The City has ordered designated streets evacuated no later than noon Saturday, which includes us.
There is a Code Red registration system for keeping informed while you're away from the city.
There are two evacuation routes designated - Sunset Avenue to Asbury Avenue and West on Asbury Ave, or Main to Corlies (rt 33), then West.
The water level on Deal Lake was lowered in anticipation of Hurricane Irene.
And the City seems to be keeping three steps ahead. Now for us to try to comply with the instructions.
Good luck, everyone!!
- The Voice of Asbury Park ~ matters vital to justice, environment, equality, culture and pursuit of happiness.
Showing posts with label emergency management. Show all posts
Showing posts with label emergency management. Show all posts
Friday, August 26, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Emergency Management Office - Asbury Park
When the recent heavy rains raised levels in Deal Lake, residents tried to call the Emergency Management Office telephone number posted on the City website: http://www.cityofasburypark.com/ , but it just registered a constant busy signal. The desk sergeant at the police station said the number doesn't work.
Then when the earthquake hit this week, it took the city 2 1/2 hours to issue an automated call to the apprehensive residents. It's that we have this tool, but we need more information, such as which route to take if we need to evacuate or where the nearest shelters will be. So the message might say if this had been a disaster this is what you would have been told. The public needs to be comfortable and familiar with alternative arrangements. It's not enough for authorities alone to know.
Now Hurricane Irene is on the way...
Since 2006, Asbury Radio has been asking the City to tighten up its emergency management services: especially its evacuation plan. We posted the files of the City's plan in progress on Asbury Radio - it is to your left with a triangular caution sign as the symbol.
With three lakes and an ocean bordering or cutting through this 1.4 Sq mile town, we are more a peninsula than anything else. If we suddenly had to evacuate, things could turn serious in minutes if drivers load onto the same arteries. We saw how quickly we became locked into our homes when the blizzard hit last winter. We remarked at the time that had it been water instead of snow, we would've drowned. Coordination is key in such instances and the City is the best authority to perform this function. City Manager Terry Reidy is the City's Emergency Management Officer, with Fire Chief Kevin Keddy aiding. Are we ready?
AR will be happy to post your replies and updates here.
Then when the earthquake hit this week, it took the city 2 1/2 hours to issue an automated call to the apprehensive residents. It's that we have this tool, but we need more information, such as which route to take if we need to evacuate or where the nearest shelters will be. So the message might say if this had been a disaster this is what you would have been told. The public needs to be comfortable and familiar with alternative arrangements. It's not enough for authorities alone to know.
Now Hurricane Irene is on the way...
Since 2006, Asbury Radio has been asking the City to tighten up its emergency management services: especially its evacuation plan. We posted the files of the City's plan in progress on Asbury Radio - it is to your left with a triangular caution sign as the symbol.
With three lakes and an ocean bordering or cutting through this 1.4 Sq mile town, we are more a peninsula than anything else. If we suddenly had to evacuate, things could turn serious in minutes if drivers load onto the same arteries. We saw how quickly we became locked into our homes when the blizzard hit last winter. We remarked at the time that had it been water instead of snow, we would've drowned. Coordination is key in such instances and the City is the best authority to perform this function. City Manager Terry Reidy is the City's Emergency Management Officer, with Fire Chief Kevin Keddy aiding. Are we ready?
AR will be happy to post your replies and updates here.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Council Hears Public's Blizzard Stories - Advice
Blizzard of 2010 Post-Mortem
Fails to Mention Emergency Management Plan
Accolades & Recriminations Fly
iStar Financial Disagrees with City Position on its Default
Council Passes Quarter of a Million Dollar Legal Offense Fee
Temporary Budget Passed (numbers TK)
AP City Council Meeting 1/5/11
Welcome to AsburyRadio's Reporters' Notebook - corrections, spellings, clarifications invited. AsburyRadio@aol.com
All Council members present: Sue Henderson, Deputy Mayor John Loffredo, Mayor Ed Johnson, form mayor Kevin Sanders, former deputy mayor James Bruno
Workshop –
Reps from big Sisters Big Bros/ need mentors, who must be 18 yrs or over, need office space 1800 SF, 91c of every dollar donated goes to programs.
James Famularo – applicant for atm machine for transportation center, PNC bank rep at table w/ JM before council.
Also discussing putting one along beachfront…any other locations?
Mayor Johnson – I know been a long wait for us to be able to accept credit cards here in the city.
City mgr TReidy – we put out req for proposals and then come back w/ best for us/ more operational issue/ supposed to meet with them this Friday/ cd be resolved at that mtr/
FM – something about Swan boats on Wesley Lake
.
EJ – what kind of fees?
FM – every transaction, what was it…surcharge $2.50
EJ – don’t want to charge people $5 fee/ seen look on people’s faces when they do that.
EJ – reads proclamation of AP – ref lives of children…big bros big sis, helping to …competent competent children…mentoring programs… more likely to graduate high school/ city promises to frame / app goes to interview…hugs reps from
Tonight w/ Reverse procedures – public mtg w/ start at 7 pm tonight,
then public participation after they discuss snow w/ staff, then private session
Public Meeting –
Budget current fund for 3 mos. - $5 million 400k///beach $30k salaries and wages/ …incomplete…first mtg of every yr state statute adopt …26 /14% of adopted budget of prev yr. so muni can continue business until official budget is adopted/
Community bnk of Asbury park is actually Rumson Fairhaven bank.
PNC Bank, Sovereign and other banks are to be used by AP
Interest and delinquent property tax fees – way too fast to catch
Delinquent check fee
Public hearings on ords’
Salary for zoning officer parttime/ omnibus driver – sen citizen bus driver/ diff finding competent bus driver/ mks this fu/time pos to get someone reliable etc. at this for yrs. Trying to get/
Zoning ord wd lower salary range/ currently asst planner and zoning officer/ so no add’l $ for zoning officer duties/ was on bks at much higher rate – went from 25 to 55/ now it’s part-time for $4k, doesn’t eliminate the title.
