Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Disaster Recovery topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council introduces $3.98 million ordinance for FEMA home-elevation construction phase
Summary
The mayor and council introduced a capital ordinance authorizing nearly $4.0 million in FEMA-funded home-elevation construction and discussed homeowner cost shares and reimbursement rates; public hearing set for Feb. 24.
The Borough of New Milford introduced a capital ordinance to authorize the construction phase of a FEMA home-elevation program, appropriating $3,982,552.28 to be funded by a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant and payments by affected property owners.
Clerk read the ordinance summary: $3,597,439.47 is to be raised from FEMA mitigation assistance funding administered through New Jersey Office of Emergency Management; $385,112.81 is to be raised from certain affected property owners.
Council members asked how homeowner contributions are collected and how reimbursement works. A staff explanation recorded in the meeting said homeowners who enter contracts are “obligated to pay for the elevation out of pocket, and they’re gonna get reimbursed.” Council members were told that reimbursement levels vary by homeowner qualification: “some homeowners qualify for [a] percent reimbursement, some qualify for 90% reimbursement, and some qualify for 75% reimbursement.” The meeting did not state the full range of eligibility percentages or the precise qualification rules beyond noting that eligibility depends on prior flood claims and repetitive-loss status.
A council member asked whether the ordinance covers 15 homes; speakers discussed the figure “15” during the exchange and later referenced “15 houses times 3 and a half million.” The transcript records the figure but does not show a formal clerk confirmation of the final homeowner count; the public hearing on this ordinance was scheduled for the council’s February 24 meeting.
Council members voted to introduce the ordinance on first reading at the meeting; the transcript records affirmative roll-call votes for the introduction.
Why it matters: The ordinance would authorize a large federal grant-funded construction program and obligate participating homeowners to make near-term out-of-pocket payments that will later be reimbursed according to FEMA/NJOEM rules. The council and staff pledged further process steps and clarified that program administration will run through NJOEM and the borough’s program records.
Next steps: The public hearing and final reading are set for Feb. 24; staff will return with implementation details and contract language as the program proceeds.
