Projected Sandy Costs Doubled in Ridgewood
Escalating costs put the village's budget in "a precarious position," according to Village Manager.
Originally estimated at around $700,000, the financial damage caused by Super Storm Sandy has doubled, Village Manager Ken Gabbert said at a special public meeting on Friday.
According to a report in The Ridgewood News, the manager said the new damage estimate is up to $1.2 million. An emergency appropriation to cover the costs is expected with Ridgewood's budget currently "in a precarious position," the paper reported.
Gabbert, on vacation this week, did not respond to requests for comment posed by Patch.
Mayor Paul Aronsohn said all power-related damage is expected to be covered in full by FEMA, with other 75 percent of other costs potentially paid for by the federal government. He said Gabbert estimated a potential bill of "several hundred thousand dollars" related to the local cleanup costs, including worker overtime.
Gabbert previously stated the costs related to Sandy will strain the 2013 budget. They'll be among the first bills to be paid, he said at the Nov. 7 meeting.
Aronsohn, meanwhile, also disputed a recent Star-Ledger article that through use of aerial photos claimed Ridgewood (as well as neighboring towns Glen Rock, Wyckoff and Midland Park) did not have any buildings suffer structural damage in the storm.
Dozens of village buildings sustained damage as a result of fallen trees, he said.
Rich
4:13 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
Does anyone know when the tress and debris on the curbs will be collected? Cut up limbs are everywhere and all I have heard about is leaf pickup? When does the town collect the storm debris? Before a snow storm I hope ?
Harlan Consider
7:14 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
There is no such pickup. You are responsible for having the tree debris removed. Sorry to be blunt.
Rich
7:51 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
Other towns are picking up storm debris ....why not here? Huge tree limbs are everywhere. When it snows, what happens? I don't have any tree limbs but drive around and see the piles all over. Town just ignores it? What about limbs from 'town' trees?
Harlan Consider
12:35 pm on Sunday, November 25, 2012
I don't work for the Village, but my guess is that for those trees that were on private property, which is the vast majority, it's the homeowners responsibility to remove them. If you have fallen tree debris from Village trees, I suggest a call to the Village Hall is in order. If other towns are doing clean up, I suspect it's trees belong to those towns.
Charles Walter
12:35 pm on Sunday, November 25, 2012
Branches and Brush
Branches and brush (3feet long by 2 1/2 inches in diameter) will be accepted everyday, including SATURDAY and SUNDAY, from 7am to 3pm, at the Recycling Center, 205 E. Glen Avenue (behind Fire Headquarters) or may be kept on your property until Yard Waste Collection resumes in the Spring.
Tree Clean Up
Non Village trees are the responsibility of the property owners. Village trees are typically between the sidewalk and curb or the equivalent. Property owners are required to clear all debris related to their trees themselves or via their landscaper. The Village is working diligently to clean up debris from Village designated trees.
J.D. Luke
9:14 am on Thursday, November 29, 2012
Ah, excellent. So all I have to do is make a couple of dozen trips with my Volvo's trunk full of the branches that fell from my neighbor's yard onto mine. I assume the recycling center has vacuum cleaners available?
OK, I exaggerate. I can probably make it in a dozen trips by using the station wagon instead. But seriously, those of us who don't have landscapers or pickup trucks are in a rather annoying position.