Wd use the pos for other driving opportunities/ our exp is that there’s a need for a f/time driver/ p/time pos isn’t wkg/ seniors can’t go where wnt to go/ that person w/ be paid according to what do and w/ find duties if no plc to drive/ only one public member asked q’s – Rita Marano – all yes
Allows PBd to hire someone for sound mitigation analysis, when a business application requires sound analysis is req’d/ this wd change ordinance which now assumes sound analysis is needed. So if not a live music venue they the subcommittee of the PBd would decide if need sound analysis.
All in favor to adopt ord– all aye
Bond Ordinance – moved to next mtg
Blizzard Post-Mortem – Brian Grant and Bob B. go to address council and mayor motions for them to trun and face the audience, (rarely done).
TR – lot of lessons learned during this period. Another stm coming in this fri. some of lessons w/ be applied in next storm. [Reidy is the emergency management officer for AP]
This was the largest, fastest mg storm dumped more snow in this are than 1947. every storm has its own personality/ came in steady, sun am 11 am, gale force winds by night/ what did we know as a state and when did we know it/ predictions of snow on Christmas eve but not that it was a blizzard. Fact it hit day after Christmas, none of this is by way of excuses/ think job done was phenomenal, knew early on that we were on our own/ state abandoned vehicles in AP and got stuck…didn’t do anything for 3 days/ county had own challenges, multiple aban veh, tow trucks abandoned veh/ if wanted to come out wdn’t hv been able to/ Crime was down… Babies born, one del by firefighter Anastasia/ 3.5 hrs to get ambulance from 4th av and grand to hospital, baby born in hosp/ Santander residents put people up for days…
Started as a rescue mission/ henry vaccaro was stuck in Eatontown, cdn’t get equipment bak in ap til Wednes. His eqpt was commandeered by Eatontown police to plow there/
Brian Grant – 24 – 30” in fall, drifts up to 7 --8 feet. Robert (Bob B.) was dudoing the emerg response.
Bob – this was actually the perfect storm at the worst pos time, holidays, materialized to mega storm/ when he lft toms river 12” to 20” I showed up at 10:15 in AM, had 4 guys out for 2 – 3 hrs/ w/in that time streets impassible , then it became a plowing mission/ pedestrians walking ar’d, first day had control in cbd, had drivable in cbd, few hrs later totally impassible, bad to wrse in such short perod of time/ saw cars there, 2 hrs later buried/ had to poke w/ stick to see if there.
10 pm Sunday night, new Holland frontend loader used 90% of time to pull own eqp’t out/ anyone who called called them directly, we got caught bad as anybody in state/ stuck by HS loader got stuck/ Brian was in Atlanta, communicating by phone, cars abandoned throughout the city…no way cd attack snow storm/ no plc to put snow/ for am’t of sno not right am’t of equpt, no one has that much eq’t/ tried to do everything cd/ jprob no way of getting ar’d it/ luckily did hav loader/ we had one comfort, contractor in town lent hvy eqpt, so when reality came we started to clear/ when we got one lane, people started pkg behind / know lot of people were frustrated so was i. When get storm of that magnitude/ All commun in wld we trying to do/ we tk garbage trks out for dep mayor loffredo’s hse, cdn’t get it out of there and this was 2 or 3 days later.
Brian – we hav manpower…only equip’t approp we had was loader/ we lost use of it for 3 hrs, when needed for emergency rescue operation/ we got low on salt/ for a 30” snowfall we didn’t hv what needed/ some of shift wkrs put in 28 hrs, that was bob, others cdn’t get into area/ given resources we had staff did a great job in the beginning/ it’s not a simple plowing operation, our plan calls for stepping back,/ mass and velocity, once u lose your velocity it impedes the effort/ when u plow someone in, people were pushing snow back into street to dig selves out/ then tried to do curb to curb/ we’re physically removing snow, never did so before, into lakes and ocean/ some idea how prioritize snow removal/ I got bk Wednesday/ I was on the street driving vehicles/ we prioritize by supporting on Springwd ave and cookman ave/ Ridge, Bangs and Prospect, Third Ave on Sat. and Sunday/ moving snow from ar’d schools, coord w/ Bd of Ed/ that was fri, sat, sun.
Next, on Monday, code red, started on main avenues, cont’d on ridge av/ projgress on main and Asbury av/ w/ be removing sknow on state hiways/ left for end bez not city jurisdiction/ 6” storm usually mov to side and move on w/ your business. Snding up another cde red message for public to adhere to alternate side/ don’t have snow removal rules/signs in plc yet/ Are we overwhelmed, we said yeah/ Duane Small called to volunteer I said yes. We looked at a contractor recommended by Councilman Kevin Sanders, who had cleared Jersey City in 48 hrs /turned out he wanted $7000/hr/ 50 – 60 hrs or $280,000 to $350,000 to cln up the city – we didn’t hv that kind of money
So asking in this next phase for people to move cars off streets while we clear them.
We need to hv emerg contracts in place/ vaccaro was ad hoc basis/ contractors we reached out to had obligations to other towns/ cedn’t mobilize equip’t until Wedn. Rode red system lot of good feedback/ voice mail filled up every 2 hrs/ was lack of information / really hv to leverage that code red system to constantly communicate/ but really our job was to communicate better/ residents have a role clng strs sooner than later/ try not to clr too soon/ so not constantly digging out/ try not to pk in travel lanes because that impedes/ this is what we’re lkg for from u to mk this / it’s a geam approach, rly need cars off streets, fstr we can serve the public/
w/ be communicating about this much more/ now we’ll mobilize on that day shift to really communicate beter than done in past/
TReidy –
Wnt to tk a few seconds to mention heroics that went on…so mny lifesaving efforts going on in those initial days/ 48 dalysis pats in this little city. Emergency rescue – front end loader used majority of time in life saving/ we said no lives wd be lost bez stranded in need of medical help/ pub wks, fire and police never seen better teamwk/
EJ – jst wnt to say there are a lot of lessons to be learned, we don’t hv lux another storm coming thurs, fri Saturday, crews wkg overtime, to try to lrn those lessons and qkly befor…one of mny lessons lrn’d this wk/ dedication of crews …some left families on Christmas knowing there was storm brewing, some walked from Asbury circle in chest deep snow/ out on st mon, tues, our men and women never gave a thought to giving up…lot of things wnt to do better, need to do better…we need to listen to your input on you experiences and what we can do to be better prepared.
