NEWFANE — The town's five proposed Tropical Storm Irene-related property buyouts are moving forward, though the Selectboard had cause to enter a closed-door executive session Oct. 17 to discuss what member Chris Druke later characterized as “legalities and documentation.”
Speaking at the regular Selectboard meeting, Druke noted that the town was “making some progress” on the buyout of the properties totaled during Tropical Storm Irene in 2011.
“It's looking likely that we've got some imminent closing dates … We're plodding along,” Druke said.
Then she said one of the properties warranted discussion in executive session.
On Aug. 15, Druke said 28 Stratton Hill Rd. and 5 Hickey Rd., both in South Newfane, seemed near completion and were awaiting state review; 236 Dover Rd. was waiting for allocation of funding and a closing date; and 246 Dover Rd. was in its initial phases.
“I don't expect anything to happen on that until November, basically December,” she said at the time.
Each property receiving Hazard Mitigation Grant Program aid was appraised for its market value as of Aug. 27, 2011, the day before the storm struck.
At the end of the Oct. 17 regular meeting's discussion of correspondence, selectmen closed the doors to spectators and the press for 16 minutes, and emerged with a motion from Druke:
“We had some discussion with regard to HMGP program legalities and documentation. Our resolution to that is to continue along with Hazard Mitigation Grant Program buyouts as we have been doing,” she said.
That became a motion, which passed unanimously with Vice-Chair Todd Lawley filling in for Board Chair Jon Mack, who was absent.