businesses we’re speaking with just have not thought to ask for help,” said Mel Thomas, Economic Development Division Manager. “These are entrepreneurs who embody the spirit of independence and hard work. Most of them are simply cleaning up debris, calling workers back in, and continuing to work hard to recover. As a City, it’s our job to reach out and ask, ‘Are you OK?’ and send them resources to aid in their recovery.”
If you need assistance for your local business following Hurricane Ian, call the Economic Development Division at 941-429-7029 or email [email protected].