POST-TROPICAL STORM IDA INFORMATION FOR WESTFIELD RESIDENTS

Thank you to all of our residents for their patience and understanding as we gather information and resources regarding post Tropical Storm Ida clean up. For those of you who have been most impacted by the storm, we can appreciate how stressful this has been, both emotionally and financially. The Town is committed to providing you with as much support as we can, and will connect you with additional resources as necessary. This update is to provide you with a comprehensive summary of storm clean up plans and FEMA information.

STORM DEBRIS

Residents may continue to utilize the Conservation Center to deposit all storm debris, with no permit required and no fees, through Sunday, September 12. The Center will continue to operate with extended hours today (9:00 AM - 5:00 PM), and will reopen Thursday, September 9 through Sunday, September 12 with normal operating hours (Thursday/Friday, 9:00 - 2:30 and Friday/Saturday, 9:00 - 3:00). While permits and fees are waived, proof of residency is required. Please do not utilize this service if you do not have storm-related debris.

In addition, Public Works will begin curbside bulk pick up of storm debris on Tuesday, September 7. The Town completed an initial assessment of all curbside debris over the last few days and, to maximize resource efficiency and resident assistance, will begin with a targeted collection on the following streets that have been most heavily impacted:

Canterbury Road
Cedar Street
Channing Avenue
Clark Street
Coolidge Street
Cranford Avenue
Dickson Drive
Dorian Road
Drummond Road
Genessee Trail
Girard Avenue
Harding Street
Harrison Avenue
Hyslip Avenue
Knollwood Terrace
Lawrence Avenue
Manchester Drive
Maye Street
Mohawk Trail
Montauk Drive
N. Euclid Avenue
Norwood Drive
Nottingham Place
Oneida Drive
Palsted Avenue
Prospect Street
Scotch Plains Avenue
Salter Place
Seward Avenue
Stevens Avenue
Tice Place
Tremont Avenue
Wallberg Avenue
Webster Place
Wells Street
Willow Grove Road
Woodbrook Circle

Anyone who has storm debris will receive pick up. If your street is not listed above and you have storm debris to collect, please utilize the Town form to request pick up no later than close of business on Wednesday, September 8. There is no need to use the form if you live on one of the listed streets.

Please adhere to the following pick up guidelines:

Most items will be accepted, except for food, hazardous waste materials (paint, oil, concrete), and organic debris (no branches, leaves, grass, etc).
All items must be placed outside by Tuesday morning, September 7. Collection will begin at 7:30 AM.
Please ensure your items are placed curbside in a manner that minimizes obstruction to the roadway.

We ask that residents who have not been impacted by flooding from this storm please avoid using this opportunity to dispose of items so that we can most efficiently assist those in need.

For those looking to safely dispose of household hazardous waste, the County will be hosting a recycling event at Union County College in Cranford on September 12 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. For more information, visit https://ucnj.org/recycling/household-special-waste.

ABANDONED CARS

The Office of Emergency Management directed Public Works to move all abandoned vehicles to the side of the roads over the last several days for public safety reasons, and the cars that remain unclaimed will be towed. This process will begin on Tuesday. If your car was flooded and left in the road and has not been removed by a private tow company, please contact the Westfield Police Department to determine where the vehicle has been relocated.

FEMA

Following President Biden’s approval of an emergency declaration, FEMA announced that federal emergency aid has been made available to the state of New Jersey to supplement state, tribal and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from the remnants of Hurricane Ida, beginning Sept. 1, 2021 and continuing. The full announcement can be found here.
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While this is a great first step, it’s important that residents understand the nuances of where we are in this often lengthy and complex process. This initial declaration is specific to emergency protective measures, such as evacuation and shelter support, for state, county, and local governments. Future tiers of declarations are anticipated for this storm, but may take some time before they are finalized. There has not yet been a declaration for individual assistance, and the Town will provide the links for those opportunities if they become available.

In addition, our Office of Emergency Management has been asked to provide a preliminary list of damages incurred by our property owners to the county and state, so that they can submit a federal declaration request for individual assistance. In order to facilitate this process, we are providing a Storm Damage Reporting Form for residents to submit to us, which can be found here.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to provide this information, which will also be used when working with FEMA on storm impact remediation grants for the town. We will keep you apprised of our progress on this front. In the interim, please work with your insurance company for coverage and reimbursement for the damage and of course retain all receipts for any incurred costs.

You can find out more about the FEMA Disaster Declaration Process on their website.

SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE

Governor Murphy announced preliminary details of a proposed plan to provide grants to New Jersey small businesses impacted by severe weather caused by Tropical Storm Ida. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) has been tasked with creating and administering the program, which will provide short-term, immediate rent/mortgage reimbursement support to New Jersey businesses and non-profits with up to 50 employees that suffered physical damage on September 1 and 2, 2021 and any additional flooding immediately thereafter.

Through the proposed $10 million grant program, small businesses and non-profit entities with up to 50 employees will be able to apply for grants of $1,000 to $5,000 dollars. Landlords and home-based businesses are not eligible for grant funding through this program. The proposed program will be presented to the NJEDA’s Board for consideration of approval at a special meeting on September 8. If approved, the NJEDA expects to announce full details and the application timeline for the grant program following that meeting. Additional details are available on the state's website.

ELIZABETHTOWN GAS

Elizabethtown Gas is working to assess the impact of Hurricane Ida and respond to the needs of their customers. If you have questions about your gas service, please contact their Customer Support Center at (800) 242-5830. If you sustained flood damage that resulted in your meter being submerged, that meter will need to be changed.

Elizabethtown Gas is performing safety checks in areas known to be impacted by the storm, and may need to interrupt service for affected customers. If this action becomes necessary, they will contact customers directly with additional information.

ONGOING LONG-TERM IMPROVEMENTS

While a storm of this magnitude is unusual, the reality is that the impact of climate change is becoming more evident, and it’s essential that we continue to prioritize related infrastructure improvements and storm mitigation measures at the local, state, and federal level. This challenge is not unique to Westfield and will require the resources and funding support from these entities working together to protect us from the impact of the increasing frequency of storms such as Ida.

A key component of our local effort is the ongoing drainage improvements that we make each year to address stormwater challenges, which is done in conjunction with our road paving efforts as part of our capital budgeting process. In addition, the importance of green infrastructure measures will continue to be part of the support we seek at the federal and state level for these necessary improvements.

Thanks once again to our first responders and DPW for getting us safely through this storm, and to all of you for your patience and resilience. We will continue to provide updates as information becomes available.

-- Mayor Shelley Brindle

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