Federal Funds To Help Pay A Blizzard Of Bills

By Dottie Evans

Most residents would agree the Presidents’ Day Blizzard that brought the town to a standstill on Monday, February 17, was a snowstorm to remember. Even the storm summary numbers –– 24 inches of snow falling in 24 hours –– had an ominous symmetry.

A month later there was some comfort to be had, however, by town officials who heard that the federal government had taken note of the levels of local distress and expense caused by the snowstorm.

In short, there were plans afoot to help the state pay its blizzard bills.

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal said at the March 17 Board of Selectmen’s meeting that the town could receive as much as 75 percent reimbursement of its total storm costs for the 48-hour storm period spanning February 17–18.

The news came March 12 in a letter to the first selectman from Connecticut Congresswoman Nancy Johnson. It stated that President George W. Bush had declared the State of Connecticut an official disaster site as a result of the snowstorm that blanketed most of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.

Ms Johnson said a series of applicant briefings with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Office of Policy Management (OPM) officials were being scheduled for Fifth District counties including Fairfield County, but that the exact dates and locations of the briefings were still being coordinated.

Accompanying Ms Johnson’s letter to Mr Rosenthal was the FEMA Snow Assistance Policy, which outlined conditions under which emergency funds could be awarded. The policy pointed out that “record or near record snowfall on its own merit will not warrant an emergency or major disaster declaration.”

Important considerations that would impact the decision to award FEMA funds were 1) heavy snowfall over a very extended period of time; 2) severe winds and extraordinary drifting; 3) extraordinary ice formation; and 4) cumulative effect of snow on the ground.

Also under consideration would be whether or not any or all of these factors may have affected public health and safety, exceeding the capability of the state and local governments to respond.

The Cost Of A Hard Winter

Public Works Director Fred Hurley said Wednesday that the total cost of the Presidents’ Day snowstorm to the town of Newtown was still being determined.

“We don’t have the figures yet. We have to include the costs to the school system and Parks and Recreation Department as well. But my guess is the final number will exceed $50,000. So we might get $40,000 back,” Mr Hurley estimated.

When they eventually come, the FEMA funds will help pay for regular and overtime as well as equipment and repairs, he said.

 “Remember that the [town requests and storm data] are still coming in from all over the Northeast and down through the Mid-Atlantic. You’re talking a lot of municipalities and each one is a separate case.”

Due to high costs incurred by the Public Works Department during the entire 2002–2003 winter season, the first selectmen and the Board of Finance are preparing to transfer funds from contingency accounts to certain critical line items in the current operating budget.

Plans were laid out by Mr Rosenthal at the selectmen’s March 17 board meeting for a total of $95,000 to be taken out of the contingency fund. This amount includes $17,000 into the sand fund, $14,000 for road salt, $28,000 for winter overtime, and $36,000 for repairs.

This last account includes the cost of repairing residents’ mailboxes after the plow trucks have damaged them during storms.

“Our guys will come out and set up homeowners’ boxes so the mail can be delivered,” said Trish Johnson at the Public Works office.

“If possible, they’ll do a full repair when they first come out. It depends on how bad the damage is,” she added.

Mr Rosenthal told the selectmen that this winter, damage to mailboxes had been severe.

“A lot of them bit the dust. It’s a real mailbox graveyard out there,” he said.

“It was a really bad winter and this will give us a little cushion.”

The Board of Finance planned to discuss and act on the contingency transfers at its March 27 meeting.