Patrick Calls for 'Swift' Response for Spruces Residents

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
04:38PM / Thursday, September 01, 2011Print Story | Email Story

Updated September 2, 2011 at 6:00 p.m.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Displaced residents from the Spruces Mobile Home Park will spend at least this weekend away from home because electricity still has not been turned on.

According to park manager Richard Purcelli, the electrical system has been inspected by an electrician who reported that the system is relatively in tact. However, the park owners, Morgan Management, are waiting on a ruling from Building Inspector Mike Card on the extent of repairs needed for the park to pass inspection.

Purcelli said the management is still operating as if the park will be reopened soon and allowing residents to clean their homes during daylight hours. Nearly all of the residents were cleaning their homes on Friday after Morgan Management provided dumpsters for residents to throw out damaged items. At night the park is being patrolled by a security company.

A team of cleaners hired by Morgan Management are expected to begin cleaning the park's ground on Tuesday, Purcelli said.

Also as of Friday afternoon there has been no word from the federal government about whether the county qualifies for federal assistance, which Gov. Deval Patrick said on Thursday he expected to be approved on Friday morning. State Emergency Management Agency officials were still tallying dollar figures on Friday that would go toward that application.

Northern Berkshire Youth Hockey League will be running "Skaters for Spruces" fundraiser raffles at Walmart and Stop & Shop in North Adams. All monies raised will be distributed as gift cards or certificates through 1st Congregational Church in Williamstown. Local businesses have donated prizes and money on short notice. To donate a raffle prize or money, contact Paula Cadrett at 413-822-7196.

United Uniforms, Village Ambulance Service of Williamstown and Pittsfield Fire Department will be collecting cash donations on Saturday and Sunday at the Dunkin' Donuts at 18 First St., 84 Dalton Ave., 480 West Housatonic St., in Pittsfield. Contact Shawn Godfrey with Village Ambulance Service to make a donation at 413-884-5729 or shawngodfrey@villageambulance.com.

MEMA Disaster Relief Fund
Spruces Tenants Association
c/o South Adams Savings Bank
273 Main St.
Williamstown, MA 01267

Gov. Deval Patrick toured the Spruces Mobile Home Park and the disaster assistance center at the school. He was joined by Sen. Benjamin B. Downing and Rep. Gailanne Cariddi. Below, flooding the day of the storm.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Gov. Deval Patrick is calling on the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Morgan Management to "step up" to get residents of the Spruces back into their homes.

"We will be applying today for individual disaster assistance from FEMA," Patrick said. "The most important thing for the residents and the community to know that we are — all of us, from every resource — doing everything we can to pay attention to them."

The governor toured the mobile home park and the towns of Hawley and Heath on Thursday to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Irene. Patrick is confident that the county has exceeded the $8 million threshold for federal assistance and that Congress will agree to deploy additional funds.

"It would be a very, very sad day if elected officials in the federal government chose now not to step up and do right by the people of Massachusetts," Patrick said. "I think FEMA will step up. I think they understand their responsibility."

The state has already deployed its Emergency Management Agency to establish a disaster assistance center at the elementary school that links residents to state resources and a team of state building inspectors swarmed the park on Wednesday to inspect every unit.

The four people who were living in Town Hall since the storm have been moved to a local hotel with vouchers that were provided by First Congregational Church. The Red Cross is still on scene and operating a shelter at St. John's Episcopal Church.

"All units were inspected by 4 p.m.," Town Manager and Emergency Management Director Peter Fohlin said. "Our authority has been exhausted."

The town has now stepped aside and it is up to the residents and the park owners to bring the property up to code before it can be re-occupied. Six homes in the senior community were determined to be too unsafe to enter without proper escorts but that does not mean that the mobile homes are unfixable. FEMA funds could become available for residents to repair their homes.

Carol DeMayo showed Patrick pictures of her farm that was also damaged by Hurricane Irene.

As for Morgan Management, its part in getting the park operational is expected to be completed by Thursday night. According to Lance Chavin, an attorney representing the park owners, utilities are close to being connected. The water system has not suffered damage but gas and electricity has not yet been turned on. At about noon on Thursday, electricians were on site appraising and repairing the system so it could be turned on, he said.

"We have to make sure the electricity for the park is operational," Chavin said. "We are trying to get this back to normal as quick as possible."

Morgan Management has been criticized by park residents because other than the Spruces managers, company officials have not been at the park or talking the residents. Morgan leases the lots; the residents own the mobile homes.

Rumors have been circulating that the company was going to sell the park or that the mobile homes would be condemned and bulldozed. Chavin gave no indication that the park would close but rather seemed very positive about its reopening.

Chavin said Dumpsters have been arranged to arrive at the park on Friday for residents to discard damaged material and a street sweeper has been contracted to clean the roads. Getting the utilities back on and cleaning initiated is the extent of the park's responsibilities.

Morgan Management is still not allowing people to move into their homes until the electricity is on and any repairs required by the town are made. A security company has been hired to watch the property at night and residents can continue to make arrangements to be escorted onto the property with the park managers.

