| One day after touring the damage
left by this weekend’s major rain and wind storm, State
Senator David J. Cappiello, R-Danbury, today called for the
immediate deposit of $100 million of state surplus money into
Connecticut’s Emergency Relief Account. The storm, which
caused major flooding and power outages throughout the northeast,
has resulted in damages estimated to be in the millions in
Connecticut. Sen. Cappiello believes that emergency state
funding should be available to assist local communities with
the cleanup. “The damage
left in this storm’s wake is extensive,” said
Sen. Cappiello following a tour with Gov. M. Jodi Rell of
the Jensen Mobile Home Park in Danbury. The community, hit
hard by the storm, had extensive flood damage that knocked
out electricity and residents had to be put up in hotels.
“This community, along with I’m sure dozens
of other communities from around the state need assistance
immediately.”
Sen. Cappiello said that the state does
have a local emergency relief account but it is currently
not funded. Sec. 7-520 of the Connecticut State Statutes,
establishes a local emergency relief account within the
General Fund. The account would provide grants to municipalities
considered to be an unusual and serious condition endangering
public health and welfare and requiring the immediate expenditure
of public funds by a particular municipality or municipalities.
“Our most important responsibility
as a state government is to protect the safety and well
being of the public,” said Sen. Cappiello. “The
Emergency Relief Account was set up for situations just
like what occurred this past weekend. We currently have
a budget surplus of approximately $700 million. To move
$100 million into this account for emergency disaster relief
is one of the most responsible steps we can take.”
According to Sen. Cappiello, outside
of this program a town or the state would have to apply
to FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) for emergency
aid or low interest loans. “Under this account municipalities
would not have to wait for the federal funding to kick in,
and if for some reason federal funding was denied this money
would be available.”
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