Report: FEMA Reimburses County for Sandy Costs

An Essex County freeholder said the county received the first federal government check to reimburse it for Superstorm Sandy costs, according to a Montclair Times report Friday.

Freeholder Brendan Gill, who represents Montclair, said the county has received notice of a $1.5-million payment coming from Washington, D.C.

 "It's a big win for the county," Gill told the paper. "It's the first step with what will be a series (of payments)."

The $1.5 million will be used to reimburse the county for costs in the wake of Sandy, which struck the area in late October and early November last year, Essex County Administrator Ralph J. Ciallella said. Those expenditures include the removal of debris from county parks and roads, repairs to county buildings and grounds and overtime costs for personnel such as in the Essex County Sheriff's Department.

FEMA typically pays out 75 percent of the costs absorbed by a county or municipality.