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Politics & Government

FEMA Comes to Town to Discuss Numbers (Poll)

Local officials meet with FEMA, as the town continues to tally storm-related expenses.

Local officials deliberated with a representative from the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Thursday in an effort to understand how FEMA’s assistance in meeting expenses from would proceed.

“They weren’t pricing out anything,” said shortly after the meeting.  “It was just a preliminary meeting on what they would look for in making payments. They didn’t do any damage assessment yet.”

“Now we’re actually dealing with the people on the ground,” he continued.  “It’s going to be a long drawn-out process but that’s how it is.”

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DaRos said the dates the town would receive reimbursement from FEMA would vary.  “It’s a whole bunch [of timelines],” he said.  “Sixty days, 120 days – whatever the project is, and how long it takes under their allotment.”

The First Selectman explained that the percentage of storm-related costs that FEMA would cover would vary by percentage; if the town qualifies for full FEMA funding, the largest percentage will apply to the biggest projects.  The smaller projects, he said, might qualify for funding at levels ranging from 50 to 65 percent.

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Among the larger expenditures, he put the cost of running the sewage treatment plant, the restoration of Linden Avenue and what he termed the extraordinary amount of time personnel such as the firefighters and police devoted to emergency services.

“The men were working 24 hours a day,” he said of those who kept the sewage treatment plant running under emergency conditions.  “This was not a simple little thing.”

from Finance Director James Finch, FEMA would cover $403,841 of Irene’s estimated $621,295 price tag.

DaRos said that the town has most of the numbers it will use for its claims now, with the exception of some of the larger expenses; he cited as an example. There, he said, the town should have firm numbers on the cost of stabilizing the road in two weeks, when the project, which received swift town attention, is completed. 

DaRos and officials from other towns slamming CL&P's response after the storm, the selectman’s response to FEMA’s performance to date was benign.

“I don’t have a problem with FEMA at all.  They respond to us,” he said.  “They’re doing their job.  They’re very professional.  When it comes to making the claims, we’ll see how it works out.”

On Friday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., again when it hosts a community meeting with the Small Business Administration at the Canoe Brook Senior Center at 11 Cherry Hill Rd.  Persons planning to attend this session, which will explain FEMA and SBA programs, provide assistance in completing forms and review other resources for those affected by the storm, are asked to let FEMA know by emailing dridgway@branford-ct.gov or calling 203-315-0683. 

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