ANDOVER, July 18, 2023 — State Rep. Michael Soboleski from Phillips told Andover selectmen at their meeting on Tuesday that the town’s damage to roads and bridges from storms with flash flooding in April and June is close to $3.6 million in damages. (Marianne Hutchinson/Rumford Falls Times) Marianne Hutchinson, Rumford Falls Timess

ANDOVER — Damage from torrential rainfalls April and June is close to $3.6 million, but the town could receive 90% of the cost of repairs to roads and bridges from state and federal governments.

State Rep. Michael Soboleski of Phillips, who represents House District 73 that includes Andover, told selectmen at their meeting Tuesday the Town Hall that the damage estimate meets the $2.4 million threshold required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be designated a disaster.

“Once FEMA is done with their preliminary damage assessment, then that goes to the governor,” he said. If that amount is approved, the town will receive 75% of the cost from FEMA and 15% from the state, he said.

Soboleski said he doesn’t think approval from the governor will be an issue, but “the issue will be in the timeline that it’s going to take.”

He said he wasn’t sure if FEMA representatives would be in Andover on Friday or Monday but they would hold a Zoom meeting at that time to assess the damage.

Andover Emergency Management Agency Director Robert Todd presents selectmen Tuesday with an assessment of damaged roads and bridges from rainstorms in April and June. He said the one-way bridge on Wyman Hill Road needs to be replaced for at estimated $490,000. The total damage in the town is close to $3.6 million, the board was told. Marianne Hutchinson, Rumford Falls Times

Andover Emergency Management Agency Director Robert Todd gave selectmen a copy of his assessments of the damage  to roads and bridges and an estimate of the cost. He said the one-way bridge on Wyman Hill Road needs to be replaced for an estimated $490,000.

Selectman Justin Thacker thanked Todd, Road Commissioner Mark Farrington and Selectman Brian Mills for doing “an amazing job” working with road construction crews and preparing information on storm damage to the town.

In other business, selectmen hired Lakin Croteau of Andover as their secretary. She will begin the 20-hour-a-week job this week, Town Clerk Melinda Averill said Wednesday.

Croteau succeeds Lynda Airhart, who resigned in April.