It’s been almost seven years since Tropical Storm Irene swept through Buckland, Colrain and Hawley, leaving behind hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of flood damage.
But these three towns will get their full state reimbursement for storm-related work, thanks to a supplemental budget bill signed this week by Gov. Charlie Baker.
On Tuesday, state Sen. Adam G. Hinds, D-Pittsfield, state Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington and Rep. Paul Mark, D-Peru, announced the three towns will be getting a combined $895,976 for storm repair reimbursements in the supplemental budget for the fiscal year that ends this June.
The storm swept through Western Massachusetts on Aug. 28, 2011, tearing up roads and bridges, leaving residents without utilities or running water.
After the storm, former Gov. Deval Patrick secured a Major Disaster Declaration for the state, with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to reimburse towns for 75 percent of all approved repair costs. The state was also to give the towns reimbursement for the remaining 25 percent of the approved repairs. But the Federal Emergency Management Agency did not approve all these towns’ damage costs before state money for Irene ran out — leaving the hilltowns with a seven-year wait.
Most legislators serving the hilltowns have been trying to get the reimbursement money ever since.
For Buckland, the reimbursement totals $520,895, which will be used to pay back a loan that was taken out for cleaning up debris and repairing roads and infrastructure. Colrain’s share is $258,000 and Hawley’s portion is $117,000.
“This is huge — because this is a debt that we owe,” said Buckland Selectboard Chairwoman Dena Willmore. “And we have been paying it off in chunks. This will allow us to completely pay off the debt — and we can put into our Stabilization Funds the money we used (from Stabilization) to pay down the debt.
“It was stressful fiscally and emotionally, having this huge debt,” she added.
“It’s good news,” said Colrain Town Coordinator Kevin Fox, who is also a Buckland selectman. “We’re very appreciative of Rep. Mark’s office, which has been in contact for seven years now. We’d like to thank him for that.”
“It will be nice to have it,” said Hawley Financial Administrator Virginia Gabert. Gabert said the town was able to pay off its loan, but there are still road projects and storm repairs to be done and this money will help.
“This money will have a big impact on the municipal budgets in Buckland, Colrain and Hawley,” said Hinds.
“This much-needed funding has been a long time coming,” said Mark, “and I want to thank my colleagues and town officials for hanging in there and never giving up fighting for it.”
“Tropical Storm Irene was devastating to the region, and the impact from that storm lingers on today,” said Mark.
Kulik, vice chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, thanked town officials “for their continued advocacy” and who “provided us with the documentation needed to move this funding through the Legislature.”