Old Brookville to borrow $725G for Sandy

Old Brookville is to borrow up to $725,000 to cover damage and cleanup costs incurred in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy, village officials said.

Officials on Monday in a unanimous 5-0 vote approved a budget note for short-term borrowing in the wake of what Mayor Bernard Ryba called a “once-in-a-lifetime” storm.

The village cleaned up debris and downed trees without the advantage of a public works department but the damage was “comparatively” less than other areas, officials said. Ryba said the devastation was felt regionwide.

“Hurricane Sandy provided this once-in-a-lifetime situation that we were all faced with,” he said at Monday’s village board meeting.

The village has already paid a “couple hundred thousand” dollars from its general fund toward cleanup and dumping costs, he said.

Ryba said he expected storm-related reimbursement from the federal and state governments to work much as it did after Tropical Storm Irene, with funds to come within six to eight months.