Jim Henry – 6th Ave
We were one of people w/ medical emergency/ called terry 5:15 Monday moring, Robert called out his f/end loader, chf keddy had a truck out for emerg run to hospital/ I was appalled conditions bet here and hosp can’t bel state didn’t do a better job/ we had a 4 wheel vehicle and kept having to turn ar’d …storm of 47 not as bad as this storm/ sometimes not equipped, thnk u guys did a gd job, lot of problms people who jst don’t use their heads/ appreciate
Amy quinn – Santander
Lot of probs w/ storm u had no control over, poli fire dpw did grt job on
\I called DPW don’t know how many times/ if there was a thoroughfare to get out. There was woman in Santander husband was diabetic, family wanted to pick up/ we didn’t even know which
TR = city does have emerg management routes but cdn’t get word out to citzens
Jack – Asbury Tower – don’t know where to put cars. There’s a church in neighborhood one of recom brian made, on that blk alone on any given day…bug empty pkg lot in church/ it wd take city to mk arrangementw w/ the churches/
EJ – we do hope to hv those in place so next time can move them…
Rita Marano – one of things think u shd do and want to come bef planning bd, apts w/ inadequate # of spots. Every car has to have a pkg space/ cookman has pkg lot but charges tenants to pk there. When we come before and complain we’re trying to head off these. Think they did a good job for what they did, but hav to control the pkg on the street.
Dr charles e Mitchell sr., dewitt ave/
Like to address pertinent situation, church located at dead end part of dewitt, sort of problem re plowing in that area/ residents, even homeowners can’t pk anywhere else/ still mounds of snow, 15ft pile of snow and debris right next to marquee w/ my name on it.
It is quite large and menacing. Bible says spk to the mtn we hve and it has not moved.
Myra Campbell –
What is plan fining absentee landlords or abandoned houses not cleared their houses/ What about people who have cell phones re. code red calls/ Monroe Ave no removal at all on one area.
TR – code enforcement…bal we’re trying to achieve myra, don’t wnt to go after people even when can, when you’re tlkg absentee lanld def right/ but wnt be sensitive to people who may not be able to shovel, we’ve reached out to youth corp/ we do wnt to put people on notice/
MC – we hv same prob not jst snow removal but people who don’t cut grass. Other ques?
TR – if u hv a cell phone it’s not automatically included in sys, so yu hv to register your cell phone,
EJ - go to city ofasburypark.com, click on the code red, enter your information.
TR – we hv to coordinate w/ Neptune, channel 12 was called first, but we did
Pat Fasano – I’m a non absentee and did plow all properties/ city worker plowed a ton of snow into mouth of his parking lot
Met w/ iStar’s real estate person , who came from trammel crowe and Hovnanian and sounded like he really knows what he’s doing – Brian…encourage you to try to wk with this person if possible.
Tarrantino – Heck St./ paid twice to remove snow from prop/
ED's NOTE:
At this point your omniscient observer lost her anonymity and other things and took to the mic to state that were this rain instead of snow, we all would have drowned while Public Works determined the best route out of town; to remind Reidy and others that there is an Emergency Management Plan (Reidy is the Emergency Management Coordinator for the City), that it was only after prodding from yours truly 4 or 5 years ago that Reidy finally produced the plan, which was filled with contact names for dead people, defunct communications companies, and obsolete telephone exchanges -- but did not contain an Evacuation Plan. The EMgr coordinates with the county and state police, effectively making the reinventing of the wheel discussed by so many in this meaning, unnecessary. Local authorities, under Mr. Reidy's direction, do however have to fill in the plan with the local information.
If you would like to review the pdf files for the revised, work in progress plan the fire company is working on, please click on the yellow caution sign in the left hand banner on this site http://www.AsburyRadio.com If you would like the history of Asbury Radio's efforts to attract attention to this life and death issue, please go to the directory on this site.
Public comment cont'd...
Jerry Scarano – hav fire hydrants more available, people whose kids playing their yards but not shoveling snow.
Kerry Butch – happy friends and neighbors helped each other, amy quinn called Butch on cell phone to say code red, much appreciated.
Her Q -Bond ordinance for $250,000 reads for redevelopment. Is that for legal fees? Yrs ago city said we’d never pay legal fees for redevelopment, wd always be developer's respons.
TR – This is the money to litigate against developer no way he is going to pay for it/
KB – goes against the spirit of what was told to city. Paid for not with one tax dollar of people of Asbury park. So it’s a violation of promises made to us.
Duane Small – gen’l contractor/ wnt to thank brian giving me opp to help with snow removal. Like bible tells us
Danny Weiss – 4th ave – has partner not well right now. Afraid might need medical help.
We were stuck in hse facing 4th av, not one salter, not one sander, Garrett Giberson was on internet telling storm was coming. Terry u just said phenomenal, perform not any where near phenomenal / not one person has complained about fire, poliece/ Grant they are complaining about - lack of vision / should hv better communication next time/ every once and awhile impatience is a virtue.
Denise Richards – Ridge Ave/ did see front loader come through and he was stuck after cleaning out a driveway/ only way ambulance got thru, put patient on a sled and pulled him all the way to heck av. When frontloader got out, he never came back. if we hired people w/in town we wdn’t hv to worry about them getting into town in a crisis.
We were talking about snow storm for a long while. Shd’ve been better prepared / cooperation. I don’t know what plan you had in place but you have to take that plan out and...
George Kary - What’s status of city's ultimatum to iStar, the 10 days has lapsed.
TR – basically iStar said it doesn’t agree with us. (smiling)
GK - That's it?
JL- Well, it was a little bit more than that Terry. (smiling)
TR - Debated our points and said disagree.
GK - How long can this go on? We’re all stuck here, couldn’t sell if we wanted to. .
TR – governing body and admin has come up w/ strategy that will move things along, we can’t discuss it in public.
GK – can you bar people from driving in bad weather?
TR – unfortunately can't
Cerise – Lake Ave –
Do u hv agreements with county, state for how avenues will be opened, any plans to communicate w/ state.
TR – already started communication during the storm / dialogue was this never happened before and never happen again.
