Town receives $15 million from FEMA
by JESSICA L. FINCH Associate Editor

Highway Superintendent Bob Anderson watches as half a million cubic yards of debris is dumped at the Town of Amherst's compost facility on Smith Road. The amount is what has been collected in the town since May 21. Photo by Joe Eberle Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

Nine months after the October storm, the topic remains on the front burner for the Town of Amherst.

While cleanup continues, Supervisor Satish Mohan announced funding has come in to help. Last week the town received a check for $15.6 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the expense of the storm

Mohan said he estimates the total cost will be more than $22 million. Prior to the recent check the town had received $514,000 from FEMA.

"Now what remains is the felling of the trees," Mohan said, estimating that will cost $3.1 million.

At Monday's work session, Highway Superintendent Bob Anderson told the Town Board that the sweep that had been ongoing since May 21 will be finishing up on town roads. A sweep will now encompass county and state roads.

"We are going on complaints now. The average for the spring pick up is usually one month and we are close to that ," Anderson said.

The Highway Department is looking to complete the debris cleanup and move forward with other projects, which includes how to handle the 9,500 trees marked for removal by an Erie County arborist.

A total of 11,000 trees on town property were marked as damaged following the storm. Of that total, 9,500 have been recommended to be cut down.

Anderson said there are 2,000 that should be taken down in the next two weeks.

"It is felt those 2,000 are high priority, dangerous trees," he said. "Those are a pure safety problem and must be taken down."

Residents have voiced concern about trees near their property, not wanting them to be removed prematurely. Anderson said although the trees may be growing leaves now that doesn't mean they will live.

With a certain amount of crown damage trees can't be sustained and will die a few years from now.

Mohan said he recommends the town write to FEMA, asking for an extension of six months to a year to see if the trees will last. Currently, FEMA will pay for storm damage costs only through Oct. 13 of this year.

Council Member Bill Kindel suggested bonding money and letting nature take its course. Then should the trees not survive, that money would be used to cut them down.

A final plan was not announced, nor was a funding source for the stumps that will have to be ground at a cost to the town.