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Much of the pier has been washed away, the seawall has buckled in places and various structures have suffered damage due to the storm. As a result, the popular public beach will remain closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic for an unknown amount of time.
There is also debris that needs to be cleared and repairs to the eroded beach itself.
“This will be expensive,” Moccia said during a City Hall press conference Thursday. “We’ll have to use city funds for repairs until we can get reimbursed.”
Moccia and city officials did not offer specific estimates on how much the repairs at the beach will cost, but said they will apply for federal and state funds to help defray those expenses. What the exact reimbursement rate will be is unknown.
According to Norwalk Finance Director Thomas Hamilton, the city can temporarily absorb the cost of repairs, which will begin before any reimbursements. If necessary, the city will make a special capital appropriation or issue bonds to pay for the repairs.
“We will make sure that we won’t have any cash flow problems as a result of the storm,” Hamilton said.
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