Brick Officials to waive permit fees for flood victims
Brick Township Officials, including Mayor John Ducey and the Council, are waiving the permit fees for residents whose homes were damaged by the severe flooding caused by the monster rain storm August 13 as they begin the rebuilding process.
Brick experienced historic-level rain with an estimated eight inches of rain fell in a short period of time causing significant flooding in the community.
One of the hardest hit areas and one of continued focus is the Greenbriar One active adult community.
There are over 170 homes that have been identified as having been damaged in the storm as of August 28, according to the Brick Township Building Department.
“The residents whose homes were damaged in the storm face a long road back. Many of those residents are senior citizens on fixed incomes," Mayor Ducey said. "We want to help them to the best of our ability and one way we can is by waiving fees for the rebuilding of their homes."
The Council will vote on a resolution at their meeting tonight that will authorize the waiving of fees required by the Township Code and Uniform Construction Code for any home that sustained flood damage caused by the August 13 rainstorm.
The fees would be waived through November 1.
Township officials say the waived fees will only apply to permits that are issued to repair damage sustained in the storm.
Fees for permits for improvements unrelated to the storm will still be applied.
While these fees will be waived, applicants will still be responsible for any nominal state fees.
The township has no authorization to wave any required state fees.
The resolution will also authorize the refund of any permit fees paid from the date of the storm through the adoption of the resolution for homes damaged during the storm.
At the same meeting tonight, the Council will vote on a resolution asking the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and the Ocean County Engineering Department to conduct an independent study on the August 13 storm and the impact that the recently completed Garden State Parkway, specifically near Exit 91, had on the flooding.
“Citizens have raised legitimate questions about how much of the flooding if any was caused by the Parkway construction and widening" Ducey said. "The worst flooding was adjacent to the Parkway and the new exits and entrances along Burrsville Road. The Turnpike Authority and County Engineering Department have an obligation to find out if the flooding was worsened by their projects and if so, what they can do to help prevent this in the future.”