Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi of Utica and Assemblywoman Donna A. Lupardo of Binghamton say they are asking Governor Andrew Cuomo to provide supplemental assistance to communities and human service agencies in the Mohawk Valley and Southern Tier to help cover costs associated with Winter Storm Stella. “This week’s historic blizzard provided many challenges to communities and volunteer organizations, including snow removal; the towing of cars blocking public streets and highways; damage to infrastructure, and housing and feeding people in need of shelter. Governor Cuomo and his staff have provided excellent outreach this week to people affected by this blizzard, and I confident he will provide assistance for municipalities and agencies for costs associated with Winter Storm Stella,” Brindisi said. “This storm was unprecedented, with snow accumulating at a record pace. Our community is, unfortunately, accustomed to dealing with extreme weather, which gives us an advantage when responding to these storms. However, the equipment, supplies, and manpower needed is costly. With the State’s help, we can make sure our municipalities’ budgets aren’t overburdened,” Lupardo said. The text of Brindisi and Lupardo’s letter to Governor Cuomo is below. Dear Governor Cuomo: We are respectfully requesting that you consider providing supplemental assistance to help local governments, families and individuals, and certain nonprofit organizations in the Mohawk Valley and Southern Tier to cover the costs associated with the extraordinary blizzard that hit the region this week. The National Weather Service now says the storm is historic in nature. Snowfall totals in Utica reached 33 inches Wednesday morning. Binghamton recorded 31 inches with neighboring Endwell receiving 36 inches. Communities south of Utica like Brookfield and Bridgewater received over 40 inches of snow. In making this request, we would ask you to evaluate costs incurred from this storm by municipalities for overtime for snow removal; costs associated with towing stranded cars to open public roadways; any additional expenses incurred due to the storm, including damage to municipal buildings or infrastructure because of excessive snowfall; and costs associated with post-storm clean-up. In addition, any additional costs for volunteer assistance that agencies provided feeding and housing people during the storm should be evaluated and included. We appreciate the support and outreach you and your staff have provided to the public this week, including sending New York National Guard personnel to the Mohawk Valley and Southern Tier to help residents impacted by this storm. Your quick response is helping make the recovery from this major winter storm a much easier process. If you have any questions or need assistance preparing this request, please feel free to call us. Sincerely, Anthony Brindisi
Member of Assembly Donna A. Lupardo
Member of Assembly