Saturday, March 1, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
Miller sent the proposal to legislative bill drafters on Friday. It calls for the state and local governments affected by flooding to each pay half of the matching funds required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
FEMA pays 75 percent of the cost of damage to public property. Miller's proposal would require the state to split the remaining 25 percent with the local governments.
If a local entity in one of the six northwest Nevada counties hit by floods can't pay its share of the match, the state would lend the needed money at no interest from "rainy day" reserve funds, Miller said.
The bill also calls for the state to pay the cost of emergency cleanup services needed during and after the flooding.
Miller had previously signed a bill that kicked in $1 million in matching funds for victims of the flooding. That qualified the state to get $3 million from FEMA for temporary repairs.
That was separate from the money needed to pay for damages to other areas, like public buildings or roads. Damage estimates have run as high as $35 million for public property.
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