Picente Announces More Than $600,000 Paid for Flood Clean-Up

Oneida County Has Assisted a Dozen Municipalities’ Efforts to Recover From Last Summer’s Flooding

Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. announced today that the county has paid more than $600,000 to a dozen municipalities to assist in their clean-up efforts from the flooding event of July 2017.

“When tragedy struck last summer, our local emergency crews and governments sprung to action to ensure that our residents were safe and life could get back to normal as quickly as possible,” Picente said. “I wanted to do everything in my power to assist that process, and was happy to make $2.75 million available to ease the burden of our residents, businesses and municipalities as they recovered from the damage inflicted by devastating flood waters and to devise plans to prevent further occurrences. I am happy to see that, along with the Board of Legislators, we were able to help so many municipalities in their clean-up efforts and to actually go above and beyond what was originally pledged.”

Last summer, Picente announced he was allocating $500,000 at a 50/50 match to assist with the municipal clean-up efforts connected with the devastating flood damage that struck the community the first week of July. He also set $2 million aside for municipal flood mitigation plans and $250,000 that has since been distributed through the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties to aid individuals and businesses in their recoveries.

The total money paid for municipal clean-up now stands at $608,674.74, after the Board of Legislators approved a transfer of an additional $108,674.74 at its meeting last month.

The county funding was used by municipalities for things such as clearing debris from roadways and stormwater conveyances, blacktopping and fixing damaged pipes.

"As we continue to experience more extreme weather events, and unfortunately, the devastating destruction that often results, small communities, like Whitestown, are faced with a tremendous burden that is difficult to address alone,” said Whitestown Town Supervisor Shaun Kaleta. “Oneida County and County Executive Picente understand our needs and challenges, and have committed much-welcomed resources and assistance. The funds allocated to municipalities across the county to assist with flood clean-up - particularly the July 1, 2017 storm - have been helpful. Oneida County's and County Executive Picente's proactive approach to flood mitigation is also very beneficial - and the right strategy. Oneida County continues to be great partner in the Town of Whitestown's Sauquoit Creek Channel and Floodplain Restoration Project, ensuring actual flood resiliency projects, that will pay big dividends well into the future, become a reality."

The breakdown of the funding is as follows: