March 14, 2006
 

To:        Little Falls Flood Board

Subject:   Questions forwarded to the Town Council

Before your individual questions are addressed, it is important to point out that the Township, the Mayor and the Township Council have, since Tropical Storm Floyd in 1999, repeatedly contacted our State and Federal representatives and organizations to determine what remedies are available to the Township to prevent flooding.

The short and unpopular answer is we cannot dredge, build walls, lower dams, add flood gates or build up river banks without approval from State and Federal departments such as the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Further, those approvals will not be given to Little Falls in a vacuum. The DEP and the Army Corps would need to know the impact to other municipalities down stream of Little Falls.

Thanks to the efforts of our Congressman Bill Pascrell, the Army Corps of Engineers has received funding in each of the last several years to study the Peckman River and to suggest corrective action, which would be completed with federal money. That study is still ongoing.

For decades, the Army Corps has studied the Passaic River. Those efforts apparently ceased when the Flood Tunnel Project was cancelled about six years ago.
 

As you can see, the Township, the Mayor and the Township Council have done everything they can to prod the parties with the power to safeguard and protect our residents to take action. You questions reflect a high level of frustration. We share that disappointment with you.

Unfortunately, we cannot control Mother Nature, we cannot stop the river from overflowing its banks, and we cannot guarantee you that this will never happen again. What we CAN DO is promise you that at every turn we will represent your best interests, your safety and your quality of life to the best of our abilities.

Sincerely,

For the Little Falls Township Council

William E. Wilk Municipal Clerk

QUESTIONS FOR TOWN COUNCIL

1.MAYOR KULICK, IN THE LITTLE FALLS OUTLOOK, WHY WASN'T THE FLOOD MENTIONED?

THE OUTLOOK IS A NEWSLETTER DESIGNED TO ADVISE RESIDENTS OF UPCOMING EVENTS, CLINICS AND DEADLINES. IT IS NOT MEANT TO BE A NEWSPAPER.

2.WHEN ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO OBTAIN FUNDING FROM THE GOVERNOR TO SOLVE FLOODING PROBLEMS IN OUR AREA?

TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE, THERE ARE NO STATE FUNDS FOR THAT PURPOSE.

3.IF THE AREA FLOODS AGAIN, CAN YOU HELP US TO GET INTO OUR HOMES QUICKER?

NO. ONCE AN EMERGENCY IS DECLARED, THOSE DECISIONS ARE MADE BY THE STATE, COUNTY AND LOCAL OFFICES OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

4.WHY CAN'T YOU BUILD A WALL ALONG THE RIVER IN LITTLE FALLS AND WHY CAN'T YOU DREDGE RIVER AND PUT SILT ON OUT PROPERTIES AND WHY CAN'T YOU REMOVE FLOOD GATES BY BEATTIES?

PLEASE SEE COVER LETTER.

5.I AM TIRED OF HEARING WHAT TO DO AFTER WE ARE FLOODED! I WANT THE PROBLEM CORRECTED TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING VIA ‑ DREDGE RIVER, REBUILD BANKS, ROCK WALLS, LOWER THE DAM.

PLEASE SEE COVER LETTER.

6.WHEN IS THE COVER ON THE PUMP STATION AT THE END OF WILLIAM STREET GOING TO BE REPLACED?

THE PARTS ARE ORDERED. IT SHOULD BE COMPLETE WITHIN TWO MONTHS.

7.WHAT IS THE TIME FRAME TO PUT IN THE NEW PUMP?

12 TO 14 MONTHS.

8.WHAT IS THE TIME FRAME TO UPDATE EXISTING PUMPS?

THE CURRENT PUMP ARE CONTINUOUSLY MONITORED, REPAIRED AND UPDATED AS REQUIRED.

9.HOW DO MAYOR AND COUNCIL FEEL (SUPPORT OR OPPOSE) PROJECTS SUCH AS: A. ADDING FLOOD GATES TO THE DAM IN LITTLE FALLS, B. MAIN STEM PLAN?

FOR A. PLEASE SEE COVER LETTER. FOR B. WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT A MAIN STEM PLAN IS.

10.PUMP HOUSE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE! WHO RUNS IT? WHO IS ACCOUNTABLE? IS THERE AN OUTSIDE REVIEW OF MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE? 

THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS RUNS THE MAINTENANCE AND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IT. THERE IS NO OUTSIDE REVIEW.

11.WHAT IS THE TIME FRAME FOR THE BUILDING OF THE NEW PUMP STATION ON LOUIS STREET?

12 TO 14 MONTHS.

12.NEW PUMPS IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET: WHAT IS THE ANTICIPATED TIME INSTALLATION?

12 TO 14 MONTHS.

13.WHAT IS BEING DONE TO MAKE THOSE RESIDENTS (MAINLY IN LITTLE FALLS AND GREAT NOTCH) TO BECOME CONCERNED ABOUT FLOODS AND THE VICTIM SECTIONS (MAINLY SINGAC)? WHAT EFFORT DO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL DO TO GET THEM INVOLVED?

