Sandy Cleanup: North Hempstead Spent Nearly $10M

Six months after Hurricane Sandy slammed Long Island, thecleanup process is still ongoing and its financial toll keeps rising like a flood of red ink, Town of North Hempstead officials confirmed this week.   
 
“For most people, the storm came and went,” Town Supervisor Jon Kaiman said. “People were without power and it took a toll on our community. But for local government, we’re dealing with this still and will continue to deal with this for years to come.”   

The numbers are staggering.   

North Hempstead spent $9,853,078.90 on Sandy debris, tree removal and associated labor costs through May 3, Town Deputy Commissioner and Press Secretary Justin Meyers said. Those totals include costs incurred by town departments and contractors.   

Nearly 50,000 tons of debris have been collected though the town’s solid waste facility with New Hyde Park, Port Washington and wooded areas around Old Westbury accounting for much of the waste, Meyers said.   

“In the context of storms and emergencies, this was something overwhelming,” Kaiman said. “The effort and cost were as demanding as we’ve ever experienced.”

While the Town hopes to recoup much of its cleanup costs through disaster aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, North Hempstead has not yet received any money from FEMA and may not see reimbursement until 2014, the Town said.

Kaiman expects to get 70-90 percent of the money back. The Town has bonded the cleanup costs in the short term at favorable rates, thanks to North Hempstead’s high bond rating, Kaiman said.   

“Otherwise [the storm’s cost] would be crushing,” the supervisor said.

Five vendors have been used for cleanup, the largest contract going to Kings Park-based Colgan Tree & Landscape Service Inc., according to the Town.

One way North Hempstead has fought to keep costs in check: Its internal auditing and control division, which was set up seven years ago. In the days before Sandy struck, Town officials met and the audit and control division made a crucial decision.   

“It’s one of the best things I ever did,” Kaiman said of setting up the internal audit process. “And for precisely this reason. As the storm approached, our comptroller’s office said 'We’re creating a code just for [Sandy cleanup].' So we have everything documented specifically to Sandy. And we also appreciated that everything would be audited. We actually differentiated between Sandy and [Winter Storm] Nemo, which came 10 days later. We were very thorough with our contractors and believe they are performing in a way that’s accountable and responsible.”   

But Sandy’s costs go beyond clearing trees. Strong tropical systems have struck Long Island two years running, forcing North Hempstead officials and other local governments to be forward-thinking about the next superstorm.   

Kaiman said that includes looking at better protecting buildings, coastlines and flood mitigation for future Sandys.   

Said Kaiman: “This is a game-changer in terms of how we operate and will operate in years to come.”