Patrick suggested to Cynthia Clermont-Rebello, president of the park's tenant association, that the association get space in the disaster assistance center.

Most of the elderly residents are worried about the costs of fixing up their homes and do not have flood insurance.

"In some cases, homes have been completely destroyed," Patrick said. "They're worried about how they will put their lives back together."

Patrick called on the federal government to provide a "swift" response in helping the residents. However, FEMA funds also will be spread out into New York and Vermont, which faced even more destruction than Berkshire County. And there's no telling how much the state could get or when since FEMA has $800 million on hand for a disaster that's caused from $2 to $7 billion in damages.

It's not just the Spruces that will be eligible for funds. At Town Hall, Carol DeMayo gave Patrick photos of her farm, where the storm caused what she estimates at about $56,000 in damages.

"We have to take care of the Spruces first," DeMayo told the governor. "But there are more people like us, who are trying to do it on our own."

Spruces Status 09-01-11 Each of the homes were inspected as of Wednesday night and given a color. The color is relative to the condition of the home. Black is off-limits and too dangerous to be entered; red is unsafe and may be entered at own risk with an escort; yellow is restricted use and should only be entered during hours specified by park management.

Disaster Center Set Up; Spruces Park Being Assessed
WILLIAMSTOWN - 08-31-2011 - Gov. Deval Patrick's office confirmed Wednesday that he will tour some of the damage in Williamstown late Thursday...

Red Cross Shelter Established For Spruces Residents
WILLIAMSTOWN - 08-30-2011 - "There is a team of state inspectors that is coming." — Peter Fohlin

Williamstown Rules Spruces 'Uninhabitable'
WILLIAMSTOWN - 08-29-2011 - "All of the [226] homes are conditionally uninhabitable." — Peter Fohlin

Four Rescued By Boat From Spruces
WILLIAMSTOWN - 08-28-2011 - "As far as I know everybody is out of there." — Fire Chief Craig Pedercini

Williamstown Preps for Irene
WILLIAMSTOWN - 08-27-2011 - "This truly is a group effort." — Peter Fohlin

Tags: flood, Irene, Spruces,

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Your Comments

iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.

I hope the FEMA money comes fast and is used to relocate the Spruces residents and their belongings somewhere else. It will be throwing good money after bad to rebuild this community in a flood zone that is not able to be insured.
from: hopeful	on: 09-01-2011 05:56PM I Agree (37) - I Disagree (16)

My house has a black tag, I can't even enter it. Does anyone know what I have to do for FEMA help. Is the govener doing something or do I have to do something on my own. I dont know what to do.
from:	on: 09-02-2011 06:52AM I Agree (1) - I Disagree (0)
Editor: Go to the Disaster Assistance Center at the Williamstown Elementary School. There are multiple agencies that should be able to direct you.
I Agree (1) - I Disagree (0)

Hopeful, nice comment, just what the people who don't have a place to stay now need to read, the home they have is not "Worth it to rebuild". I always love how easy it is to make this type of comment from a computer, as my grandfather used to say if you don't have something useful to say don't say anything. I only hope nothing like this happens to your home, I may have to post that your home is not worth fixing.
from: Nice	on: 09-02-2011 06:57AM I Agree (7) - I Disagree (7)

For years everyone knew that sooner or later there would be disaster at the Spruces. However, it seems like no one, including Town government, ever did anything about it. Perhaps nothing could have been done, but with all the technology available to us, that seems unlikely. Could some sort of flood control chutes have been built? Would they create other problems? Can we get the U.S. Corps of Engineers to assess the situation and see if there is a solution?
from: Flood Control Chutes	on: 09-02-2011 07:30AM I Agree (12) - I Disagree (3)

I really appreciate the Governor ALWAYS coming to the Berkshires and caring for Western Mass. It cant be solved overnight but just the general concern and effort he shows goes a long way. Thank you also to Ben Downing and Gail Carriddi.
from: Governor Patrick	on: 09-02-2011 07:45AM I Agree (18) - I Disagree (4)

Thank you Governor Patrick for being here in the Spruces hour of need. You have our votes and support in the next election.
from:	on: 09-02-2011 08:15AM I Agree (17) - I Disagree (10)

Any pictures of the flooding while it was happening? It would be helpful to make people understand the magnitude of the situation. Thx
from: John Frit	on: 09-02-2011 09:36AM I Agree (4) - I Disagree (0)

We are lucky to have a caring Governor. He really wanted to listen and hear peoples concerns. I hope he gets reelected as well. The SPRUCES will get thru this, we are a strong group of people who will make it happen.
from: Thankful!	on: 09-02-2011 09:02PM I Agree (10) - I Disagree (6)

Hopeful: Maybe you can explain why we, the Spruces residents, are any different then others that live in flood plain areas. Look at New Orleans, how many years have they been rebuilding? How many times have people along major rivers rebuilt in flood plain areas? These rivers flood every year. This is the first time in the 20 years I've been there the area flood this bad. Don't we deserve the same treatment as others? How can officals break their own rules? I hate to think it's because we live in mobile homes and we're not worth their efforts. We're just a burden on the community. So for all of you who were hoping we would be relocated, stay tuned, you may get your wish.
from: Judy G	on: 09-04-2011 04:27AM I Agree (5) - I Disagree (3)

