Oxford town officials announced Thursday that they will hold a town meeting to address concerns for the town's recovery from last week's tornadoes and severe storm.
Oxford's First Selectman praised Oxford's emergency services and residents for their response to last Tuesday's storms, and told NBC Connecticut's Shyang Puri he has come to expect nothing less from his town.
With the worst of the damage now behind them, Temple said he is now looking towards a town meeting where residents facing difficult storm-related problems can voice their concerns. The town will also have an ad hoc committee of volunteers can present their ideas for a recovery strategy.
Many of Oxford's residents are facing costly repairs to their properties.
Temple messaged residents today with reminders to take caution when using chainsaws, and to be wary of unlicensed contractor's offering cheap labor, and he said he is waiting to hear from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to see if the town will qualify for aid.
The town also plans to open Lot 14B on E-Commerce Drive this Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to residents who need a place to dispose of logs and brush.
Madeline Spry, 76, of Oxford has massive downed trees on her property, but no means to remove them. She said she's doing much of the cleanup work on her own and tackling a little bit each day.
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"If you don't have a truck and if you're elderly, picking up the stuff is not an easy situation," Spry said.
She's grateful her home avoided damage, but added, "I haven't even thought about what it would cost. It's just trying to get it cleaned up and go on from there."
Oxford will hold its town meeting on Tues., May 29 at 7:30 p.m. at Oxford Town Hall.
