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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. By John F. Bailey. July 18., 2013 UPDATED 5:40 P.M UPDATED 1:45 a.m. July 19, 2013 UPDATED 12:20 A.M., E.D.T. July 20, 2013
Governor Andrew Cuomo Thursday launched the New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program, an initiative designed by the State following the natural disasters over the past two years that the governor says “will empower localities to develop and implement recovery plans after the damage done by the devastating natural disasters to hit our state over the past two years,” the Governor said. He made the announcement with HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan.
The Governor’s Press Release may be read at
http://www.governor.ny.gov/press/07182013-ny-rising-communities
In the list of 102 communities named to receive aid in the release, there is no community from Westchester County listed. Robert P.Astorino, the Westchester County Executive is not quoted in the release among the 24 officials who appear.
The press release issued at 1:30 P.M. Thursday.
Inexplicably, Westchester County Communications personnel and an elected state representatives’ offices told WPCNR they were unaware of the release. Usually everyone who is anyone receives a Governor Andrew Cuomo News Release. The key personnel I talked to were dumbfounded when WPCNR called to ask those offices if it was true Westchester was not going to receive a Rising Grant
The Westchester County Department of Communications was unaware of the news release until WPCNR sent the Department a copy. At this time on Friday evening, the county AND its County Executive Robert P. Astorino has not made a statement on not one dollar from this program being awarded to a Westchester County Community.
The reason according to a legislative source speaking not for attribution, but familiar with the development of legislation: Westchester County did not suffer enough damage in proportion to its population
This is not to leave the impression the counties have not received any FEMA aid.
To date Westchester County, according to Congresswoman Nita Lowey Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland) July 2, “announced that local governments in Westchester and Rockland Counties have received $35,338,879 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance grants to help with the cost of their response to Sandy.”
Lowey wrote:”Communities in Rockland have received $8,927,889 in FEMA Public Assistance grants. Communities in Westchester County have received $26,410,990. Local governments continue to apply for funding, and additional grants are expected in the coming months.”
The Governor’s Albany Press Office said they would get back to WPCNR to confirm or to verify that Westchester County (no connection, perhaps, but the County is in dispute with the Department of Housing and Urban Development over the design and implementation of a friendly affordable housing zoning policy for alleged affordable housing deficient communities), would be receiving funds or would not.
So far the Governor’s Press Office has not gotten back to WPCNR. It is undetermined yet whether Westchester would receive such RISING COMMUNITIES funds down the road.
The Cuomo release today in no way explicitly indicates the county will (receive funds as part of this program).
A source, speaking on background said the program announced today though is not new, as the Governor’s press release treats it. It enhances the Community Reconstruction Zones program announced in April in a press release you can read at
http://www.governor.ny.gov/press/04262013cuomo-reconstruction-federal-disaster-aid
The Governor’s New York Rising Communities is an official confirmation or approval, if you will of aid amounts requested in the Community Reconstruction Zones April press release. The release from the Governor in April announced the block grants 102 communities were applying for at the time after Federal Supplemental Aid was signed into law by the President this year. Amounts the Governor’s press release announced today were consistent with the funds asked for in the April press release, the source explained.
Asked why Westchester did not get any aid, my contact said FEMA decided on the amounts based on a population proportionate to damage formula…. community by community.This is the reason why Westchester,Putnam, and Rockland got no new funds.(yet, anyway)–not enough damage in proportion to the population…
WPCNR will advise as to whether there is any clarification that Westchester will be receiving storm recovery aid, as they had been promised several weeks ago and that the housing dispute would not affect it.
WPCNR also asked the state and the County Department of Communications if Westchester had advised the state or the state has decided Westchester had tidied up the county damage sufficiently with previous aid so as to not need any of this new aid.
Neither has commented.