C – looked to see if I could park in State garage but it was locked/ one plow guy did push snow away so she and kids, husband cd dig car out
Keith ?–
From mayor’s rq to share our experiences/ share photo of two DPW workers sitting in broken down plow for 12 hours…/ hope 5 of you up there support brian grant in gaining credibility for what he’s trying to do
Linda Phillips – Bridge is there a plan for that storm that’s coming?
Contracts in place?
BG – right now we have approx 4 contractors assisting us/ we stil hv to get rid of this snow/ repairing lot of the equip’t damaged in storm, mechanics wkg 12hr days/fortunately I operate the cad cam system for color coding, continue to get //
--end of meeting-- Please Note: Brian Grant tells Asbury Radio calls he made to the County Emergency Management Officer were not returned. This is how our investigation of former EMO Harry Conover began. Does the State Office of Emergency Management hold any sway over the counties?
Fails to Mention Emergency Management Plan
Accolades & Recriminations Fly
iStar Financial Disagrees with City Position on its Default
Council Passes Quarter of a Million Dollar Legal Offense Fee
Temporary Budget Passed (numbers TK)
AP City Council Meeting 1/5/11
Welcome to AsburyRadio's Reporters' Notebook - corrections, spellings, clarifications invited. AsburyRadio@aol.com
All Council members present: Sue Henderson, Deputy Mayor John Loffredo, Mayor Ed Johnson, form mayor Kevin Sanders, former deputy mayor James Bruno
Workshop –
Reps from big Sisters Big Bros/ need mentors, who must be 18 yrs or over, need office space 1800 SF, 91c of every dollar donated goes to programs.
James Famularo – applicant for atm machine for transportation center, PNC bank rep at table w/ JM before council.
Also discussing putting one along beachfront…any other locations?
Mayor Johnson – I know been a long wait for us to be able to accept credit cards here in the city.
City mgr TReidy – we put out req for proposals and then come back w/ best for us/ more operational issue/ supposed to meet with them this Friday/ cd be resolved at that mtr/
FM – something about Swan boats on Wesley Lake
.
EJ – what kind of fees?
FM – every transaction, what was it…surcharge $2.50
EJ – don’t want to charge people $5 fee/ seen look on people’s faces when they do that.
EJ – reads proclamation of AP – ref lives of children…big bros big sis, helping to …competent competent children…mentoring programs… more likely to graduate high school/ city promises to frame / app goes to interview…hugs reps from
Tonight w/ Reverse procedures – public mtg w/ start at 7 pm tonight,
then public participation after they discuss snow w/ staff, then private session
Public Meeting –
Budget current fund for 3 mos. - $5 million 400k///beach $30k salaries and wages/ …incomplete…first mtg of every yr state statute adopt …26 /14% of adopted budget of prev yr. so muni can continue business until official budget is adopted/
Community bnk of Asbury park is actually Rumson Fairhaven bank.
PNC Bank, Sovereign and other banks are to be used by AP
Interest and delinquent property tax fees – way too fast to catch
Delinquent check fee
Public hearings on ords’
Salary for zoning officer parttime/ omnibus driver – sen citizen bus driver/ diff finding competent bus driver/ mks this fu/time pos to get someone reliable etc. at this for yrs. Trying to get/
Zoning ord wd lower salary range/ currently asst planner and zoning officer/ so no add’l $ for zoning officer duties/ was on bks at much higher rate – went from 25 to 55/ now it’s part-time for $4k, doesn’t eliminate the title.
Wd use the pos for other driving opportunities/ our exp is that there’s a need for a f/time driver/ p/time pos isn’t wkg/ seniors can’t go where wnt to go/ that person w/ be paid according to what do and w/ find duties if no plc to drive/ only one public member asked q’s – Rita Marano – all yes
Allows PBd to hire someone for sound mitigation analysis, when a business application requires sound analysis is req’d/ this wd change ordinance which now assumes sound analysis is needed. So if not a live music venue they the subcommittee of the PBd would decide if need sound analysis.
All in favor to adopt ord– all aye
Bond Ordinance – moved to next mtg
Blizzard Post-Mortem – Brian Grant and Bob B. go to address council and mayor motions for them to trun and face the audience, (rarely done).
TR – lot of lessons learned during this period. Another stm coming in this fri. some of lessons w/ be applied in next storm. [Reidy is the emergency management officer for AP]
This was the largest, fastest mg storm dumped more snow in this are than 1947. every storm has its own personality/ came in steady, sun am 11 am, gale force winds by night/ what did we know as a state and when did we know it/ predictions of snow on Christmas eve but not that it was a blizzard. Fact it hit day after Christmas, none of this is by way of excuses/ think job done was phenomenal, knew early on that we were on our own/ state abandoned vehicles in AP and got stuck…didn’t do anything for 3 days/ county had own challenges, multiple aban veh, tow trucks abandoned veh/ if wanted to come out wdn’t hv been able to/ Crime was down… Babies born, one del by firefighter Anastasia/ 3.5 hrs to get ambulance from 4th av and grand to hospital, baby born in hosp/ Santander residents put people up for days…
Started as a rescue mission/ henry vaccaro was stuck in Eatontown, cdn’t get equipment bak in ap til Wednes. His eqpt was commandeered by Eatontown police to plow there/
Brian Grant – 24 – 30” in fall, drifts up to 7 --8 feet. Robert (Bob B.) was dudoing the emerg response.
Bob – this was actually the perfect storm at the worst pos time, holidays, materialized to mega storm/ when he lft toms river 12” to 20” I showed up at 10:15 in AM, had 4 guys out for 2 – 3 hrs/ w/in that time streets impassible , then it became a plowing mission/ pedestrians walking ar’d, first day had control in cbd, had drivable in cbd, few hrs later totally impassible, bad to wrse in such short perod of time/ saw cars there, 2 hrs later buried/ had to poke w/ stick to see if there.
