The FEMA reimbursement process is still ongoing for damage from the macroburst and tornadoes that ripped through Connecticut one year ago. Brookfield First Selectman Steve Dunn gave an update to his fellow Selectmen at their Board meeting last week.
He says they are making progress, and will get some money. But he notes that FEMA gives the money to the state, which is supposed to pass it along to municipalities. The town is on target to get $2.8 million. The town spent about $1.7 million. The reason for that is FEMA gives towns $150 per hour for use of fire trucks. Dunn says that will cover wear and tear.
FEMA wants to be done and out of the area by mid-August. Dunn notes that two-thirds of the United States is under FEMA disaster declaration right now. FEMA workers here will then head to other parts of the country.
Dunn says Brookfield is ahead of some other impacted towns because the day after storm, they started tracking every expense. Greg Dembowski was hired to keep track of the details in real time, rather than going back three or four months later to record that data. FEMA wanted specific information about tree damage including diameter, type and height of trees, GPS of trees and where it was taken. There were hundreds of trees to keep track of. He called it arcane and complex.
60 hours was spent tracking salaries alone of employees, putting in hours, wages and benefits.
