Avon Receiving Over $45,500 in FEMA Relief Funds for January Storm

The 48-hour storm on Jan. 11 and 12 that dumped 17 inches of snow on Avon cost over $60,600 in clean-up and other related expenses, and the Federal Emergency Management Association will give $45,515.09 to relieve 75 percent of the cost.

Town Council Chairman Mark Zacchio received a letter from FEMA dated June 9 informing him Avon would be receiving FEMA Public Assistance Grant that it applied for after President Barack Obama declared the storm a federal disaster on March 3. The storm cost the town $60,686.78 in total, according to the application

Avon is responsible for the remaining 25 percent, which amounts to $15,171.69. The snow removal cost the town $10,041.16 in overtime, $3,752.93 in regular work pay and $10,462.50 in salt, among other costs, according to Public Works Director Bruce Williams April 4 report on snow removal expenses for December 2010 through April 1, 2011.

On the application, the town reported that $15,572 in labor and personnel costs were expended in storm recovery as a result of the Jan 11 and 12 storm, as well as $29, 474.41 in equipment costs, $15,345 for material expenses and $295.10 in administative costs.

The town had to purchase more salt this year at the end of the winter season, some of which was used for a surprise April 1 snowstorm. The town used 41 tons of salt for that storm, which cost $3,177.50. While the cost of the salt already used from the new inventory is included in the current budget, the remainder will be paid for in the next fiscal year, Finance Director Margaret Colligan said.

Even if the town had not received these federal funds, she said that the town anticipated more storm cleanup costs following the big storm in January, and as a result requested that every department return 1 percent of what they were allocated to cover a possible increase from the $155,746 appropriated for snow removal expenses. That returned $178,000 to the general fund.

Now, the town is waiting to see what state grants it will receive pending ratification of bill that will close the $1.6 billion budget gap in the state budget, following the General Assembly's special session Thursday, as a fallback plan to the failure of the union agreements.