10 pm Sunday night, new Holland frontend loader used 90% of time to pull own eqp’t out/ anyone who called called them directly, we got caught bad as anybody in state/ stuck by HS loader got stuck/ Brian was in Atlanta, communicating by phone, cars abandoned throughout the city…no way cd attack snow storm/ no plc to put snow/ for am’t of sno not right am’t of equpt, no one has that much eq’t/ tried to do everything cd/ jprob no way of getting ar’d it/ luckily did hav loader/ we had one comfort, contractor in town lent hvy eqpt, so when reality came we started to clear/ when we got one lane, people started pkg behind / know lot of people were frustrated so was i. When get storm of that magnitude/ All commun in wld we trying to do/ we tk garbage trks out for dep mayor loffredo’s hse, cdn’t get it out of there and this was 2 or 3 days later.
Brian – we hav manpower…only equip’t approp we had was loader/ we lost use of it for 3 hrs, when needed for emergency rescue operation/ we got low on salt/ for a 30” snowfall we didn’t hv what needed/ some of shift wkrs put in 28 hrs, that was bob, others cdn’t get into area/ given resources we had staff did a great job in the beginning/ it’s not a simple plowing operation, our plan calls for stepping back,/ mass and velocity, once u lose your velocity it impedes the effort/ when u plow someone in, people were pushing snow back into street to dig selves out/ then tried to do curb to curb/ we’re physically removing snow, never did so before, into lakes and ocean/ some idea how prioritize snow removal/ I got bk Wednesday/ I was on the street driving vehicles/ we prioritize by supporting on Springwd ave and cookman ave/ Ridge, Bangs and Prospect, Third Ave on Sat. and Sunday/ moving snow from ar’d schools, coord w/ Bd of Ed/ that was fri, sat, sun.
Next, on Monday, code red, started on main avenues, cont’d on ridge av/ projgress on main and Asbury av/ w/ be removing sknow on state hiways/ left for end bez not city jurisdiction/ 6” storm usually mov to side and move on w/ your business. Snding up another cde red message for public to adhere to alternate side/ don’t have snow removal rules/signs in plc yet/ Are we overwhelmed, we said yeah/ Duane Small called to volunteer I said yes. We looked at a contractor recommended by Councilman Kevin Sanders, who had cleared Jersey City in 48 hrs /turned out he wanted $7000/hr/ 50 – 60 hrs or $280,000 to $350,000 to cln up the city – we didn’t hv that kind of money
So asking in this next phase for people to move cars off streets while we clear them.
We need to hv emerg contracts in place/ vaccaro was ad hoc basis/ contractors we reached out to had obligations to other towns/ cedn’t mobilize equip’t until Wedn. Rode red system lot of good feedback/ voice mail filled up every 2 hrs/ was lack of information / really hv to leverage that code red system to constantly communicate/ but really our job was to communicate better/ residents have a role clng strs sooner than later/ try not to clr too soon/ so not constantly digging out/ try not to pk in travel lanes because that impedes/ this is what we’re lkg for from u to mk this / it’s a geam approach, rly need cars off streets, fstr we can serve the public/
w/ be communicating about this much more/ now we’ll mobilize on that day shift to really communicate beter than done in past/
TReidy –
Wnt to tk a few seconds to mention heroics that went on…so mny lifesaving efforts going on in those initial days/ 48 dalysis pats in this little city. Emergency rescue – front end loader used majority of time in life saving/ we said no lives wd be lost bez stranded in need of medical help/ pub wks, fire and police never seen better teamwk/
EJ – jst wnt to say there are a lot of lessons to be learned, we don’t hv lux another storm coming thurs, fri Saturday, crews wkg overtime, to try to lrn those lessons and qkly befor…one of mny lessons lrn’d this wk/ dedication of crews …some left families on Christmas knowing there was storm brewing, some walked from Asbury circle in chest deep snow/ out on st mon, tues, our men and women never gave a thought to giving up…lot of things wnt to do better, need to do better…we need to listen to your input on you experiences and what we can do to be better prepared.
Jim Henry – 6th Ave
We were one of people w/ medical emergency/ called terry 5:15 Monday moring, Robert called out his f/end loader, chf keddy had a truck out for emerg run to hospital/ I was appalled conditions bet here and hosp can’t bel state didn’t do a better job/ we had a 4 wheel vehicle and kept having to turn ar’d …storm of 47 not as bad as this storm/ sometimes not equipped, thnk u guys did a gd job, lot of problms people who jst don’t use their heads/ appreciate
Amy quinn – Santander
Lot of probs w/ storm u had no control over, poli fire dpw did grt job on
\I called DPW don’t know how many times/ if there was a thoroughfare to get out. There was woman in Santander husband was diabetic, family wanted to pick up/ we didn’t even know which
TR = city does have emerg management routes but cdn’t get word out to citzens
Jack – Asbury Tower – don’t know where to put cars. There’s a church in neighborhood one of recom brian made, on that blk alone on any given day…bug empty pkg lot in church/ it wd take city to mk arrangementw w/ the churches/
EJ – we do hope to hv those in place so next time can move them…
Rita Marano – one of things think u shd do and want to come bef planning bd, apts w/ inadequate # of spots. Every car has to have a pkg space/ cookman has pkg lot but charges tenants to pk there. When we come before and complain we’re trying to head off these. Think they did a good job for what they did, but hav to control the pkg on the street.
Dr charles e Mitchell sr., dewitt ave/
Like to address pertinent situation, church located at dead end part of dewitt, sort of problem re plowing in that area/ residents, even homeowners can’t pk anywhere else/ still mounds of snow, 15ft pile of snow and debris right next to marquee w/ my name on it.
It is quite large and menacing. Bible says spk to the mtn we hve and it has not moved.
Myra Campbell –
What is plan fining absentee landlords or abandoned houses not cleared their houses/ What about people who have cell phones re. code red calls/ Monroe Ave no removal at all on one area.
TR – code enforcement…bal we’re trying to achieve myra, don’t wnt to go after people even when can, when you’re tlkg absentee lanld def right/ but wnt be sensitive to people who may not be able to shovel, we’ve reached out to youth corp/ we do wnt to put people on notice/
MC – we hv same prob not jst snow removal but people who don’t cut grass. Other ques?
TR – if u hv a cell phone it’s not automatically included in sys, so yu hv to register your cell phone,
EJ - go to city ofasburypark.com, click on the code red, enter your information.
