Committee OKs ‘all hazards’ planning

By Audrey Levine Staff Writer
   A plan being developed will help keep Hillsborough residents from suffering the fate of New Orleaneans in the event of a major storm or other emergency.
   The Township Committee unanimously approved a resolution to authorize Somerset County to include Hillsborough in its pre-disaster All Hazards Mitigation Plan, in an effort to maintain the town’s access to programs sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
   The plan, according to Township Clerk Kevin Davis, will outline relief necessary to assist the township, and county in general, in the event of such weather-related natural disasters as tropical storms, floods, forest fires and mudslides.
   Mr. Davis said that, by partnering with the county and being part of the plan, the township will qualify to apply for grants, such as from the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, in the event of a natural disaster.
   ”We have been advised that the development of an All Hazards Mitigation Plan is now required in order for the township and homeowners to be eligible for various FEMA programs,” said Mayor Anthony Ferrera, at the meeting.
   The county has hired Tetra Tech EMI, Inc. as consultant for the project, which is being funded by a federal grant. There’s no cost to the township to complete the plan, Mr. Davis said.
   By partnering with the county and avoiding spending township money, Hillsborough residents are spared having to pay for the plan through their taxes. In addition, instituting a disaster relief plan will protect residents from having to endure massive damage to their land in the event of a major storm or other emergency.
   ”Developing this type of plan would be very expensive for each municipality to do individually,” Mayor Ferrera said. “The county is stepping in and providing the service for us, for which we are most appreciative.”
   Mr. Davis said that township emergency officials and other staff will participate in the process to help develop an action plan, which will then have to be adopted by the township itself.
   The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 requires all jurisdictions to have an all hazard mitigation plan, passed as a result of several natural disasters in the 1990s, including Hurricanes Floyd and Andrew.