8 The Courier sun • MARCH 7, 2013 for breaking news visit www.couriersun.com s sandy aftermath PAYCHECK MESS Some DSNY workers shorted after Sandy audit Deadlines extended for FEMA grants, small biz loans BY CRISTABELLE TUMOLA [email protected] The deadlines for two government programs to help Sandy survivors in New York State have been extended until March 29. Anyone living in New York City and Long Island or the counties of Westchester, Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Sullivan who suffered losses from the storm, including rent, essential home repairs and personal property losses may be eligible for grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Even if a person has insurance, they should register with FEMA by the deadline in case they later find out their losses are not fully covered. Businesses can also register with the Small Business Administration (SBA) for low-interest disaster loans. Homeowners that apply may be eligible for up to $200,000 to repair damage or replace their primary residence, and renters can receive up to $40,000 for replacement of personal property. Additionally, businesses and private nonprofits may be able to borrow up to $2 million for repairs and replacement of property. To register with FEMA, visit www.DisasterAssistance. gov or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. To apply for a SBA loan, visit https://DisasterLoan. SBA.gov/ELA. KAYAKS ON THE BAY National Parks Service and the Parks Department have rough plans for concession stands and kayak launching bays along Jamaica Bay, which would be a major boost to the hard-hit area. BY TERENCE M. CULLEN [email protected] Jamaica Bay has been many things. It was a fishing haven. It was the site of a deadly plane crash. And it was the catalyst for some of Sandy’s devastation. But soon, the bay might attract more tourism when the region needs it the most. Community Board 14 Chair Dolores Orr said the Parks Department had presented the board’s park committee with rough plans for kayak launching bays in Rockaway, along with concession stands throughout areas that are part of Gateway National Park. Orr said the community desperately needed the project even before Sandy, as it would bring more tourism and revenue to the area. THE COURIER/File Photo “We are very much in favor of that in Rockaway,” she said. “We have a very large kayaking community.” Kayaking has tapped into the water sports subculture in Rockaway. The New York Times last summer featured a story about kayaking trips in the bay. Access, however, has been restricted for many — especially after the storm cause extensive damage and pollution. Gateway recently re-opened two launchings at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, but a Queens opening could still be way off. Orr said the board had proposed a launching site at Beach 88th Street about a year-and-a-half ago, and that Parks had begun to look into it as a potential site. “Public access to Jamaica Bay was extremely limited prior to Sandy,” she said. “So after Sandy it’s even more significant.” BY CRISTABELLE TUMOLA [email protected] Last week, some of the city’s sanitation workers got a surprise in their paycheck — a deduction. In the chaos of Sandy’s aftermath, downed computers and closed garages caused payment errors for the Department of Sanitation (DSNY), according to Harry Nespoli, president of Local 831 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Uniformed Sanitationmen’s Association. Some workers were overpaid, while others received less than they earned, he said. After realizing the error and the involvement of the Federal Emergency Disaster Agency (FEMA) — which is reportedly giving the DSNY $26.3 million to cover Sandy-related overtime work — a review of payment records began. But before the audit was complete, the city started to make the adjustments in workers’ paychecks. They didn’t inform the union until the day those checks were given to some of the affected workers, Nespoli said. “When you are expecting $500, $600 and have $130 in this economy, there are bills that are not going to be paid,” he said. Nespoli said it was wrong to not inform workers of the pay changes, adding the union should have been involved in the audit from the beginning. The city told me “we always wait until the review is over with and then we contact the union,” said Nespoli. “It doesn’t make any sense,” he said. Once the union found out about the review, it made sure that no more money would be taken out or added to pay checks until the investigation was completed, and that it would be involved with the audit going forward. “The DSNY is continuing to discuss the results of the audit with the Sanitation Workers’ union in order to reconcile any differences,” said DSNY spokesperson Kathy Dawkins. Nespoli said he expects the audit to continue through the summer. FEMA/Photo by Andre R. Aragon Sandy chaos reached into the pockets of some DSNY workers, according to their union.
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