TR – we hv to coordinate w/ Neptune, channel 12 was called first, but we did
Pat Fasano – I’m a non absentee and did plow all properties/ city worker plowed a ton of snow into mouth of his parking lot
Met w/ iStar’s real estate person , who came from trammel crowe and Hovnanian and sounded like he really knows what he’s doing – Brian…encourage you to try to wk with this person if possible.
Tarrantino – Heck St./ paid twice to remove snow from prop/
ED's NOTE:
At this point your omniscient observer lost her anonymity and other things and took to the mic to state that were this rain instead of snow, we all would have drowned while Public Works determined the best route out of town; to remind Reidy and others that there is an Emergency Management Plan (Reidy is the Emergency Management Coordinator for the City), that it was only after prodding from yours truly 4 or 5 years ago that Reidy finally produced the plan, which was filled with contact names for dead people, defunct communications companies, and obsolete telephone exchanges -- but did not contain an Evacuation Plan. The EMgr coordinates with the county and state police, effectively making the reinventing of the wheel discussed by so many in this meaning, unnecessary. Local authorities, under Mr. Reidy's direction, do however have to fill in the plan with the local information.
If you would like to review the pdf files for the revised, work in progress plan the fire company is working on, please click on the yellow caution sign in the left hand banner on this site http://www.AsburyRadio.com If you would like the history of Asbury Radio's efforts to attract attention to this life and death issue, please go to the directory on this site.
Public comment cont'd...
Jerry Scarano – hav fire hydrants more available, people whose kids playing their yards but not shoveling snow.
Kerry Butch – happy friends and neighbors helped each other, amy quinn called Butch on cell phone to say code red, much appreciated.
Her Q -Bond ordinance for $250,000 reads for redevelopment. Is that for legal fees? Yrs ago city said we’d never pay legal fees for redevelopment, wd always be developer's respons.
TR – This is the money to litigate against developer no way he is going to pay for it/
KB – goes against the spirit of what was told to city. Paid for not with one tax dollar of people of Asbury park. So it’s a violation of promises made to us.
Duane Small – gen’l contractor/ wnt to thank brian giving me opp to help with snow removal. Like bible tells us
Danny Weiss – 4th ave – has partner not well right now. Afraid might need medical help.
We were stuck in hse facing 4th av, not one salter, not one sander, Garrett Giberson was on internet telling storm was coming. Terry u just said phenomenal, perform not any where near phenomenal / not one person has complained about fire, poliece/ Grant they are complaining about - lack of vision / should hv better communication next time/ every once and awhile impatience is a virtue.
Denise Richards – Ridge Ave/ did see front loader come through and he was stuck after cleaning out a driveway/ only way ambulance got thru, put patient on a sled and pulled him all the way to heck av. When frontloader got out, he never came back. if we hired people w/in town we wdn’t hv to worry about them getting into town in a crisis.
We were talking about snow storm for a long while. Shd’ve been better prepared / cooperation. I don’t know what plan you had in place but you have to take that plan out and...
George Kary - What’s status of city's ultimatum to iStar, the 10 days has lapsed.
TR – basically iStar said it doesn’t agree with us. (smiling)
GK - That's it?
JL- Well, it was a little bit more than that Terry. (smiling)
TR - Debated our points and said disagree.
GK - How long can this go on? We’re all stuck here, couldn’t sell if we wanted to. .
TR – governing body and admin has come up w/ strategy that will move things along, we can’t discuss it in public.
GK – can you bar people from driving in bad weather?
TR – unfortunately can't
Cerise – Lake Ave –
Do u hv agreements with county, state for how avenues will be opened, any plans to communicate w/ state.
TR – already started communication during the storm / dialogue was this never happened before and never happen again.
C – looked to see if I could park in State garage but it was locked/ one plow guy did push snow away so she and kids, husband cd dig car out
Keith ?–
From mayor’s rq to share our experiences/ share photo of two DPW workers sitting in broken down plow for 12 hours…/ hope 5 of you up there support brian grant in gaining credibility for what he’s trying to do
Linda Phillips – Bridge is there a plan for that storm that’s coming?
Contracts in place?
BG – right now we have approx 4 contractors assisting us/ we stil hv to get rid of this snow/ repairing lot of the equip’t damaged in storm, mechanics wkg 12hr days/fortunately I operate the cad cam system for color coding, continue to get //
--end of meeting-- Please Note: Brian Grant tells Asbury Radio calls he made to the County Emergency Management Officer were not returned. This is how our investigation of former EMO Harry Conover began. Does the State Office of Emergency Management hold any sway over the counties?
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Annual Budget Amendments, Parking, Permit Fees Dominate July 15 Meeting
Asbury Radio
Reporters’ Notes
Asbury Park City Council Meeting – 7/15/09 - Agendas: see http://www.cityofasburypark.com/
All council members present – Mayor Ed Johnson presiding
- $1,398,341.00 bi-monthly budget approved
- City Must Produce Flood Map Ordinance
- Budget Amendment Passed
- Parking Meter System Examined Boardwalk Permits/ Fees Adjusted
Amendments to the Municipal Budget –
City Manager Terry Reidy (TR) had to read the amendment according to law. Budget was introduced, can’t adopt it yet, delay from State due to State’s budget cycle, it’s reviewing the City’s numbers.
Amending tonight 3 pieces of the budget.
First -- $728,000 in grant monies, such as the annual Community Development Block Grant for $453,342, since budget was introduced are now documented and original budget has to be amended to account for these received payments.
Second – City is creating a Parking Utility – “$50,000 just to establish the entity” TR – does not truly reflect the cost or revenue for setting up the actual utility.
Third – state statute on cap – items are moved inside and outside the cap –
Reidy commenced to read the budget –
Planning & Redevelopment Director, Don Sammet’s Report -
City is planning a 200’ x 200’ multiple activity-park for Springwood Ave, between Atkins and Union Avenues, will feature jogging and walking track, fountain, area for pick up ball games, kiddy park section, a performance space with stage and area for parades or other events. Reconstruction of drainage area will dovetail with this park construction working in a Green or environmentally beneficent aspect to the project.
