By Mary Ellen Zangara, Special Writer
Manville Mayor Lillian Zuza held an information riefing on Thursday, May 26 to announce the initial formation of the Raritan and Millstone Rivers Flood Control Commission at the Manville Municipal Building.
”I want to welcome everyone to Manville for a very important event that has been a long time coming. We are announcing today the initial formation of the Raritan and Millstone Rivers Flood Control Commission,” the mayor said. “Were it not for the support of the Somerset County Freeholders, and the communities along these rivers, this commission would not have become a reality. Their pledge of $5,000 is vitally important in the funding the startup phases of the commission and helps to keep the dues of the member communities affordable.”
She went onto explain that, “This commission is patterned after the Greenbrook Flood Control Commission which is an excellent model and has been very successful. As always, good things take time to achieve, but as I say, we can’t look back we can only look forward. I just today received a letter from Gov. Chris Christie commending us for our actions in forming the Flood Commission.”
In his letter, Gov. Christie praised the newly formed commission by saying, “I commend everyone whose efforts helped to make the commission a reality for the residents who continually struggle to repair and rebuild during rainy months. By working and advocating for long-term strategies to reduce the impact of chronic flooding, this commission will provide a vital service to residents. I am proud to see action being taken to endure the stability and growth of the towns affected by flooding in this area.”
Somerset County is the first member with commitments from Somerville, Franklin, Hillsborough, Rocky Hill, Montgomery, South Bound Brook and Manville. Other communities that have expressed an interest in joining include Bridgewater and Millstone.
The first meeting will be tentatively scheduled in late June and Mayor Zuza requested that each community send an initial representative. This first meeting will be to start the formation of the commission’s bylaws.
”While Manville may bear the brunt of our major flooding event, I find it interesting to note that during the flood events of this past year, Manville was flood free, yet every bridge crossing in the area was flooded out, causing major disruptions to the transportation network and the economy of our county. This is why it is so essential to include all of the riverfront communities,” Mayor Zuza said.
Ending the briefing, Mayor Zuza was positive about the commission and said “Together we can move forward and accomplish the best for our towns.”
