Collecting relief money has been easy. Now, the hard part: Spending it.
People displaced by last month’s Elm Street fire should document their most urgent needs with invoices, receipts or lists, if possible, town Administrator Michael Rogers said at Tuesday’s council meeting.
“We’re looking at basic necessities, any housing transition needs… to help people get back into housing, [or] a bed,” Rogers said.
Victims finally can make their requests for aid, thanks to a unanimous council vote on Tuesday. The legal formality authorized the administration to disburse contributions that have been streaming into town hall since the flames were extinguished on Jan. 31, 2015.
Prior to Tuesday’s meeting, donors had sent $37,405 to the Mayor’s office, according to Frank Mason, the town’s chief financial officer. At the meeting, Chris Russo of Superhero Events presented a check for another $2,120, raised at a benefit run last weekend.
Fundraisers continue. The Jerzey Derby Brigade roller derby team is staging a benefit scrimmage at 2 pm on Sunday, Feb. 15, at InLine Morristown on Dumont Place.
Mayor Tim Dougherty said the good news is that just about all of the 23 tenants displaced from their walk-up apartments have found new housing, at least for now.
“I believe they’re all doing well,” he told the council, describing the public outpouring as “unbelievable.”
So many clothes and toiletries were donated that the town now is contemplating how to give them away; the fire station is bursting at the seams.
“This can help a lot of people…Obviously, there are many people in need,” the Mayor said.
Councilwoman Michelle Dupree Harris suggested Homeless Solutions Inc. and the Jersey Battered Women’s Service as worthy recipients.
‘NEEDS WILL VARY’
Responding to a question from Councilwoman Alison Deeb, Rogers said the town has no formal policy for disbursing relief money sent by the public. The administrator said he sought advice from his counterpart in North Bergen, which experienced a devastating apartment fire in 2013.
Councilwoman Raline Smith-Reid inquired whether the Morristown fund could help Elm Street businesses relocate while they await insurance settlements.
While all requests will be considered, Rogers replied, “we’re looking at residents and assisting them first.”
The goal is not to divide the money equally, he said.
“Needs will vary with individuals,” Rogers said.
All transactions will be recorded, with an audit to follow, he said.
‘THAT FIRE COULD HAVE GONE UP MORRIS STREET’
The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office has not yet released results of its investigation into the fire’s cause. No injuries were reported at the blaze, which broke out late on Jan. 30 and burned into the wee hours of a frigid morning.
It was so cold that Mayor Dougherty said he had to leave after about 15 minutes. He was awed by firefighters who manned their hoses for hours, with an inch of ice encrusted on their bodies.
“It’s not something I would do,” he admitted. “You hear about it and you read about it. But when you see it, it’s wild.”
Firefighters’ skill and dedication saved many more businesses and apartments, the Mayor added.
“They kept [the fire] boxed in. That fire could have wrapped around the corner and gone up Morris Street,” he said.
Everyone at the meeting gave the fire department a round of applause.
Fire safety tips will be presented at a special meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 18, said Fire Chief Robert Flanagan. The gathering starts at 7:30 pm in the seniors center, on the third floor at town hall. All are encouraged to attend.
Morristown Green contributor Margret Brady contributed to this report.
MORE ABOUT THE ELM STREET FIRE
