Wednesday, May 15, 2013
The commission would work on flooding issues in Rockland and Bergen waterways like the Pascack Brook.
A group of lawmakers from New Jersey and New York met in Pearl River, N.Y. Wednesday to urge Gov. Andrew Cuomo to sign a bill to create a bi-state flood commission. The commission would address flooding issues in waterways that flow between Rockland and Bergen Counties, including the Pascack Brook. Gov. Chris Christie signed New Jersey's version of the bill early last year. District 39 Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi joined the other lawmakers to support the creation of the 18-member commission, which would address issues affecting the Hackensack, Ramapo and Mahwah Rivers, as well as their tributaries. “Although separated by the state border, residents in Bergen and Rockland counties share a common problem — widespread and out of control …
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
The National Flood Insurance Program offers discounts to residents of towns that participate in its Community Rating System.
A federal program could save Westwood residents 10 percent on their flood insurance rates, Councilman Ray Arroyo said Tuesday night. The National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP) Community Rating System offers a point system similar to that used by Sustainable Jersey, but with flood mitigation, according to Arroyo. The benefits of the program are reduced flood insurance rates for property owners in flood plains while simultaneously taking some action to better prepare for floods, he said. "It's all geared toward better management of the flood plain," Arroyo said. Depending on how many points a town earns by participating in various flood plain-related programs, they can earn a discount of between 5 and 45 percent on residents' flood …
Thursday, March 21, 2013
An attorney for the Hillsdale & Westwood Flood Solution Group said more changes need to be made to minimize flooding.
Westwood officials still want the Department of Environmental Protection to order an operations change at the Woodcliff Lake Reservoir as was recommended in a 2011 report, Mayor John Birkner said this week. Members of the Hillsdale & Westwood Flood Solution Group said the change alone would not be enough. United Water, which owns the reservoir, keeps the water level slightly higher in the summer than in the winter. A 2011 report prepared for Westwood by Boswell Engineering recommended changing operations at the reservoir to maintain the lower level all year. Water which leaves the reservoir flows into the Pascack Brook, which flooded some homes five times in 2011. Birkner said the change could "mitigate a certain degree of flooding." …
Thursday, March 7, 2013
The Hillsdale & Westwood Flood Solution Group's attorney said some flooding along the Pascack Brook can be stopped.
The Hillsdale & Westwood Flood Solution Group, an organization of residents affected or concerned by flooding, offered to work more closely with the Hillsdale government during a borough council meeting Tuesday night. Donald MacLachlan, an attorney representing the group, said that the council should form a committee tasked with advising the governing body on resolving the flooding problem along the Pascack Brook. MacLachlan said the committee could help with formulating a plan and also finding funding for any projects needed for the plan. The state government is currently "highly sensitive" to flooding issues, he said. The upcoming United Water project to upgrade the dam at the Woodcliff Lake Reservoir is one focus of the group, but not …
Monday, February 25, 2013
United Water sued Hillsdale to void a pair of land use laws the borough passed last year.
A lawsuit filed by United Water against Hillsdale stands as the next step in the legal battle over a proposed project to upgrade the Woodcliff Lake Reservoir dam. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is requiring United Water to approximately double the rate at which water can flow out of the reservoir. The DEP approved a plan submitted by United Water in 2011. Hillsdale has asserted that its Planning Board should review United Water's plans because of concerns that the project could worsen flooding along the Pascack Brook downstream from the reservoir. The borough passed two ordinances last year which create additional borough oversight for tree removal and utility projects in order to "protect the public health, safety …
Friday, February 22, 2013
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities declined to decide if they have jurisdiction over the proposed Woodcliff Lake Dam upgrade project, which some say could affect flooding in Hillsdale and Westwood.
A state board decided Wednesday that it does not have the authority to make a decision requested by United Water on the utility's proposed dam upgrade project for the Woodcliff Lake Reservoir. United Water filed a petition with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) last year asking the board to find that their plan for the dam — which would approximately double the rate at which water can flow into the Pascack Brook — is "reasonably necessary;" and that local land use ordinances have no authority over the plan. Hillsdale officials have argued that the plan should be heard by the borough Planning Board because it could affect flooding in the brook. The BPU dismissed the petition without prejudice this week, declining to rule that …
Monday, February 11, 2013
Steve Tesoriero of Renewable Resource Systems will present "Residential Energy Considerations in a Post-Sandy World" at the Hillsdale Library Tuesday.
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Monday, February 11
A program at the Hillsdale Library Tuesday will address storm readiness and energy-efficient options for home heating and cooling, according to a post on MyGreenHillsdale.org. Steve Tesoriero of Renewable Resource Systems will present "Residential Energy Considerations in a Post-Sandy World" from 7 to 8 p.m. at the library Tuesday. The program is open to residents of Hillsdale and surrounding communities. Tesoriero will address issues including back-up energy and ways to prevent flood damage, as well as lower cost, energy-efficient options for home heating and cooling. He will also discuss state incentives to help finance these kind of home improvements. The Hillsdale Green Team is sponsoring the program and requesting anyone interested …
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
The borough purchased three other flood-prone homes with grant money from FEMA and the DEP last month.
Westwood officials voted to purchase a fourth flood-prone home with grant money during their council meeting Tuesday. The borough closed on three other flood-prone homes using grant money from FEMA and the Department of Environmental Protection last month. The first three houses cost about $1.1 million of the approximately $2 million in grants the borough received. The next house the borough will purchase is 23 Nugent Place. The home was appraised in the mid $400,000s, but the exact price to be paid has not yet been determined, according to Borough Administrator Robert Hoffmann. FEMA's formula, which subtracts some money previously paid for repairs, will have to be applied before the final price is set, he said. Officials said they …
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
The bill would make towns exempt from paying taxes for flood-prone properties they acquire.
The New Jersey Assembly passed a bill Monday which would protect towns buying flood-prone properties from tax expenses. Currently, towns like Westwood which are using state and federal grant money to purchase flood-prone homes will be responsible for paying the school and county taxes for the year in which the purchase is made if the properties are bought after October 1. The bill (A-3362) would exempt towns from having to pay these taxes. It passed by a vote of 74-0 Monday. An identical bill in the state senate has not yet been voted on. District 39 Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi sponsored the bill. “The effort to preserve open space should not be derailed because a town cannot afford to assume the obligation of paying a seller’s property …
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Construction on a new bridge on Patterson Street in Hillsdale is expected to start this summer.
Bergen County is expected to begin a long-awaited project this year to build a new bridge on Patterson Street in Hillsdale. Hillsdale Mayor Max Arnowitz said the project has been anticipated for years, as the old bridge has been deteriorating. Holes in the bridge were recently patched with metal and, during Hurricane Floyd, pressure from passing water in the Pascack Brook actually make the bridge sway, he said. The new bridge will be slightly higher and built to allow water to pass under it more smoothly. The updated design may also help alleviate some flooding, accordig to Arnowitz. "It should help flooding a little, but it's not the panacea that's going to stop all flooding in that area," Arnowitz said. Borough Engineer Chris Statile …
Karen
4:31 pm on Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Funny how Schepisi tries to take credit for a commission that owes its existence to Schroeder. Was he invited to the meeting or did she forget to tell him about it? http://www.politickernj.com/54074/assembly-approves-schroeder-bill-address-flooding-bergen-rockland-counties more ›