Voters Approve Spending $1 Million To Clean Up Storm Debris

Voters at a Windsor Locks town meeting Tuesday, approved spending up to $1 million to remove debris caused by the October 29 storm.

This follows a November 15 joint meeting, where the boards of finance and selectmen decided to recommend a proposal 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 monitoring firm that watches over the collection and disposal of the debris, officials said. The clean up by Ash Britt will take about four weeks.

As of November 15, public works crews and residents had brought an estimated 24,000 cubic yards of debris to the town leaf area. Officials said the storm created about 63,000 cubic yards of debris.

If the cost of the cleanup exceeds $1 million, First Selectman Steven N. Wawruck Jr. has approval of the board of selectmen to seek permission for an additional funds from the board of finance.  When asked by a member of the audience if this would result in a tax increase, Wawruck said during the past few years the town has returned $2.7 million from at end of the fiscal year.

The voters also approved $20,000 to hire legal counsel to represent the town in bankruptcy proceedings in New York state for the Montgomery Mills Property located at 25 Canal Bank Road. The property had been scheduled for sale through a tax foreclosure auction in September until the owners sought bankruptcy protection.