By Paul Tuthill
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Ludlow, MA – Cities and towns in western Massachusetts will be able to apply soon for federal funds to help cover some of the high costs of last winter's numerous snow storms. WAMC's Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports
State legislators say tens of millions of dollars could be available to help municipalities in more than half the state's counties pay bills for plowing, sanding and salting streets and hauling away mounds of snow this past winter. Federal disaster aid was approved earlier this year for six counties, including Hampshire and Berkshire Counties , and now State Senator Gale Candaras of Wilbraham says the most populous county in western Massachusetts has been added to the list.
Officials with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency said counties could qualify for financial help if there was a record, or near record snowfall during the major storm that hit the region on January 11 and 12. It dumped two feet of snow on most places.
After Hampden county was initially ruled ineligible for the disaster declaration, local legislators and mayors urged a second look at the local snow fall totals, which Senator Candaras said contained errors and omissions..
State Representative Thomas Petroloti of Ludlow said the state legislative delegation and the state's congressional delegation made a compelling case to Governor Deval Patrick to petition the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the local disaster declaration..
The announcement about the federal funding was made Monday in the town of Ludlow. The operations supervisor for the town's department of public works, Ken Batista said nearly all the 165 thousand dollars that had been budgeted for snow removal was spent during just the January 11 and 12th storm, and by the end of the winter, the town had spent 500 thousand dollars.
The city of Springfield spent a record six point one million dollars to clean up from last winter's snow storms.
Senator Candaras said the federal funds will help ease the strain on tightly stretched municipal budgets..
Officials say the federal government will approve 75 percent reimbursement for eligible snow removal expenses. The federal disasters aid applies only to municipalities and not to homeowners or businesses.