The committee includes participation from Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Belleville, Nutley, Orange, East Orange and Montclair.Patch StaffESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A coalition of mayors and other municipal leaders and legislators in New Jersey’s 34th legislative district has formed a regional flood mitigation committee to address the growing flooding challenges in their communities.The 34th District – which includes the municipalities of Belleville, Bloomfield, East Orange, Glen Ridge, Nutley and Orange – has...
The committee includes participation from Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Belleville, Nutley, Orange, East Orange and Montclair.
Patch Staff
ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A coalition of mayors and other municipal leaders and legislators in New Jersey’s 34th legislative district has formed a regional flood mitigation committee to address the growing flooding challenges in their communities.
The 34th District – which includes the municipalities of Belleville, Bloomfield, East Orange, Glen Ridge, Nutley and Orange – has seen serious flooding over the past few years.
Earlier this week, a group of elected officials from the area announced the formation of a new committee that will brainstorm ways to deal with the “increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events due to climate change.”
The group includes New Jersey Assembly Members Michael Venezia and Carmen Theresa Morales, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), and municipal leaders, township engineers and administrators from Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Belleville, Nutley, Orange, East Orange and Montclair.
As a first step, the committee will be assessing flood-prone areas to determine the underlying causes of flooding, which will help to develop some “targeted mitigation strategies.”
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The committee will review and recommend updates to local ordinances across the participating municipalities in an effort to get everyone on the same page, officials said.
The committee plans to seek assistance and resources through federal and state agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA, its members said.
“Flooding has become one of the most pressing challenges facing our communities and addressing it requires a unified, strategic response,” Venezia said.
“By working together as a region, we can develop comprehensive solutions that protect residents, businesses, and infrastructure across our towns,” he added.
Morales agreed that the committee is “long overdue.”
“Our municipalities and neighboring communities have been struggling with the growing challenges of flooding and infrastructure repairs, a problem only exacerbated by climate change,” the assemblywoman said.
“This issue is both costly for taxpayers and a significant financial strain on municipalities,” Morales added.
Nutley Township Commissioner Joseph Scarpelli said the only way to have a “significant impact” is to address the flooding issue on a regional basis.
“This is especially critical for Nutley, as we are the last municipality downstream before the Third River empties into the Passaic,” Scarpelli said.
“We’re no strangers to flooding here in the Garden State … we know that flooding is devastating to our families, homes, businesses and communities,” Sherrill said. “That’s why I am excited to be a part of the Regional Flood Mitigation Committee – with state and local leaders from Essex County – to drive federal resources towards flood mitigation, protecting our community and investing in flood-resilient infrastructure.”
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