Chester

David Pisha, town manager for Chester, says recovery has been excellent for the town.

“We’re happy with how everything has gone,” he says.

Total cost of the damages was close to $1 million, with road washouts and serious damage spread all over the town. Six homes are working with town and the NRCS program to rebuild. “I just visited with one family last week and they are just thrilled.”

According to Pisha everything is starting to come to conclusion.

A temporary lift in Act 250 rules allowing the two local gravel pits to open up helped accelerate the town’s recovery, Pisha says. Normally the town has a fleet of five dump trucks, but during recovery 20 trucks were working under contract. Within the first week the roads were passable, and by winter everything was in good shape.

There are still five bridge and culvert projects to be complete but, overall, Pisha says, the town is close to being done with Irene.