Township Waives Fees for Irene-Related Construction

With residents cleaning up after damage from Hurricane Irene, which was downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it hit Bridgewater, the township council has approved a resolution to make any reconstruction a little bit cheaper.

In an emergency meeting Friday, the council unanimously approved a resolution to waive construction code permit fees for all property owners who apply for permits in order to move forward with repairs, reconstruction or restoration needed because of damage directly caused by the storm.

“I am in full support of the program and of helping those in need,” said councilman Dan Hayes.

Some council members questioned whether there should be a time limit placed on the resolution, and township administrator Robert Bogart recommended 60 days if the council chose to put that limit.

But township attorney Michael Camerino recommended not placing that limit on the resolution.

“I think it would cause problems, but you could revisit the resolution in 60 days,” he said. “Then you can decide if you should change the resolution.”

Bogart said it will be up to the construction department and code enforcement superintendent Steve Rodzinak to ensure that the work being done, with the fees waived, is because of damage from the storm.

“He has to be certain it’s a flood-related event,” Bogart said.

Councilman Allen Kurdyla questioned how the township was planning to let residents know about the fee waiver so they will be prone to let the construction department know that work is being done because of the storm.

“The goal is to have the repairs made, but properly, but if there is a person with flood damage, he may want to get it fixed quickly,” he said. “Getting a permit takes a couple of hours, and we lose the ability to inspect the damage for safety if the residents don’t know about the program.”

Bogart said the waiver opportunity will be posted on the website.

The council also approved a resolution that will appropriate emergency funds into the budget to pay for a road and drainage repair project on Vosseller Avenue because of damage caused by the storm.

According to Tom Forsythe, township engineer, rock coming down the mountain in Martinsville slowly fills up the storm sewer at Vosseller Avenue, but the heavy rains filled up the underground pipes, causing the stones to block them.

Because of the blocked pipes, Forsythe said, there was damage to both the sewer system and the roadway on Vosseller Avenue between Kristen Court and Glen Road, about 100 feet in length.

“The extent of the blockage is such that we can’t fix it without replacing the pipe,” Bogart said.

Through the resolution, a contract has been awarded to Topline Construction Corporation for $69,000.