RAPID REPAIRS DRAWS
PRAISE FROM BROAD CHANNEL – COMMUNITY THANKS MAYOR, ADMINISTRATION FOR GREAT
SUCCESS
Despite former rumblings throughout the
storm ravaged communities touched by Hurricane Sandy concerning the effectivity
of the Rapid Repair program, last week to praise Mayor Michael Bloomberg and
his administration for the very same program.
Bloomberg was joined
on Friday morning at the American Legion Hall on Cross Bay Boulevard by Deputy
Mayor for Operations Cas Holloway, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Housing
Recovery Operations Brad Gair, Director of Rapid Repairs Kathryn Mallon and FEMA
Federal Coordinating Officer Michael Byrne, to announce what added up to be a
significant mark of contributions by the city in the post Sandy cleanup and
restoration effort. Also joining Bloomberg were Congressman Gregory Meeks,
Council Members Eric Ulrich and Donovan Richards and residents whose homes were
repaired by the NYC Rapid Repairs program.
A
first of it’s kind program in this city or any other, Rapid Repairs was
instituted in the immediate aftermath of the storm in order to provide free
repairs to thousands of homeowners left without heat, power and hot water
following the storm.
In
tallying its results Mayor Bloomberg was pleased to report that work had been
completed on 99% of homes and had helped more than 90,000
families—approximately 54,000 people—to return to their homes following the
devastation they suffered.
The
basic operating premise of the program was that the city hired contractors and
construction workers to make emergency repairs to residential properties
affected by the Hurricane.
With
the completion of all scheduled repairs on the immediate horizon, the city
intends to continue to offer guidance to homeowners through NYC Rapid Repairs
After-Care.
In
addition, the Mayor detailed the City’s plans
for
a $1.77 billion in Federal aid to help residents as well as business in their
recovery efforts.
He
went on to announce that the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City is
dedicating $10 million in private donations to assist one- and two-family homes
in need of minor-to-moderate, non-structural repairs.
“In
the four months since it launched, Rapid Repairs has restored essential
services to more than 20,000 residences, allowing nearly 54,000 New Yorkers
return to their homes where real recovery can begin,” said Mayor Bloomberg.
“It’s a new model for disaster recovery that we proved can work, and I want to
thank FEMA Director Craig Fugate, FEMA Coordinating Officer Mike Byrne and the
entire team at FEMA who worked with us to make it happen. We still have a lot
of work ahead of us to help the families and businesses impacted by Sandy
The
mayor offered the floor to several Broad Channel residents who were eager to
share individual stories and to express their gratitude for all the help
offered by Rapid Repairs.
Broad
Channel Civic Association president Dan Mundy Jr. was the first resident to
offer testimony.
“I’d
like to thank the mayor,” Mundy began. “Rapid Repairs was extremely successful
here in Broad Channel. Close to 450 families got back into their homes through
the program.” And Mundy pointed out the magnitude of the accomplishment due to
the fact that Broad Channel was an island with no natural gas. “That made the
situation even more complicated and much worse,” said Mundy. “But they worked
it out and at the same time they addressed the needs of the handicapped and those
folks suffering with cancer as a priority.”
Up
to follow was life-long resident Robert Keith, who painted a clear picture of
both devastation and subsequent relief. “Tuesday morning when I got up, I had 6
feet of water in my house. The boiler went under, the electrical panels were
under. I had no heat , no running water, no light, ” Keith said. “I slept in my
car to keep warm and showered in the volunteer fire department. Then Rapid
Repair came in like army ants and locusts,” after being forced to pause in
response to a burst of laughter over his description, Keith continued. “They
visited and surveyed every home in the channel . They started early in the
morning and they worked through the night. When all was said and done, I had
heat, hot water and electric. I couldn’t be more thankful.”
His
sentiments were echoed by other residents one of whom, Robert Eckert, offered
thanks to everyone but was diligent in singling out one person in
particular—Rapid Repairs Director, Kathryn Mallon.
Eckert
offered to take off his hat to “the small woman who filled some very big shoes.
She did an absolutely fantastic job,” he said. But her boss could not resist
the opportunity to offer up a joke—turning to face Mallon the mayor said,
“that’s so nice to hear, but you’re not getting a raise. Now get back to work.”
Although
satisfaction was the prevalent theme of the morning among those present, well
known Broad Channel activist and long time resident Ed O’Hare raised a question
that appears to be what some see as a lurking demon on the horizon—the newly
assigned flood zone designations and the potential schemes for raising of
homes.
But
for now questions surrounding the designations and the guidelines and future of
the national Flood Insurance Program remain not only unanswered but that which
is a matter of great concern.
By Patricia Adams
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