-STURBRIDGE-
By Jennifer Grybowski
Turley Publications Reporter
In an effort to answer questions, hear input about what people need and show the community they are there for them, the Board of Selectmen held a special community discussion June 8 for those affected by June 1 tornado damage.
Selectmen Chair Thomas Creamer said now that people are recovering, it is time to push forward.
“It really boils down to what we can do for each other because the government is ill-equipped to deal with something of this magnitude,” Creamer said. “We are looking at a minimum of six-month effort on our part. We are not going to forget you.”
Selectmen Priscilla Gimas urged people to reach out for help.
“The outreach of this community has been overwhelming,” Gimas said. “You need only to call us and we’ll help you.”
She also warned residents about the con artists that have been making their rounds. She encouraged residents to call Town Hall if they are not sure about someone, and to keep Town Hall posted if they do in fact find a con so that they can warn others.
The people of Willard Rd. in particular were worried about security. They said that traffic has dramatically increased on the road and that people are walking through their yards without asking, parking in their driveways, taking pictures and also taking wood and metal scraps.
Police Chief Thomas Ford said he has sent out extra patrols in the area already, but that residents should not hesitate to call if people are lurking in the neighborhoods. He also said he would try to work out a way to close affected roads off to general traffic, even if that means stationing a patrolman or CERT member at the end of the road. He urged anyone who does not live or is not volunteering in affected neighborhoods to stay away.
A majority of the residents at the meeting were from Willard Rd. and most of their questions centered around debris.
“What more are you doing at with the town dump,” asked Matthew Bell, of Willard Rd. “What can we bring down there without a large expense?”
Selectmen were slated to discuss a debris policy later in the evening.
“We’re going to do as much as we can for you,” Creamer said. “Some of this debris isn’t even yours. It would be disingenuous for us to charge you for it.”
Board of Health Chair Linda Cocalis told residents to just bring what they have to the dump.
“It would be better for Sturbridge if we just take the debris and figure out how to pay for it later,” she said. “We know the roads affected and we have the list of sanctioned volunteers.”
She said, however, that the dump is unequipped to take all the debris at once, so she asked people to space out their trips. Also, she said, if possible, debris should be separated into burnables and demolition. Selectmen also suggested that people move debris to within one foot of the street so that the town can come and pick it up in sections.
Streeter Rd. resident Jessica Cooper asked if residents could do some burning themselves, even though it is off season. Selectmen said the state sets those rules and that they are working to see if they can get a special permit to allow burning.
Selectmen also said residents should not hesitate to ask for help in moving debris. The Southern Baptist Convention, working through FEMA, is in town to help people for free.
“These are trained professionals and everyone is CORI checked,” Gimas said.
In addition, the town is asking anyone who would like to volunteer to register with Dr. Sue Waters and sign a waiver by calling 774-402-4387 and become a “sanctioned volunteer.” The reason for that is twofold: It protects volunteers and homeowners in the event that a volunteer is injured while volunteering and homeowners can be assured that the volunteers are genuine, and not saying they are a volunteer and then sending them a bill for the work done.
Some questions centered around the permitting processes. Conservation Agent Erin Jacque explained some of the emergency permitting that is available, and Town Administrator Shaun Suhoski reassured residents that they only need to call into Town Hall, where employees are eager to help them through the correct processes.
Other questions centered around tax relief. Principal Assessor William Mitchell explained that homes are physically assessed each July. He encouraged anyone with damage to report it to his office so that an assessment can be done.
“We will adjust the value of the home which will, in turn, lower your taxes,” Mitchell said.
He also encouraged people with damage to send insurance report to his office, so that they can reconcile their numbers with the adjuster’s numbers to get an accurate value.
People were also worried about communication. Many people are still without phone, cable or Internet, so they feel out of the loop. Creamer said for now, when information is present he and others will be going door-to-door in affected neighborhoods to get the word out. He also encouraged people to submit their cell phone numbers to the town so that they can receive mass text messages with information and weather warnings.
Over and over again throughout the meeting, residents in need of help were urged to call Creamer at 774-696-0903 or Gimas at 774-230-5572. For more information, visit the Tornado Response Center at www.town.sturbridge.ma.us/