Another park, Overlook AKA Kennedy Park will agree to sell the unused 25’ x100’ gravel strip subdivided for sale to a buyer, Lake Group AP LLC, who currently own the adjacent property. The use will be a paved parking lot, which would be adjacent to Moonstruck Restaurant. Lake Group will pay $200,000 for the strip. They’ve made a $15,000 payment already and will pay $10,000 by year end, if the subdivision and sale has not taken place by then. They will also pay $7,500 per year to the city for maintenance of the park, according to Don Sammet, redevelopment director.
Asbury Tower will be able to sell space on its 26 story roof to PCS Metro for placement of antennae, some the size of a grapefruit, 250’ above grade level. Some will be 18’ wide by 5’ tall antennas. They will be required to be painted to match building the Asbury Tower building.
“PCS Metro done good job complying with local ordinance,” says Sammet.
EJ: asks if this is a similar situation as the request to place an antenna on the East Side. (He could be referring to radio station WYGG’s unsuccessful request to position a 40’ antenna on its building across from Library Square Park.) Sammet says, no it isn’t. The City will realize some revenue from antennae.
Main St redevelopment proposals have passed their deadline. Project is on track for August 5th meeting with respondent. Sammet will report after.
Waterfront parking report – Giberson -
17 guest permits sold to date at rate of $100.
Smart cards, close to issuing, City engineer, Brian Grant, a prepaid phone card-like card, in denominations from $25 – $2500 to pay for parking, provides incentive for residents and frequent visitors by allowing them to buy $30 parking package for $25. Easier for us to get money sooner than later, says Grant. Machine that dispenses the “smart cards” would be located in city hall or at the parking stations themselves.
Parking station machine status (T Reidy)– anytime you start something new there are problems to be worked out. But machines have processed to date over 100,000 coins, bills and credit cards. By contrast, the problems, says Reidy, amount to 1/10 – 3/10ths of 1 percent. Failure rate is important, but need to be put in terms of measuring reliability of machines.
Bill acceptor sometime overly sensitive: Machines check for like 19 different things on a bill. Important to break down problems into specific problems to allow for follow up. So parking customers help this process by being specific in their complaints.
Credit Card Acceptance - Grant checking into getting faster modem for credit card processing. The bandwidth is available for faster service.
Visibility - Testing LED light, low energy LED lite, comes on at night and stays on till sunrise. Testing now to see how LED will perform in winter. Note: most shore area towns have traditionally discontinued meter parking during off-season.
Giberson - Signs to inform public hours of metered parking. Adding 30 signs, plus loading zone and 3 hr signs. NJ Transit has fixed its signs.
Policy piece is next phase, as per Reidy. Managing parking for consumers and retailers is the big piece of the policy.
EJ asked about situation where visitor paid until 4:28, yet got ticketed at 4:12. TR: Patron can call 774-1300 and have it corrected right away.
Flood Damage prevention – Bill Gray, Code Enforsement Officer
Gray attended seminar. City needs to have a flood map ordinance. We need this so residents can qualify for low cost flood insurance. Must have the insurance available for our residents. Last 1983. Significant change in AP. Follow up Question: Why is this coming from the code endorsement officer instead of the Emergency Management Officer for the City, who is Reidy? For AP’s current emergency management plan, please click on the caution symbol on the upper left home page of AsburyRadio.
Gilmour – City Commerce Dir.
Additional fees from vendors. Special Events Committee recommended boardwalk fees be $35/per vendor or $250 per block per day/ $500 whre food and/or alcohol is to be served– whichever is higher/
Q: EJ: feel like we’re changing rules of game in middle of game.
Councilmember James Bruno – they’re asking to use add’l footage in front of their buildings, so they should pay for it.
TG: also problem w/ people in restaurants wanting view of ocean not tents of vendors blocking view.
TR: Madison Marquette has been asked to look into this to be sure kiosks are not functioning at the detriment of rental merchants.
Another Q is vendors who are charging for admission to events on AP beach. Ex: Physical fitness on boardwalk wants to do exercises on beach: A yoga instructor from Cookman doing instruction on beach now. They would have to get mercantile license, which would regulate hours and area where the commerce would take place. Have to get zoning compliance first. Would need an additional rider on policy to cover the activity, too. Council cautioned Gilmour to distinguish between frequent and one-time events.
Gilmour will review how other beach communities are charging for-profit businesses.
4th of July Parade Report –
Best organized yet, says Jim Bruno. Will definitely have another next year, but need more volunteers and to raise money.
EJ – asked TR if can we get portable bike racks for CBD as well as waterfront. TR to get prices, research available funds.
Council asked audience to note in the quiet prayer, city employee Mary Margaret Davis loss of her both husband and her aunt over weekend. (Asbury Radio sends our condolences.)
James Famularo on vacation.
Raffetto - Council will not be acting on anything discussed in executive session.
Public Comment Portion
Ben Schlossberg 321 Sunset Av/ quality of life issue, ice cream trucks, Pop Goes the Weasel and Turkey in the Straw. Also flag rope is banging on flag pole.
Rita Marano, 8th Ave, agrees on ice cream truck. Also, special events: block party put huge trailer across Emory St. Very loud, disrupted traffic. Have to be careful permitting block parties that aren’t for the block. Requested traffic speed monitor for 8th Av.
Pam Lamberton – 6th Ave; re. Schlossberg, twist the ropes on the mast and they won’t bang.
Owner should pay for parking permits at Stone Pony if trailers and other equipment block the meters.
AP Community Justice Advisory Board. [Lawson June, Chair, Barbara Lisinski, Secretary. It works w/ services in city and charitable departments of corporations.] The board will hold a Community Day with a dunk tank. Lou Jordan, former AP police director and a founding member of the Baord, will be dunk tank monitor. Dunk tank volunteers: First one in the tank will be Police Chief Mark Kinmon, then Sue Henderson, Terry Reidy, Ed Johnson, Amy Quinn, Fire chief Kevin Keddy, John Loffredo. 11 – 4 pm on Saturday, July 18.
Vernice McGriff – transportation committee, kickoff jazz series this Friday. 6 – 8 pm, free. Third year. Q re. bus service for beach. Where do they stop?
EJ: Originates at train station. Cookman to Grand turns onto Ocean, to 6th or 7th and for return trip.
LouAnn Peter Paul – representing Brick Wall to object to ordinance, w/ be in compliance with noise level w/in 30 days. Asking that ordinance is postponed. Council postponed passage to September 2 meeting.
