Damage to offices alone could top $20M

9/14/2011

By Patsy Nicosia

Damage to offices alone could top $20M

Though figures are still coming in, Schoharie County Treasurer Bill Cherry said Thursday he won't be surprised if damage to the county's four office buildings tops $15 to $20 million.
Homes for most of the offices are being finalized (see below), and repairs and restoration have begun, he said, but that's likely to be a six to eight-month process.
Or longer.
Mr. Cherry said his office has imposed a moratorium on interest and late payment fees for anyone who has a payment agreement there.
"Our records are safe and secure, but we simply don't have computer access," he said.
"Just hang on to your money. You need it."
Working out of the second floor of the Public Transportation offices on Barnerville Road, Cobleskill, Mr. Cherry said they've been handling county finances "the old-fashioned way," handwriting and signing what are essentially starter checks.
On the bigger picture, he said, flood remediation is halfway done at all county buildings.
The untouched second and third floors will be the easiest to get back into operation; the basements and first floors-all of which were underwater-will be closed off until they can be dealt with.
Mr. Cherry said the county has about $4 million in insurance plus another $2 million through NYMIR for a total of $6 million.
The difference-or some of it-will have to come through FEMA.
"Now that we're through the first part of the crisis, we really need FEMA's help," he said.

• • •

County office locations, current as of Tuesday,follow:
•Treasurer-Public Transportation, Data Processing, Barnerville Road, Cobleskill, 254-3612.
•Clerk of the board-MOSA.
•County clerk-Cooperative Extension.
•DMV-Lancaster Development, Richmondville (by the end of September).
•District Attorney-Mallery Law Offices, Cobleskill, 234-7813; Fax, 234-2577.
•Board of Elections-Badgley Building, Old Stone Fort.
•Emergency Management/Safety-MOSA.
•Health Department, Personnel-Trailer at MOSA.
• Highway-DPW, Schoharie.
•Mental Health-County Annex by Dunkin Donuts, Schoharie, 295-8336; CD Clinic-295-2031.
•Old Stone Fort-Old Stone Fort.
•Planning/Economic Development-Rural Preservation, Mineral Springs Road, Cobleskill.
•Probation-Village of Cobleskill Offices, Mineral Springs Road, 234-2550.
•Real Property-Cooperative Extension.
• Social Services-Annex by Dunkin Donuts, Schoharie, 295-8334.
•Sheriff-SUNY Cobleskill.
•Dispatch-Cobleskill village offices.
•Treasurer-Public Transportation, Barnerville Road, Cobleskill.
•Veterans, Youth-Annex. (No change.)