Emerson hears state-mandated flood ordinance update; draft due mid-March

Dave Atkinson of Neglia Engineering briefed the Emerson governing body on a state-required update to the borough's Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance.

Atkinson said the state supplied draft boilerplate language towns in Bergen County are being asked to adopt. "It's basically state-mandated stuff," he said, adding that the update will align the borough's ordinance with current effective FEMA flood maps and a designated floodplain manager. He told the council the draft should be provided to the state in mid-March (Atkinson referenced a March 5 draft target) and that the ordinance ultimately must be in place by the end of June.

Council members asked procedural questions about who will prepare and submit the draft; Atkinson said Neglia will prepare the draft language for the borough to send to the state for review. The next step, he said, is state review followed by the borough's public adoption process if the language is approved.

Councilors also discussed related infrastructure work: the Randolph Pump Station control panel parts are en route and an April installation window remains on schedule, a matter tied to grant requirements and deadlines. For a separate drainage project on Jordan and Forest, the borough reported ongoing coordination with Bergen County and a previously submitted $10,000,000 grant request that may need to be scaled to a more cost-effective option based on geotechnical and constructability findings.

The council directed staff to put the flood ordinance amendment on an upcoming agenda and to return with the draft language and recommended next steps for public hearings and formal adoption.