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Council updates soil erosion and sediment-control fees; residents press for infrastructure fixes
Summary
An ordinance to modernize fees for soil erosion and sediment control passed after the engineering director said it adds a square-footage-based fee schedule. Residents asked why the city is not addressing infrastructure problems that exacerbate erosion and flooding.
The Newark Municipal Council on Oct. 1 adopted an ordinance amending the city's soil erosion and sediment control regulations to implement a comprehensive fee schedule, including square-footage-based application and inspection fees. The council heard public comment urging the city to address underlying infrastructure issues that residents say drive erosion and flooding.
What the ordinance does
Dolores Martinez Wooden, director of the Department of Engineering, told the council the existing soil erosion ordinance lacked a comprehensive, up-to-date fee schedule and did not differentiate fees by project size. "What we're doing here is just, implementing a comprehensive fee schedule. So when, residents are developing or doing work in their property, they understand how much they'll have to pay, ahead of time," Martinez Wooden said. She said fees are tiered by square footage and size so smaller projects pay less.
Public comment and concerns
Multiple speakers said the fee changes unfairly burden homeowners when long-standing stormwater and sewer infrastructure problems cause erosion. Felicia Austin Singleton said homeowners should pay nothing and asked who will oversee construction to prevent erosion and sedimentation tied to poor infrastructure and recent flooding. Lisa Parker and Donna Jackson described localized flooding and alleged contractor mistakes during municipal work that worsened erosion and property damage.
Council action
Council members asked for comparisons with regional fee schedules; Martinez Wooden said the city is aligning with regional standards such as the Hudson, Essex and Passaic County authorities and agreed to provide that comparison to council members. A roll call to adopt the ordinance was taken and recorded in the minutes as affirmative.
Ending
The ordinance adopts a clearer fee schedule tied to project size and adds inspection fees; the administration agreed to follow up with comparative fee data and to clarify how enforcement and inspections will be staffed.
