UPPER FREEHOLD: Town tallying Sandy’s damage for FEMA aid

By Jane Meggitt, Special Writer
   UPPER FREEHOLD — A month after Hurricane Sandy struck, township officials were still figuring out how much the storm has cost the municipality.
   Township Administrator Dianne Kelly said Monday she doesn’t have the total dollar figure yet and continues to collect information for Upper Freehold’s disaster assistance application to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
   ”We are spending a bit on labor to handle all of the brush that residents have been dropping off and have to cost it out for FEMA,” Ms. Kelly said.
   FEMA will reimburse municipalities for up to 75 percent of the cost of certain eligible disaster-related expenses, including debris removal, damage to public buildings and parks, and other emergency-related expenses.
   Upper Freehold’s list for FEMA so far includes fence damage and over 30 trees lost at the Mark Harbourt Soccer Complex. At Byron Johnson Recreation Area, the gazebo sustained roof and shingle damage while the baseball field had four poles damaged. Lights were damaged in the parking lot, and the park suffered tree loss.
   At the Department of Public Works (DPW) facility behind the municipal complex on Route 539, the large storage garage had roof damage while the salt storage building lost part of its wood trim. Damage at the municipal complex includes trees, walkway lighting and a gutter and downspout.
   The DPW’s new Ford F-250 pickup was also damaged during the Oct. 29 storm. According to a report filed by Public Works Manager Sal Fiorenzo, a large tree limb fell and hit the truck’s cab damaging the windshield, roof, hood, left fender, left side-view mirror and grill.
   Mr. Fiorenzo’s report says that the first aid squad had called to request DPW assistance removing a fallen tree blocking access to Route 524 during the storm. Mr. Fiorenzo said he then headed out after the call and, after several detours, was traveling on Burlington Path Road when John Punk, Monmouth County DPW District 7 supervisor, stopped him to discuss road conditions. It was then, around 9:10 p.m., that the tree limb fell. Mr. Fiorenzo was unhurt.
   Ms. Kelly said the truck is awaiting repairs, and that insurance will pay for all but the township’s $2,500 deductible.
   ”We will then include the $2,500 deductible cost in our application for FEMA money in the hope that we would receive 75 percent of that back from FEMA,” she said.