Cleanup from Storm Won't Be Cheap for Granby

Cleanup from the rare October nor’easter in Granby won’t be cheap.

Indeed, the Board of Selectmen at its regular meeting Monday unanimously approved a resolution to appropriate $1 million for the recovery of fallen trees and brush debris throughout the town.

Town Manager William Smith said that he anticipates between 25,000 to 30,000 tons of material to be shipped out of town. Contractors have quoted prices somewhere in the vicinity of $28 to $38 per ton to ship out, Smith said, meaning the total cost would be around $750,000.

“This is an enormous amount of material,” said Smith, noting that the big issue is safety, as he has seen piles of debris piled over eight feet high that could easily topple into roads or onto people.

The additional funds will account for overtime for the town’s emergency personnel and department of public works employees during the effort.

The good news, according to Smith, is that the town is eligible to be reimbursed for 75 percent of the cost of recovery from state and federal agencies.

The town would cover the remaining 25 percent of the cost through the general fund balance, Smith said. “It may have a consequence” on next year’s budget, Smith said in response to Selectwoman Sally King’s question as to where the town would find the money to pay for the cost of the recovery.

The next step in the process is for the Board of Finance to hold a special meeting to appropriate the funds.

“We can start the work as early as this week if the appropriation is in place,” said Smith, adding that there is a time factor, as he would like to have the clean up completed before more snow falls and hard freezing takes place. “Out hope is by the first week in December to have everything cleared up as reasonably as possible.”

The state has already announced that it will collect debris from homeowners along state-maintained roads, Smith said.

In addition, residents can drop off debris at the town’s transfer station at no charge on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The selectmen also unanimously agreed to send to the Capital Program Priorities Advisory Commission a $150,000 to $250,000 request for four new generators: two at Lost Acres Fire Department locations, and one each at the Town Hall complex and the middle school.

“What this extended absence of power has shown is that our World War II and Korean War-era generators are [not adequate],” First Selectman John Adams said.
The installation of a generator at the middle school would make that building suitable to serve as the town’s emergency shelter, as the Senior Center is not adequate to serve in that function, Adams said.

“You need a place to serve meals in a separate room, for sleeping in a separate room and for bathing and a kitchen for food preparation,” Adams said. “The best place is the middle school.”

CPPAC will meet Wednesday, Nov. 9 to consider numerous capital projects on the docket.

The selectmen unanimously adopted a resolution amending the number of members of the Charter Revision Commission from seven to nine. The selectmen then unanimously appointed nine members - four Democrats and five Republicans - to the charter revision commission.

The commission will consider the following:

1. a timetable and process for budget format and procedure for adoption;

2. streamlining of additional appropriation process;

3. number of members on elected town boards;

4. consider transition timing of board changes;

5. Technical considerations that may include conflicting language with state statutes or within the charter;

6. Any other matters deemed appropriate by the commission.