The governor has a little cottage, a 7500 sq. ft. home in the Berkshires - Richmond. Maybe that's really why he made it to the Spruces. http://www.boston.com/realestate/gallery/0727deval/
from: Deval Patrick	on: 09-04-2011 07:42AM I Agree (4) - I Disagree (3)
Editor: It's no secret the governor has a home in Richmond. He considers himself a resident of the Berkshires.
I Agree (5) - I Disagree (0)

If you want to solve the Spruces' flooding issues, it will take a couple million cubic feet of fill dirt to raise it up above the 100 year flood line. While they are at it, they could put in proper sewer and water. It'll never happen and we'll be having this conversation again in 5, 10 or 50 years.
from: Fill Dirt	on: 09-04-2011 02:45PM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (1)

As landlord to The Spruces, we are deeply saddened by the devastating loss by flooding to the manufactured homeowners’ property at the park following Hurricane Irene. We have also been a bit dismayed by the inflexible stance of the Town of Williamstown and the accusatory language and tone taken by some of the anonymous bloggers in the aftermath of the storm. At www.iBerksires.com yesterday, Governor Patrick was reported to have called on the federal government (FEMA) and our company (Morgan Management, LLC) to “step up” to get the residents of The Spruces back into their homes. While it’s unusual for a governor to call on a private company to step up for the public good, here’s what we did in the week following the storm to assist the residents of The Spruces: 1. We asked all our local and regional managers in the area to do whatever they can to assist the residents of The Spruces, the manufactured homeowners, and the community with the situation following the storm, and we authorized unlimited overtime to do so; 2. We hired a security company to protect the residents’ belongings from looting at night since the Town has decided that the manufactured homes cannot be accessed; 3. We contacted Peter Fohlin, the Town Manager, but unfortunately our regional manager was not allowed in the Town’s meetings as they discussed – we presume – their plans to assist The Spruces (we’re not sure why such a meeting would ever be “closed-door”); 4. We spoke with the Donna Toupin of the Red Cross as well as other organizations to confirm that the immediate on-site needs of the residents are, in fact, being met as assessed by those trained and equipped to respond to such a situation; 5. We cooperated with the Town and State authorities who tell us when and where we may escort the manufactured homeowners to their own property to reclaim limited belongings; 6. We brought in dumpsters and arranged to bring a work crew, plus equipment, to help clean up next week or whenever we and the manufactured homeowners will be allowed back on site; 7. We repaired and will continue making repairs to the electrical systems in the park; 8. We asked our own employees, company-wide, to consider making donations to the Red Cross to help with their assistance to the manufactured homeowners of The Spruces and others throughout the East in aftermath of Hurricane Irene; 9. We contacted FEMA to apply for assistance in repairing The Spruces; and 10. We sent our CFO/Business Manager to The Spruces to review the situation. When we say we are the landlord to The Spruces, that is to say we own the land, minor infrastructure and the underlying concrete slabs upon which the residents place their manufactured homes. We do not own the manufactured homes themselves. Nevertheless, we were disappointed to learn that the Town apparently removed the skirting around each manufactured home with the use of claw hammers or crowbars in order to inspect underneath the homes. A simple screw driver at the access panel might have saved each homeowner about $1,000 in skirting alone. In a case such as this, in additional to the huge personal loss and disruption to the homeowners, the landlord typically loses all value in the underlying property, plus some tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of dollars in goodwill assistance to the homeowners. The property typically goes back to the bank which also prepares for a significant loss. The likely recipient of the property will be the Town of Williamstown as it will presumably make its interest known again in the not-too-distant future. Since it appears that the Town will likely end up with the property – arguably a several million dollar value – at little expense to itself, the question becomes: What is the Town’s commitment to the manufactured homeowners who are losing everything? And what will the Commonwealth do, if anything, for these homeowners and citizens? We would very much like the residents of The Spruces to gain access back into their homes so that we might be able to help them clean up, dry out and develop The Spruces back into the quiet little community that it was before the storm. We hope that the Town will become more flexible and realistic and let the residents of The Spruces back into their homes to begin this process. With time running out, however, and access continually denied, it appears that we may not, any of us, get the chance to do so. -Morgan
from: Morgan Management, LLC	on: 09-06-2011 08:02AM I Agree (4) - I Disagree (5)

Morgan, the only way "the Town" ends up with the property is if you sell it to them OR if you cease paying your mortgage on it, the bank forecloses, and the BANK sells it. Frankly, given your business record, foreclosure is the more likely scenario. In a bank sale ANYONE could buy it. I could buy it, your competitors could buy it, the Tenant's Association could buy it. You, or the bank, can sell it to whoever will give you the most money. That's what private property means! In any case, as of now, this is YOUR property and YOUR problem. Stop playing victim and step up to your customers or get out of the way.
from: reality check	on: 09-07-2011 11:39AM I Agree (3) - I Disagree (1)