Politics & Government

Bridgewater Considers Manville Flood Partnership

Town asked to be one of many communities participating in program.

Bridgewater is considering a proposal from Manville Borough to join with several different communities affected by flooding in Somerset County to form a complete flood commission.

Bridgewater Township Engineer Robert Bogart attended a meeting in October in which Manville Mayor Lillian Zuza presented an option to form this commission for the purpose of keeping at the forefront a study being done by the United States Army Corps of Engineers for flood mitigation.

"They were looking for who might be interested in joining," Bogart said at the Dec. 2 township council meeting.

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Manville Borough Administrator Gary Garwacke said Manville is looking into the option of starting the commission with the participation of Bridgewater, Montgomery, Rocky Hill, Hillsborough, Millstone, Franklin and Somerville.

"It is all the towns that abut the river near us," he said. "The mayor had a meeting with the other officials in October to gage the interest in forming a commission like the one for Green Brook."

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Manville has been lobbying for years for the funding to complete the Stony Brook Millstone River Basin Project being done through the Army Corps of Engineers. The study is currently in the feasibility stage, but cannot move forward because of a lack of funds needed to complete the work.

With all the towns working together, the project could potentially get more traction in government as the borough works to get more federal and state funding to continue the study, which does not even half of the $6 million required to complete it.

The study was initially started after an assessment of the damage to the borough from Hurricane Floyd in 1999.

Garwacke said the state requires a minimum of two towns participating to form such a commission.

"But we would like all the towns to come together," he said.

Bogart, however, said the flooding of the Raritan and Millstone rivers does not have a great impact on Bridgewater at this point.

"There is not a tremendous impact on Bridgewater," he said. "I suppose this would give some help to the town in getting federal funding, and I recommend the council considers it."

The township, Bogart said, is actually already part of the Green Brook Flood Control Commission because a small portion of the town is in the Green Brook Basin, which this project works to protect from flooding conditions.

"We're only in the Green Brook portion by a small amount of land," he said. "There is a little bit of funding from it for Bridgewater homes."

The Green Brook Flood Control Commission was started in response to the 1971 and 1973 floods, and holds open meetings to discuss the goals of having a flood control solution for the entire Green Brook Basin.

The members of the commission span across three counties, and participating municipalities are Bound Brook, Bridgewater, Dunellen, Green Brook, Middlesex Borough, North Plainfield, Piscataway, Plainfield, Scotch Plains, South Plainfield, Warren and Watchung.

Council members recommended waiting for additional information from Manville, though there was some concern that the township would have to pay into the commission to remain a part.

Township Administrator Jim Naples said, in a separate interview, that there is a probability the townships participating would have to contribute some funds.

"It is a possibility to get the ball rolling," he said. "That is how Green Brook works, and it's $1,500 per year. We are active in it because the far eastern part of the town is affected."

Garwacke said there would be minimal costs to be part of the commission, with $0 at the outset, with the hope that the county will pledge its support as well.

"There will be some costs in the future," he said. "But the towns will pay the smaller amounts."

At this point, Garwacke said, Manville is just putting out an initial call to see if the towns might be interested in joining forces for the future. He said the borough hopes to move forward with the commission in early 2011.

"With an autonomous body, we could move forward with petitions and letters," he said. "This commission would be a formal way of doing things."

"All the towns seemed interested so far," he added. "The more interest the better."

At this point, the township is ready to wait for more information on how the commission will work.

"My personal opinion would be to wait for more information," Councilman Allen Kurdyla said.

"And we'll attend if they have another meeting," Naples added at the meeting. "Right now, all we are asking is that the council consider it."


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