Posted at: 08/24/2012 6:32 PM
By: Katie Eldred

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Lawmakers Pass Flood Relief Package

(ABC 6 News) -- Friday afternoon Minnesota lawmakers passed a $167 million dollar disaster relief package during a special session. Much of that funding will go to communities near Duluth hit hard by the June floods. But Goodhue County will also receive some help.

The Cannon River is now calm, but just back in June those waters raged over their banks creating a mess that the city of Cannon Falls has spent weeks cleaning up.

William Lacefield the owner of Cannon Falls Canoe rentals lost half of his fleet and much more in the June flood.

"It got up inside my building and did damage," said Lacefield.

He says the damage done is well over twenty thousand dollars, plus loss of business.

"If you can't operate, you can't make money," said Lacefield.

He isn't alone the city saw extensive damage to their parks in town. Police chief Jeff McCormick says area legislators made sure that the Cannon Falls was included in the states disaster relief package.

"As they started to prepare their bill our legislators made sure that we were included , and that was very important."

Representative Mike Benson said the relief bill was put together in a bi-partisan effort.

"This is one of those things that the state is there for, transportation, infrastructure, public safety, this is why the session needed to be called so we could make sure the appropriate resources were directed where they needed to be," said Benson.

So far the city of Cannon Falls has shelled out over hundred thousand dollars for the cleanup and there is still more to do.

Chief McCormick says FEMA will pay for 75 percent of that and the state for 25 percent.

"It is very helpful for a community, especially of our size."

Lacefield is hoping he sees some of that help come his way.

"Yea, it’s be nice."

It took both the Minnesota house and the senate each less than an hour to vote on the relief package.