FEMA Awards $4M to MassDOT for Winter Storm Costs

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BOSTON — The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending more than $4 million to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to reimburse the Massachusetts Department of Transportation for some of the costs of plowing and sanding roads after Winter Storm Kenan in January 2022.
 
MassDOT will receive a total of $4,041,370 in federal funding through FEMA's Public Assistance grant program to reimburse it for the costs of snow plowing and sanding roads after the January 28-29 "bomb cyclone" produced blizzard conditions in some parts of New England.
 
Kenan caused record or near record snowfall in four counties in Massachusetts. This created an immediate threat to the health and safety of the public and improved property, requiring emergency response and protective measures.
 
The grant will reimburse MassDOT for 6,961 overtime hours worked by roughly 660 employees and for contracting for plowing services between Friday, Jan. 28 and Sunday, Jan. 30, during which time some 2,800 pieces of equipment were deployed statewide.
 
President Joe Biden's disaster declaration made federal funding available to commonwealth, tribal and eligible local governments, and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of damaged facilities in Bristol, Norfolk, Plymouth and Suffolk counties, and for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.
 
FEMA has awarded more than $23 million in Public Assistance grants to state and local governments for the disaster to date.
 
"FEMA is pleased to be able to reimburse MassDOT for the costs incurred recovering from Winter Storm Kenan," said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. "Re-opening highways for public safety vehicles required extraordinary measures deserving of federal assistance."
 
FEMA's Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for states and communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency.
 

Tags: FEMA,   snow removal,   

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Historic Wahconah Park Grandstand Almost Leveled

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — If you want to catch a last glimpse of the remaining Wahconah Park grandstand, you need to hurry.  

The historic grandstand is currently being demolished, with only a couple of the major structures remaining. Pittsfield is also working on what comes next for the park, and how baseball will return next year. 

Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath said if people want to see the last of the structure, they should head down by the end of this week because "by Thursday or Friday it probably will entirely be down."

"It's moving quickly now that they're into the active demo phase," he told the Parks Commission on Tuesday. 

"…Certainly, I think by the end of September we'll see cleanup and, if you will, the big hole where the stadium sat. That all will be filled to grade." 

The more than 75-year-old structure was deemed unsafe in 2022, and planners determined that starting from square one is the best option.

On Sept. 3, the Conservation Commission issued 36 orders of conditions for the reconstruction of the ballpark. 

Conservation Agent Shannon Poulin pointed out that the application has gone through many revisions; reconstruction cannot begin until a certificate of compliance for the demolition is issued. 

The project crew will have an on-site meeting on Friday morning and consider two avenues of revitalization: The funding, last estimated around $15 million, and a financial strategy coming together through the mayor so that Pittsfield can move into an active build next year, or a longer process where the field is utilized before a new grandstand is built. 

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