Somerset County commissioners add Manville flood‑buyout property to March consent agenda, advance dozens of resolutions

Somerset County commissioners on Feb. 25 voted to add a resolution authorizing the county to acquire a small, flood‑prone parcel in Manville to the board’s March 11 consent agenda and agreed to include dozens of additional contracts and grant applications on that same consent calendar.

The move places a proposed open‑space acquisition in the Lost Valley section of Manville before the full board in March and advances a large list of routine awards, grant applications and professional services contracts for formal action at the regular meeting. Commissioners cast roll‑call votes to add the items to next month’s agenda; all recorded votes on the additions were “yes.”

Tom, a county staff presenter, told the board the open‑space purchase (Resolution 25‑500) would authorize acquiring “real property known as Block 305, Lots 266 Through 36 in the borough of Manville, owned by Equity Prime Mortgage LLC,” with total acquisition costs not to exceed $120,000. He said the roughly 0.6‑acre lot contains an abandoned, flood‑damaged duplex that has been foreclosed and would be cleared and restored as part of Somerset County’s ongoing flood buyout and mitigation work.

Why it matters: The county has used repeated FEMA grants and local flood‑mitigation funds to remove flood‑prone structures in Lost Valley. Purchasing and clearing small, repeatedly flooded parcels is the county’s stated strategy to reduce impervious surface, limit future flood damage and expand contiguous open space along stream corridors.

Details and related items: The board advanced multiple other items to the March 11 consent agenda during the Feb. 25 work session, including county health‑department grant applications (childhood lead prevention, tuberculosis control specialty clinic services, overdose fatality review team expansion and regional chronic disease coalition support), bridge and road construction contracts, rehabilitation work at the Van Horn House in Bridgewater, and an award for license plate recognition equipment to be installed in Bernards Township.

Votes at a glance: The board voted to add the following to the March 11 consent agenda (motion and roll call taken Feb. 25):

- Resolution 25‑500 — Authorize purchase of property in the borough of Manville (Block 305, Lots 266 Through 36) from Equity Prime Mortgage LLC; total acquisition cost not to exceed $120,000. Vote to add to consent: Commissioners Drake, Singletary, Sui, Deputy Director Murano and Director Robinson — yes.

- Resolutions 25‑501 through 25‑546 — A package of professional services awards, contract renewals and grant acceptances including legal/title services supplements, bargaining agreement ratification, HUD CDBG/HOME subgrant amendments (Allies Inc.), health‑department grant applications and multiple public works and facilities contracts (bridge replacements, rehabilitation and construction administration, Van Horn House exterior repairs, road resurfacing design, vehicle/trailer purchases, hazardous waste disposal services, tree removal contracts and others). Vote to add to consent: Commissioners Drake, Singletary, Sui, Deputy Director Murano and Director Robinson — yes.

- Resolutions 25‑468 through 25‑477 — Items added to the regular meeting agenda (to be considered immediately following the regular session), including temporary right‑of‑entry to Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Company for a Franklin Township parcel, an amendment to a shared services agreement with Morris County for detained facilities medical coverage, contract cancellations and awards related to Hill Crest Road design, acceptance of a donation to the sheriff’s office, and awards for 911 mental‑health and suicide training and electronics recycling. Vote to add to regular agenda: Commissioners Drake, Singletary, Sui, Deputy Director Murano and Director Robinson — yes.

What commissioners and staff said: Tom described the Manville lot as “currently developed with an abandoned duplex residence” that “has experienced significant flooding on several occasions,” and said the purchase would allow the county to “clear the improvement, restore the property, eliminate some additional impervious coverage.” The board did not take final action to acquire the parcel at the Feb. 25 work session; the item was placed on the March 11 consent agenda for formal action.

Process and next steps: The items added on Feb. 25 will appear on the March 11 regular meeting agenda. The Manville acquisition, like other open‑space/flood‑buyout acquisitions in Lost Valley, will proceed only if the board approves the resolution at that meeting and if required closing and funds certifications are completed. Several grant applications summarized in the work session (health‑department funding, HUD CDBG/HOME amendments) will require acceptance of awarded funds and execution of subgrant documents if the county receives the awards.

Other meeting highlights: Commissioners used the work session for routine reports, employee recognitions and a brief exchange about road salt application and brining practices during winter maintenance; the discussion noted technical limits on brining for higher‑speed county roads. No final policy change on winter maintenance was adopted at the session.

Taper: The board opened a public comment period during the session; no members of the public spoke at the Feb. 25 work session. The full board will consider the consent calendar and the Manville acquisition at its March 11 regular meeting.