State, FEMA Officials Assist Towns

By Sandy Vondrasek Cooch

A Tuesday morning meeting at Bethel’s White Church drew dozens of officials from area towns eager to learn about steps they need to take to procure state and federal aid to fix roads and bridges damaged by the heavy rains of July 9-11.

A number of towns have been impatiently awaiting direction from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, so that repairs—most of which must be pre-approved in order to be eligible for reimbursement—can be done.

This week, Bethel Town Manager Dell Cloud admitted he was feeling "a little frustrated," by the slow pace of the response and by conflicting reports from various agencies.

Some sources, for example, had indicated that private landowners might be eligible for aid, but presenters Tuesday made it clear that would not be the case.

Heading up FEMA’s involvement in the July 9-11 disaster declaration is Vermonter Albert Lewis of Berlin. Lewis told the crowd Tuesday that the disaster declaration for Orange, Windsor, and Washington Counties was one of 28 presidentially-declared disasters that FEMA is presently managing.

After a presentation on the various aid programs available, representatives from Bethel, Randolph, Braintree, Brookfield, and other area towns were paired with FEMA officials who assisted them in filling out applications.

Cloud noted that most of Bethel’s projects will fall under the "small projects" rubric, which have a quicker time frame for approval and reimbursement. Major projects, over $15,700, require a more involved process.

Cloud noted that FEMA funds will not be available for repairs to Camp Brook Road, a town road classified as a "federal aid secondary highway." Bethel will have to seek out a "different pot of money," for that repair, Cloud said.

Paperwork was completed Tuesday, and now towns will have to wait for FEMA teams to conduct "work site assessments" and sign off on project plans.

Cloud said FEMA representatives promised those visits would occur soon. Cloud is hoping that’s the case, as the town needs to complete most of the repairs before winter, in order to be able to plow the roads this winter.