The economic toll of Superstorm Sandy is coming into focus for Byram and the town of Greenwich, which estimates it will cost $2.5 million to $3.5 million to repair the damage to its public beaches and marinas alone.
The town is paying Roberge Associates Coastal Engineers LLC of Stratford $12,000 to assess the storm damage at Greenwich Point Park, Island Beach and the municipal marina in Byram.
The so-called jewels of Greenwich's park system sustained widespread beach erosion, mangled docks and tree damage during the Oct. 29 storm.
The marine consultant, which has done prior work for the town, is expected to release its report early next week on the damage.
The goal for me would be to use this report to not only present to the towns insurance company, but to also present it to FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency)."
Connecticut's wealthiest municipality is also expected to put in a $1 million claim for town-owned trees lost during the storm.
The town hopes to recover $800,000 of the $1 million from insurance, with FEMA covering a $200,000 deductible.
By comparison, the town received $244,000 for tree damage during a March 2010 nor'easter, when the values of individual trees were capped at $2,500 for insurance purposes.
Comprehensive overtime totals for the public sector employees who were part of the response to the storm and the ensuing recovery were not yet available from Peter Mynarski Jr., the town comptroller.
Town officials characterized the claims process as lengthy and complex, noting that Greenwich is just now being reimbursed for damages sustained during a freak October snowstorm in 2011.
The first town department to publicly report its overtime from Superstorm Sandy was parks, which parks director Joseph Siciliano said accrued $103,061 through Dec. 7, spanning the state of emergency to the ongoing recovery.
The parks department spent an additional $240,273 to cover costs such as equipment rental, outsourcing of tree work and a small road repaving project at Greenwich Point that were all storm-related,
During the 11-day state of emergency, which was lifted Nov. 9, the town incurred approximately $155,000 in police overtime.
Fire Chief Peter Siecienski has that overtime costs for his department and equipment damage will be around $200,000.
That figure does not include $40,000 it will take to repair a rescue vehicle based at the Sound Beach fire station, which was damaged by a fallen tree limb.
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