The city of Cedar Rapids now has a Flood Recovery Director on its payroll. Greg Eyerly started his new job on Monday. He previously served as the city’s Utility Operations Manager.

Flood victim Melissa Erlacher has watched her once vibrant neighborhood become a virtual ghost town. Now, she has a message for Eyerly. "Focus on the neighborhood. Not so much the downtown businesses. That’s where I’ve been told where most of the money has gone," Erlacher said.

Eyerly says he’ll work hard to push the recovery process forward. "The number one priority is to get funding flowing into Cedar Rapids and to work with the state to ensure we can distribute that as quickly as possible," Eyerly said. He says it’s important to focus on the neighborhoods, but they won’t be his only priority. "We’re all mutually dependent on each other," Eyerly said. "We need affordable housing and good neighborhoods and places to live. We need a vibrant business community and we need public infrastructure."

The city and the business community are both contributing to Eyerly’s salary, which is around $114,000.