PEABODY — Every drop helps. In this case, $2 million in flood prevention funds approved by Gov. Mitt Romney will help the city hold back a lot more of the water that has periodically inundated it over the last decade.

"It's a good start," said Mayor Michael Bonfanti, who plans to meet with his staff today to work out the best use of the money. More than likely, he said, it will help widen culverts that feed streams like Procter Brook and Goldthwaite Brook into the North River.

"Now we can go back to having 50- or 100-year floods instead of having them every two years," he said.
A complete fix of the downtown flooding problem would probably cost over $50 million, Bonfanti said.
A less expensive and thus more practical program — estimated at $16 million — is currently planned. It will be accomplished in stages, with this the first one.

"Bite-sized pieces," Bonfanti said. "You can do it that way and get the most for your buck."
The $2 million was included in a $385.4 million economic stimulus bill signed into law Saturday and comes a year and a half after Romney vetoed a $5.7 million request in 2004.

Although the legislation's language does not indicate any strings attached, Senate Majority Leader Fred Berry, D-Peabody, said the state approval follows an understanding with the administration that Peabody would put up $2 million of its own money

For his part, Bonfanti offered a special thanks to Berry for his help in procuring the money.

"And we're pleased that the governor heard our request and saw that it was a necessary request," the mayor said.

The money would come from unused Urban Development Action Grant Program funds, Berry said. That federal program loans money for local economic development projects. But instead of repaying the federal government, developers repay the city.

Felix Browne, a Romney spokesman, said the governor approved the request, "because Peabody has suffered a great deal due to flooding, and it is our hope that this measure will alleviate those problems."

Asked what made this funding request different from the one Romney vetoed in 2004, Browne said he had no further comment.

At the time the veto was announced, Romney said he rejected the request because he could not get an explanation from Peabody officials. At a May press conference, Romney said the money was vetoed because a federal match had not been approved, so there was no point in making state money available.

The administration has indicated it would make the money available if a federal match were approved. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is still considering flood relief proposals for Peabody and is expected to give answer sometime in July.

Berry said the administration first showed its willingness to back Peabody flood relief shortly after the veto. He said former Administration and Finance Secretary Eric Kriss indicated that putting up UDAG money would be helpful.

Politics may also be a factor in the Romney decision, said Rep. Ted Speliotis, D-Danvers.

Speliotis said he believes Romney vetoed the measure in 2004 because he thought Peabody could afford to put up some of its own money.

But things have changed now, with Massachusetts hit hard by flooding in May and the governor acting to direct flood relief from Washington.

Even with the state money approved, getting the federal flood money is no sure thing. Peabody has had two earlier requests for federal flood money rejected. And Berry pointed out that federal flood funds have been stretched thin by responses to Hurricane Katrina and the recent flooding in northeastern Massachusetts.

Still, Berry said he is hopeful Peabody can get $5 million in federal money over time.

Moreover, Peabody could receive an additional $500,000 for flood prevention. The money was inserted in the House budget by Rep. Joyce Spiliotis, D-Peabody. That proposal is being weighed by a conference committee trying to come up with a fiscal 2007 budget to send to Romney. That final proposal could be ready by week's end.