8 The Courier sun • april 18, 2013 for breaking news visit www.couriersun.com sandy aftermath SIX MONTHS LATER, TALES OF DESTRUCTION AND WOE BY ROSA KIM editorial@queenscourier.com Gina Borrello used to live in a one-story home in Hamilton Beach. But since Sandy hit almost six months ago and submerged s her house underwater, it has been infested with toxic mold, leaving her and her six children displaced. “I need help,” she said. Her daughter, Donna Sirota, spoke about how they have been getting by. “First we were staying at family friends’ houses but their landlords would complain because they don’t want people in their house. The electric bill goes up, the water bill goes up. Now we’re getting an apartment. We have to pay for the apartment and we have to pay for the mortgage, still. It’s really crazy.” At a recent town hall meeting hosted by FEMA and State Senator Joseph Addabbo, members of the community voiced frustration and anger at the agency’s recently-released flood maps, which would require home owners to purchase flood insurance that would cost each household anywhere from $10,000 to $31,000 in addition to their existing mortgages and home insurance premiums, depending on their zoning. “The problem is that you’re changing the rules in the middle of the game,” said Dan Mundy, president of the Broad Channel Civic Association. “Middle class people were encouraged to settle here and I don’t think any objective person no matter where you live would agree with the idea that someone who’s on a structured budget trying to cover all their bases could ever handle somewhere close to $1,000-$2,000 a month or more.” In a packed auditorium in P.S. 146, the atmosphere quickly revealed the continuing devastation felt by the neighborhood’s residents even after almost half a year has passed since the storm. When asked if he felt the meeting addressed the community’s concerns, resident Peter Passalacqua said much wasn’t relayed. “I think there is a lot more information that is buried that is just not coming out on flood elevations and zones and stuff,” he said. “We’re not hearing the big picture.” His story, one including uphill battles with insurance companies who are offering only a fraction of the cost to repair damages, is hardly unique in this middle-class neighborhood that saw unprecedented devastation from the superstorm. Residents urged each other to “keep showing up” and “push for more action.” One stood up to say that this is about rebuilding more than just their homes. “We’re fighting to stay in a neighborhood that we love and where we raise our kids. We need to fight in an educated manner.” Mundy said affected residents all across the east coast are mobilizing through the “Stop FEMA Now” movement to get the aid they need to rebuild and push back against a proposal they believe is unjust. “What we’re looking to do is to seek relief legislation because there is no way we could accept it the way it is.” Howard Beach & Sandy: STILL RECOVERING, PREPPING FOR THE FUTURE BY ANTHONY O’REILLY editorial@queenscourier.com They met for rebuilding -- and for prevention. Howard Beach community leaders sat down with representatives of New York City’s Special Initiative for Rebuilding and Resiliency (SIRR) last week to discuss how funds would be appropriated to recover from Sandy, as well as plans to improve the community’s defense against future natural disasters. Representatives from the mayor’s office said coastal protection, uncertainty over resources to rebuild, concern over future flood rates, lack of transit options and a need for small business support are some of the most pressing issues in Sandy-affected areas. Many of those present disagreed with the city’s priorities when it came to distributing funds. Dan Mundy, president of the Broad Channel Civic Association, suggested the city’s plan should closely mirror that of the state, most importantly in having reimbursements for rebuilding homeowners. One participant noted there was a lack of coordination between FEMA and other city agencies, such as ConEd, in the case of people who had both a home and a small business that needed reconstruction following the storm. Mundy also said he disagreed with many of the findings the city presented, especially the flood zoning maps, calling them inaccurate. “The maps seemed flawed,” he said. “They didn’t match up to what Sandy did.” Mundy also said the maps did not explain how people in certain flood areas would be affected by the changes in zoning. “It’s a complicated discussion,” he said. “It’s a big discussion but it’s worth getting into the details. Hopefully we see some changes” Representatives from SIRR plan to continue meeting with residents of those strongly hit by Sandy over the next few weeks. Sandy vics given property tax extension BY MAGIE HAYES mhayes@queenscourier.com As communities around the borough continue to pick up the pieces after Sandy, residents in the affected areas have been granted an extended deadline for property tax filings. “The extension giving victims the opportunity to have their properties reassessed lifts a major burden off the families that were greatly impacted by this tragedy,” said Councilmember Leroy Comrie, who, along with colleagues in the legislature, made the extension request to the city Tax Commission and the Department of Finance. After many people received their Notice of Property Valuation of property tax assessments, in some cases, they were three times the amount of their property’s actual worth, according to Comrie’s office, due to storm damages. Additionally, the original deadline of March 15 did not give property owners enough time to file revaluation applications, Comrie said. “It’s hard enough for the city to get a grasp on what happened to the properties, especially with the complications following Sandy,” said Glenn Newman, president of the Tax Commission. Newman said the Department of Finance told the commission that they were giving the affected properties a second look as to what their values would be, and after the city council asked them to reopen the timetable for filing, the obliged due to “justice, fairness and an opportunity for the people.” Newman hopes this will give the taxpayers opportunity to bring in additional information on their properties and clarify any issues. “Anyone who visited or saw news clips after the storm understands why this extension is necessary. It was impossible to adequately assess these areas,” Comrie said. “Sandy was one of the biggest and most expensive natural disasters this city and region has ever had to face. Giving residents the time they need to get their lives back together is the least we can do.” Newman then wrote to Comrie and said that the storm-affected properties were to be mailed a revised notice of valuation, and will have 20 days from when the letter is received to file. “This extension not only gives families that are still coping with Sandy’s after effects an opportunity to receive a fair property assessment,” Comrie said, “but it will also give the city a more accurate account of the property taxes they can expect for the next fiscal year.”
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