Ava Horvath – Problem with RCA funds to rehabilitate homes she has there on Avenue A. Applied 8 months ago. Told will take 16 mos. To review request. Maybe by October they could put them out to bid, they said.
EJ – how can we expedite?
TR – Not exactly accurate. Hundreds of thousand of dollars been spent to rehabilitate houses in the city.
Sarise Garillo – thank Chief Kinmon, Fire Capt. Kelso, and Fire Chief Keddy re. noise ordinance. Trust your judgment whether to table ordinance or not that it will be done eventually.
Closed Public Session – - Matters Before The Council Minutes organizational meeting approved.
No comment on budget amendment –
All yes on passage of ordinance to amend City’s annual budget.
Vendor fees: $250 per block per day/ $500 for food and/or alcohol to be served
All yes
Catering permit for AP Restaurant III – trading as Lance and Debbie's Wonder Bar/ special dates
All yes
Special event apps – as per Gilmour all yes
Liquor license for new Mexican Restaurant replacing Crossroads Bar at 4th Av and Main St. All yes -
Bruno asked if max or min fee we can charge when licenses are transferred.
Extend Langosta Lounge boardwalk footprint, for special events from 10 x to 20 x 180 ft. instead of 30 x 180 originally requested. All yes.
Stone Pony extend liquor license to include several lots. City gets 10% of the price per sq foot when extended.
All yes
Resolution for 2009 grant for police dept $61,683. All yes
County senior center grant – $31,320. for 3 years/ it’s a 25% matching grant, in kind. All yes.
Water hookups no longer exist, cancels sewer billings on the accounts.
Settlement workers comp – John Moor $38,308.
All yes
Settlement workers comp – Frank Condello $18,174
All yes.
Bids road improve Third, Grand, Mem’l, Summerfield, Prospect, Drummond Ct, etc. – All yes
From work session
Park on Springwood – JB: remember county offered money for park/ Loffredo there were strings attached decided not to do. TR: we are still pursuing that
Brim -county parks
Murray and Sons, surveyors – subdivision for Overlook Park - contract approved
Asbury Tower antenna – sent to planning board for app’l
Aug 5th meeting – flood damage ordinance to be introduced at
Also, ordinance amending CBD alter pkg requirement pursuant to local
Brick Wall - noise ordinance – carried to Sept 2nd
Meeting Closed.
If you have additions, corrections, comments, please click the comment link below.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Our former County Emergency Officer's Arrogance
Here's the letter to the editor I wrote to the Asbury Park Press, which published it today:
From the Asbury Park Press
January 29, 2009
Ex-official arrogant in attack on prosecutor
Making his case that Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis Valentin had no right to put his family in his official vehicle may have been a problem for former Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Harry J. Conover, Jr., especially since municipalities are letting their employees take their vehicles home. ("Double standard in the courtroom," Jan. 23.) But the fact that he tried underscores an arrogance that shouldn't be ignored.
What's astonishingly easy to prove is that Conover put lives in danger by vouching for Asbury Park's emergency management plan. At the time of his suspension in 2007, his Web site claimed he had 100 percent of compliance in Monmouth County. But the Asbury Park plan at that time was a stack of white, unbound pages rising 3 to 4 inches off a table, some of which contained the names of defunct companies, outdated phone numbers and dead people to contact in case of a disaster. The section on how the public was to be evacuated was missing.
In fact, the only evacuation sign in Asbury Park, at the corner of Sunset Avenue and Route 35, directed people north on Route 35, which is contrary to State Police directives that people in this area not use that corridor. Doing so would potentially block cars trying to head west. Despite this, Conover's Web site said all municipalities in Monmouth County were in compliance, which raises the question: How many communities actually were prepared for disasters?
If Conover, in classic Club Monmouth fashion, allowed this on his watch, he may be more than arrogant — he could have been subject to criminal negligence charges.
Maureen Nevin
ASBURY PARK
Note: I expect to have the electronic file of the city's Emergency Managment Plan from Fire Chief Kevin Keddy any day now. Chief Keddy returned my phone call, leaving a v/mail that he is checking with the various parties responsible for contributing parts of the plan, called "annexes", which would include the annex for evacuation plans. As soon as the annex preparers have signed off on the plan, I'll be able to collect the electronic file from the Fire Dept., using a flash drive, and hopefully load it onto this site for your review and to refer to for emergencies.
From the Asbury Park Press
January 29, 2009
Ex-official arrogant in attack on prosecutor
Making his case that Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis Valentin had no right to put his family in his official vehicle may have been a problem for former Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Harry J. Conover, Jr., especially since municipalities are letting their employees take their vehicles home. ("Double standard in the courtroom," Jan. 23.) But the fact that he tried underscores an arrogance that shouldn't be ignored.
What's astonishingly easy to prove is that Conover put lives in danger by vouching for Asbury Park's emergency management plan. At the time of his suspension in 2007, his Web site claimed he had 100 percent of compliance in Monmouth County. But the Asbury Park plan at that time was a stack of white, unbound pages rising 3 to 4 inches off a table, some of which contained the names of defunct companies, outdated phone numbers and dead people to contact in case of a disaster. The section on how the public was to be evacuated was missing.
In fact, the only evacuation sign in Asbury Park, at the corner of Sunset Avenue and Route 35, directed people north on Route 35, which is contrary to State Police directives that people in this area not use that corridor. Doing so would potentially block cars trying to head west. Despite this, Conover's Web site said all municipalities in Monmouth County were in compliance, which raises the question: How many communities actually were prepared for disasters?
If Conover, in classic Club Monmouth fashion, allowed this on his watch, he may be more than arrogant — he could have been subject to criminal negligence charges.
Maureen Nevin
ASBURY PARK
Note: I expect to have the electronic file of the city's Emergency Managment Plan from Fire Chief Kevin Keddy any day now. Chief Keddy returned my phone call, leaving a v/mail that he is checking with the various parties responsible for contributing parts of the plan, called "annexes", which would include the annex for evacuation plans. As soon as the annex preparers have signed off on the plan, I'll be able to collect the electronic file from the Fire Dept., using a flash drive, and hopefully load it onto this site for your review and to refer to for emergencies.
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