EAST WINDSOR: Township seeks better communications post Sandy

By David Kilby, Special Writer
   EAST WINDSOR — Superstorm Sandy taught many local lessons.
   And while the East Windsor Township Council understands Jersey Central Power and Light had a great task ahead of itself when the storm hit, members still believe something should be done about the communications between municipalities, utility companies and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
   The council’s stance on this matter, expressed at the Dec. 18 meeting, stems from inadequate communications during and after Superstorm Sandy, which hit New Jersey on Oct. 29.
   Mayor Janice Mironov said Dec. 18 that there were situations during and after the hurricane that made it necessary for the township to formally identify its concerns and distribute them to policy makers in the state, pointing out the “inadequacies” of JCP&L.
   The resolution regarding the company’s response to the storm states municipalities across the state were without power for at least two days and, in some cases, for long as two weeks.
   ”The township acknowledges that Superstorm Sandy caused dramatic and widespread devastation throughout state, including in the form of downed poles, power lines and trees, closed businesses and schools as well as disruption to transportation infrastructure,” reads the resolution.
   The resolution also states New Jersey’s Office of Emergency Management told utility companies to be prepared for the storm with appropriate action plans.
   ”While the township acknowledges the substantial and daunting task, nevertheless, JCP&L had major systematic failures during and in the aftermath of the event regarding communications, action plan formulation and addressing priority sites,” the resolution states.
   According to the resolution, the utility company did not provide the township with details of an action plan or timeframes for when power would be restored to specific areas despite being asked to provide such information to the township.
   The resolution also states the company had no system to address priority sites such as police and fire departments.
   ”The mayor, Township Council and residents of East Windsor have an expectation of JCP&L to effectively disseminate accurate, pertinent, useful, specific and reliable information about their power restoration activities and tree lines throughout the restoration process and until full restoration,” the resolution also states.
   Mayor Mironov, reading from the resolution, said the township expects improvements to communications between utility companies and municipalities, including “detailed realistic action work plans regarding restoration efforts.”
   She also said the township expects a better system for identifying and restoring prioritized facilities such as police and fire and rescue.
   The resolution also suggests a review of the state infrastructure “to determine what cost-effective improvements and maintenance measures can be implemented to better safeguard utility service from disruption during weather impacts.”
   ”The power company not providing us with enough information just made a bad situation a lot worse,” Councilman Alan Rosenberg said.
   The council unanimously voted to send a certified copy of the resolution to Robert Hanna, president of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, and the board’s commissioners; Gov. Chris Christie; and other state leaders such as Senate President Stephen Sweeney; Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean; Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver; Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick; state legislators and mayors of the 14th District, legislators of the 15th District; and the League of Municipalities.
Editor’s Note: This article will appear in the Dec. 28 print edition of the Herald.