Toxic water continues to hurt business - Fox29 WFLX TV, West Palm Beach, FL-news & weather

SUART FL. (WFLX)--Toxic water continues to make money tight for water-based businesses.

Patrons are not showing up, and federal funding to reimburse their losses isn't coming in.

Martin County Commissioners requested funding from The Federal Emergency Management Agency, but were denied any money. Officials with FEMA said the toxic water situation is not a disaster, and therefore, doesn't meet FEMA federal funding requirements.

Martin County Commissioner Sarah Heard says because they lack federal help, they'll use that as a springboard to ask for more help from the state.

"We had hoped that we would get some aid. We were not encouraged by the response that we got," Heard said.

Heard says the state should be more concerned with Martin County jobs."They need to do a better job of protecting the jobs that we have, rather than going out looking for new ones."

Monterey Inn and Marina employee Kelsey Chew says she has to worry about her job security. On average, just two people book a room at the hotel each night.

"We've had two scares already. I went personally last week to cash my paycheck and we all had to wait."

The owner now has to wait for enough money to pay basic bills.

The hotel offers incentives to get people to book, such as offering a free night for every two night stay, but even that isn't helping.

"How do we survive? We're not some huge corporation where they find backup money."

Heard says commissioners will discuss how and when to ask for state help at their next meeting on Tuesday.

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