Politics & Government
Town Officials Authorize More Than $1 Million for Storm Recovery
The Suffield Board of Selectmen and Board of Finance moved more than $1 million from the town's undesignated fund towards cleanup costs from the recent snowstorm.
Both the Town of Suffield and the federal government will finance the cleanup from the recent fall snowstorm, at a cost of slightly more than $1 million.
The Suffield Board of Finance and Board of Selectmen both met on Monday, Nov. 7, as the town was still digging out of the storm and dealing with the resultant, long-term power outages, to authorize the use of slightly more than $1 million from the town's undesignated fund.
The money will go towards brush pickup and removal during the coming weeks. Town residents should place brush, tree limbs and branches cleared from their yards near (but not on) the curb that abuts their property for eventual pickup.
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The town expects to be reimbursed for 75 percent of the cost, about $750,000 in all, by FEMA. That reimbursement is dependent on a secondary emergency declaration but First Selectman Tom Frenaye is confident that it will pass.
The town's undesignated fund, which Frenaye said holds "several million" dollars, is held in reserve for emergencies and unusual and costly events.
Find out what's happening in Suffieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The actual removal process will occur over about six weeks and consist of several passes through town, according to Frenaye. The goal is to remove the brush by early December, before heavy snow and other weather issues could complicate the process.
A state contract with AshBritt Environmental, a national disaster-recovery contractor, has been made. Removal equipment has been positioned at Ffyler Place to be ready for the beginning of the cleanup efforts.
Suffield residents can also take brush created by the storm to the town landfill at 2715 Mountain Road and dispose of it without a fee through the end of November. The landfill is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (except on holidays) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
According to a release from the first selectman, Suffield residents should "cut any brush or trees into lengths of no more than six feet, and place them several feet back from the road or curb" if they want their storm refuse to be picked up.
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