FLOODING IS A TOWN WIDE CONCERN, NOT JUST SINGAC. TWO HOMES WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND ONE DEATH OCCURRED IN WHAT YOU CALL THE LITTLE FALLS SECTION DURING TROPICAL STORM FLOYD. THE GOVERNING BODY, WHEN THEY CREATED THE LITTLE FALLS FLOOD BOARD IN 2005, WAS VERY CLEAR THAT THE BOARD WAS TO ASSESS THE PROBLEMS ALONG THE PASSAIC RIVER AND THE PECKMAN RIVER. IN ADVANCE OF THE 2005 FLOOD, THIS GROUP HAD MANY VOLUNTEERS FROM LITTLE FALLS AND GREAT NOTCH WALKING THE STREETS, KNOCKING ON DOORS AND DELIVERING FLYERS WARNING OF THE IMPENDING FLOOD.

14.WHAT CAN THE TOWN DO TO HELP RESIDENTS GET REMEDIATION NOW (RETAINING WALLS, ETC.) WHILE WE WAIT FOR THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, ETC. TO DO THEIR LONG, TIME CONSUMING STUDIES/PROJECTS?

PLEASE SEE COVER LETTER.

15.WHY ISN'T O.E.M. GETTING THE EQUIPMENT THEY NEED TO HELP PEOPLE GET OUT OF THEIR FLOODED HOMES?

THE ONLY EQUIPMENT DENIED TO O.E.M WAS A BOAT. THERE ARE ONLY TWO APPOINTED O.E.M. MEMBERS AND NUMEROUS VOLUNTEERS. IT DID NOT SEEM THIS ORGANIZATION WOULD HAVE THE MEANS TO PROPERLY MAINTAIN AND LAUNCH A BOAT. DURING A FLOOD WE HAVE BOATS AVAILABLE FROM OUR FIRE COMPANIES AND THE COUNTY SHERIFF. THE APPOINTED O.E.M. MEMBERS SHOULD BE AT THE O.E.M. OFFICE COORDINATING THE EMERGENCY EFFORTS.

16.WHY CAN'T TREES GROWING IN THE RIVER BE REMOVED AND OTHER DEBRIS?

THE PASSAIC VALLEY SEWERAGE COMMISSION RIVER RESTORATION GROUP HAS WORKED FOR YEARS WITH THE TOWNSHIP TO CLEAN AND CLEAR BOTH THE PASSAIC RIVER AND THE PECKMAN RIVER.

17.WHY CAN'T A WALL BE BUILT ALONG THE RIVER TO AVOID FLOODING THE STREETS?

PLEASE SEE COVER LETTER.

18.AFTER THE NEXT FLOOD, WHY CAN'T THERE BE HELP FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED FURNITURE MOVED TO THE CURB?

AFTER A FLOOD, OUR VOLUNTEER FIRE AND AMBULANCE COMPANIES ARE EXHAUSTED FROM WORKING 24 HOURS A DAY TO RESCUE RESIDENTS AND PROTECT NEIGHBORHOODS. OUR DPW EMPLOYEES ARE WORKING DOUBLE SHIFTS IN MOST CASES TO PICK UP AND DISCARD THE DEBRIS LEFT BY THE FLOOD.

19.BUILD UP BANKS NEAR EAT WOODCLIFFE AVE. AND NEAR LIDDLE STREET.

PLEASE SEE COVER LETTER.

20.CAN SOMEONE IN THE TOWN LOOK INTO THE COMPANY WHO IN THE PAST WANTED TO DREDGE THE PASSAIC RIVER FOR FREE AND KEEP THE SILT? MAYBE FIND A NEW COMPANY AND OFFER THE SAME DEAL.

PLEASE SEE COVER LETTER.

21.COMMUNITY RATING SYSTEM ‑ THIS PROVIDES FOR A DISCOUNT OF FLOOD INSURANCE PREMIUMS IF THE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATES. IT DOESN'T APPEAR THAT LITTLE FALLS PARTICIPATES.

WE DO NOT PARTICIPATE.

22.HAVE WE REACHED OUT TO OTHER AFFECTED TOWNS TO SEE ABOUT COORDINATING EFFORTS TO GET STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING?

YES. WE ARE ONE OF THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS TO THE PASSAIC RIVER REGIONAL FLOOD COMMISSION, WHICH IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH CONGRESSMAN PASRCRELL AND CONGRESSMAN FRELINGHUYSEN TO BRING FEDERAL ATTENTION TO OUR FLOODING PROBLEMS.

23.DO ANY TOWNS WITHIN THE PASSAIC RIVER BASIN STILL HAVE A MORATORIUM ON BUILDING WITHIN THE FLOOD PLAIN?

DO NOT KNOW.

24.WHY CAN'T THE MAYOR AND TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE BE MORE PROACTIVE REGARDING THESE CONSISTENT FLOODING PROBLEMS?

PLEASE SEE COVER LETTER.

25.DOES ANYONE ON THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE, INCLUDING THE MAYOR, LIVE IN

A FLOOD AREA? HAVE THEY EVER HAD 3 FOOT OF WATER IN THEIR HOMES?

YES, COUNCILMAN SISCO, COUNCILMAN LIESS AND COUNCILMAN HUGGINS HAVE

ALL SUFFERED FROM FLOODING EVENTS.