The Mineola Department of Public Works was set to meet with representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Monday afternoon to begin assessing costs from the recent storms it can apply to recover.
At last Wednesday night’s village board meeting, Thomas Rini, superintendent of the Mineola Department of Public Works, told village board members that he would be presenting project work sheets for tree removal and projected sidewalk repair costs to FEMA representatives at that meeting in Village Hall.
“We’ll start working up all of our costs,” Rini said.
Rini said the cost of the concrete repairs caused by uprooted trees initially would be covered by the village.
Rini said 450 trees either fell or were damaged by Hurricane Sandy and the nor’easter storm that followed it.
As of last week, he said, 25 trees remained to be removed. Of the 200 trees claimed by the hurricane and 150 trees he attributed to the Nor’easter, 70 fell on houses, uprooting sidewalks and damaging curbs and streets that await repair.
“As a result of uprooted trees, we had approximately 70 locations of uprooted curbs, sidewalks and roadways,” Rini said.
High winds during the hurricane raised a section of the village garage roof and tossed half of the solar panels mounted there off, Rini said. A large tree also destroyed part of a fence at the tennis courts in Mineola Memorial Park.
From the day the hurricane struck, Mineola’s DPW crews worked 26 of the ensuing 28 days, according to Rini. He said emergency contractors also assisted, including two crane and debris removal crews. Between six and 10 tractor trailers were moving through the village to haul material away daily.
“Quite frankly,we were in very good shape the morning of the nor’easter. We had removed everything from the houses and the streets,” Rini said.
But then the nor’easter blew in with nine inches of snow with an impact Rini called “hair-raising.”
More trees were uprooted, hitting more houses and knocking power out in some areas, and throwing the DPW back into emergency mode, he said.
“Our staff worked extremely hard, diligently,” he added.
The DPW has hauled the concrete debris away and is now starting on the repair work, he said, adding that he hoped to cover most or all the cost from FEMA.
“I can’t replace every sidewalk, or curb or driveway, but if we were able to justify it we did,” Rini said.
He said he planned to apply to recover from FEMA any costs that cannot be recouped under the village’s insurance coverage – including deductibles.
Strauss asked for all residents in need of concrete repairs to be patient.
In addition to concrete repairs, Rini said there are 380 tree stumps to be removed throughout the village. He said all of the trees lost to the storms will be replaced.
“Preliminarily, the plan is replace 450 trees next year,” Rini said.
Those trees will include Chanticleer Pear trees and Queen Elizabeth hedge maples specifically approved by the Long Island Power Authority as being suitable for planting around power lines, he said.
In other developments:
• The village board awarded a $1.2 million contract to Roadwork Ahead for the village’s portion of the flood remediation project in the Bruce Terrace area. Work on the village’s part of the project is expected to being in late spring or early summer. The Village of Mineola received $800,000 of a $2.4 million state grant for the project, which also involves the county and the Town of North Hempstead doing flood relief work on the border of Mineola and Carle Place.
• The village board approved having debris loading and hauling services done by New York Dirt Contracting Corp. in Mineola.
• village of Mineola Mayor Scott Strauss said he would again be scheduling informal community forums with residents in different sections of the village next year as he did this year.
• The Mineola Fire Department is planning its annual Operation Santa. Any residents who want Santa Claus to visit their homes are asked to call 516-746-6583 to schedule a date and time.
• Strass asked village residents to remove their cars from roads when two inches or more snow is forecast to assist the DPW in clearing roadways. He said summonses will be issued for cars left parked in the streets during snow emergencies.
• Village Trustee Paul Cusato reminded residents that the annual Toy for Tots drive is underway, with donations being collected in Mineola Village Hall.
