Erie County Legislator Michael H. Ranzenhofer (R-Clarence) announced today that he has sponsored a resolution, approved unanimously by the Erie County Legislature on Thursday, July 15, requesting Federal and State assistance for the repair and/or relocation of Tonawanda Creek Road at the site of a collapse of the roadway the weekend of June 25-27.

"Emergency Federal and State funds exist specifically for situations like we have on Tonawanda Creek Road, where not only has the roadway failed, but individual properties have also been affected," said Ranzenhofer. "I am requesting that our State and Federal officials take notice of our circumstances in the Town of Clarence, and help to secure this important funding."

New York State has set aside a preliminary amount of $20 million for repairs in seventeen upstate counties due to extreme rainfall occurring in May, 2004. The State has made a submission to the Federal government to enable access to FEMA money for further repair costs. It is estimated that the Tonawanda Creek Road repair or relocation will cost $8.5 million.

"Even a surface inspection of the collapsed road tells how substantial the cost will be, and an $8.5 million emergency cost can not possibly be foreseen when preparing our budget for highways," added Ranzenhofer. "I am hoping that we can take advantage of disaster relief funds that have been allocated this year for these types of situations."

Legislator Ranzenhofer noted that he was been working closely with Clarence Supervisor Kathleen Hallock and engineers from both the Erie County and Town of Clarence Highway Departments to monitor the situation on Tonawanda Creek Road.

"While the damage is extensive, and finding a solution will take some time," concluded Ranzenhofer, "it is imperative that we get the process started by identifying and preparing the future funding sources as soon as possible."