October Storm Clean Up Getting More Expensive

Windsor Locks officials are asking voters to approve spending up to another $400,000 to complete the clean up of debris from the October 29 snowstorm.

The board of selectmen voted to schedule a town meeting for 7:30 p.m. December 13. The board of finance held a special meeting Tuesday recommending the $400,000 be sent to town meeting.

First Selectman Steven N. Wawruck Jr. said Tuesday that the additional money is needed to remove about 15 trees and remove an additional 7,500 cubic yards of debris.

Public Works Director Scott Lappen said there are about 900 trees that had broken branches hanging from them. So far, branches have been removed from more than 300 of the trees.

Lappen said if the additional funds are approved, the crews would concentrate on the trees on the main roads, then take care of the other streets. The town is also again extending the time the leaf collection site is open for another week until  December 18.

If voters approve the additional $400,000, 75 percent would be reimbursable from FEMA, and the town would pay 25 percent or $100,000, Lappen said. The additional personnel costs for keeping the leaf collection open longer should also be eligible for FEMA reimbursement, he added.

Voters on November 22 approved spending $1 million to hire a state-approved contractor to remove an estimated 39,000 cubic yards of debris. 

Of  the estimated $1 million cost,  75 percent is reimbursable from FEMA and the remaining $250,000 will come from the town’s reserve funds, officials said. Part of the cost is for a monitoring firm that watches over the collection and disposal of the debris, officials said. The clean up by Ash Britt would take about four weeks.