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Candidate Question 6

With Super Storm Sandy, Many homeowners found themselves confused and shocked at the damage:  What changes would you make on the communication and implementation of processes dealing with the aftermath within your respected departments?

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DOMINO: Immediately after Super-Storm Sandy the Trustees met with Town Council members and the Town Attorney (see attached document labeled Southold Trustee Response to Super Storm Sandy), in an attempt to streamline communications and permit processes.  This led to the successful processing of over 600 applications by the Trustee office in the months following the disaster.

 

 

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GHOSIO: Part of the problem after Sandy was people not knowing the process needed to begin restoration. A good many folks didn’t even know they needed a permit to do work and thus found themselves in violation by trying to expedite repairs. Now that being said, it should be noted that while a Town Trustee and with the help of the other Trustees, I have written some and had published a series of newspaper ads to help publicize what homeowners need to know concerning permits for work in the wetlands. Obviously, this isn’t enough. I would like to develop an informational letter that is given to a new water front homeowner and signed at closing, that describes their responsibilities in the event they need permits to do restoration or repairs on their property within Trustee jurisdiction. Also included would be all the contact information and website links to our website for forms, applications and code resources. My hope is that this information would eliminate some of the confusion and help people to better understand what they need to do in the event of storm damage.[divider_1]

SANDERS: I would work to develop a simple to follow flowchart on what steps a homeowner would need to take regarding: -Dock Permit Process for New Dock, Replacement or Repair

 

 

 

 

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BREDEMEYER: As a consequence of “Sandy”, in the last 9 months the Trustees have inspected and written permits on over six miles of coastline, performing over 800 inspections. It was a difficult time for all, especially the three of us who had to forego repairs to our own waterfront properties to keep up with the workload.

We need to codify specific post storm procedures, especially as they relate to fee forgiveness, compliance inspections and pre-existing marine structures.

 

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WELLS: Ensure that the Emergency Preparedness Plan includes the immediate determination and communication of how and where the public can access all information to assist them in getting back to normal in compliance with town codes. Compile an easily accessible, step-by-step chart with contact information that explains how to contact, and in what sequence the various agencies should be contacted. Manage the expectations of the public by regular reporting (in all media available at the time) of the case load and progress to date. Keep the chart and information constantly updated as the situation changes.

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DINIZIO: The town board is currently examining some problems with the fuel capacity for Town vehicles and the lack of generators at our emergency shelters as a response to Storm Sandy. I believe it is the responsibility of the individual property owners to become educated, in advance, with the services that are available from all of the relevant government agencies. Southold Town’s website www.southoldtownny.gov is a good resource for information pertaining to Emergency Preparedness.

 

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EISENSTEIN: Events such as this are necessarily quite complicated and shocking and cause a lot of confusion. Therefore it is imperative that the Disaster Recovery Plan that the has be extremely clear in the communication and determination of how the public can access all of the information necessary to allow them to achieve some sense of normalcy. The Town’s cable channel should be operating as quickly as possible with clear information , posting the disaster recovery plan,  including phone numbers, locations of  personnel to assist with help, food and shelter  as necessary. The media should be informed and provide up to date information as to the progress of recovery efforts. There should be emergency information centers set up in each of the towns to provide all necessary information. Much of the confusion during these emergencies can be avoided by providing clear and up to date information.[divider_1]

ROTHMAN: Not having a firsthand experience with the aftermath of this natural disaster I can’t say what Southold Town did or did not do.  I can say in any situation like this the most important thing is communication. You need a central source for information, answering questions and a streamlined process that gets results and satisfaction.  It is most import to be able supply the right answers, to act quickly, and make it so the public, affected by a disaster of this nature can get their problems solved in a timely fashion.

 

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FINORA: The town did a good job during Hurricane Sandy. My suggestions would be to work harder to increase communication among residents, adding to the list of agencies that can help them during and after such a crisis.

 

 

 

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FUNKE: Did not respond

About "Janet Deluca"

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