Council to Vote on Emergency Funds for Snowstorm

The Chatham Borough Council will vote on a resolution appropriating funds to help pay for the late October snowstorm.

The snowstorm fell less than two weeks before Election Day and almost precisely two months after Hurricane Irene. Bill Nauta, the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) coordinator for the borough, said the storm was "much worse" than the hurricane. More than 80 percent of the town was without power, including , and .

The OEM opened on Saturday, Oct. 29, when the snow started to fall and stayed open until midnight. Bob Venezia, the head of the borough's (DPW), said overtime and outside contractors were authorized after the to help pick up branches and trees which came down. Police overtime was also approved during the storm.

A resolution in the agenda for the regularly scheduled council meeting Monday night includes the following expenses:

A second appropriation of $101,304 is also stipulated in the budget.

The borough can appropriate up to 3 percent of the total operating budget for emergency money. According to the resolution, 3 percent of the 2011 budget is $306,487.

If the resolution is approved, the funds will be raised within the 2012 budget outside of the 2 percent tax cap.

The Chatham Borough Council meets at the at 7:30 p.m. Monday.