Now that FEMA has agreed to reimburse some municipal costs for response to the May 15th macroburst, Brookfield officials are calling for quick action to release that money. First Selectman Steve Dunn says they want to know how much the town will get so they can move forward.  He's not sure if or how the appeal of denials for individual assistance and for Litchfield County towns will affect the timing. 

Brookfield's preliminary damage assessment was $4.7 million.  About $3.5 million would qualify for FEMA reimbursement. 

While New Milford didn't have the level of damage that Brookfield did, the town was impacted. Dunn says there is no county form of government or ways for counties to respond to emergencies, it's just lines on a map.  He notes that the Western Connecticut Council of Governments, a regional planning agency spanning from Sherman to Stamford, isn't recognized as the governmental agency of Fairfield County.  WestCOG was recently approved for non-profit status so it could apply for federal funding. 

Dunn says FEMA hasn't been responsive to calls about getting the public assistance money into town accounts.