One week later...

Although the bulk of the inital work (removal of the mud from the roadway) has been completed, there is still a lot yet to be done. Our main objectives now are the stability of Lewis Lane as it relates to the damaged homes and the removal of the casino.

Our surveyors have been monitoring the road and there has not been any movement since last week. That is encouraging. The status of the two houses and eventual removal needs to be worked out with the property owners. My heart goes out to them during this difficult time.

We will be going out to bid for the demolition of the casino soon. That will be a hard day for an enormous number of people.

A practical concern throughout this process is, How are we going to pay for this? We have been working with the Township's CFO Kevin Lifer and Auditor, Bill Schroeder of Nisivoccia and Company, to see what our options are. It looks like we will need to take out a bond to cover these expenses. This is not something that the Committee takes lightly. Details of that will be discussed as we know more.

We met with representatives of FEMA this morning. They were assessing all of the damage to public property throughout the County. If the damages hit a set amount, we could qualify for funding. This is different from a disaster declaration to cover private property. I have to say the response was not encouraging.

The West side of the lake remains closed. There is still a lot of work going on in an already tight space. Please respect the "Residents Only" restrictions.

FEMA

We are still waiting to hear whether or not there will be a federal disaster declaration for Tropical Storm Lee. The declaration of Hurricane Irene only covers damage through September 5th. Our damage occurred September 8th, during TS Lee.

You mght have seen the news today stating that Salem, Cumberland and Glouster Counties were granted FEMA relief. This is for flooding that occurred August 13- 15th. The township has sent requests to our Federal representatives, Congressman Scott Garrett and Senators Lautenberg and Menedez. Our state representatives were very supportive of Governor's Christie's request to the President to make this declaration.

Congressman Garrett and Assemblyman John DiMaio were both on-site the day after the incident to witness the damage first-hand.

Township Meeting

There is a Township Committee meeting Thursday night, 7 pm at Town Hall. The status of the incident and plans on how to proceed will be discussed. We welcome input from all affected residents.

Fundraising Efforts

There has been a lot of questions about what can be done to help the families who suffered losses. To meet their immediate needs, gift-cards for local stores are being collected and can be brought to town hall. I will update when a more formal fund is established.

In the meantime, Mama's Pizza is donating a portion of their profits to the families. Make sure you mention the effort to your server for proper credit. I thank the Schiano Family for their extreme generosity during this incident, in providing food for the residents and emergency responders.

Monday Sept. 12

The clean-up of the mud has begun. Lakeside Drive will be contine to be closed - Now more than ever there are safety concerns, as the road is very narrow, and there are numerous trucks coming and going, loaded with heavy mud and debris.

Silt fence and hay bales have been installed to help prevent mud and debris from sliding into the lake.

Search and Rescue

On Saturday, members of the New Jersey Initial Response Team were on-site to recover items from the two damaged homes. It was really something to watch the way they worked. We formed a chain to pass along items as they were brought out of the homes.

Incident Update

First of all, I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of concern and support we have received since the incident occurred Thursday evening. As you may know, the extreme amount of rainfall last week compromised the integrity of the soil on a hillside in the area of Lakeside Drive and Lewis Lane at Mountain Lake. One house was destroyed and another was seriously damaged.

All residents of the immediate area were evacuated. After review by geological technicians, it was determined that the road should remain closed, but residents were able to return to their homes on Friday afternoon.

On Saturday, members of the New Jersey Initial Response Team entered the two homes to retrieve valuable documents and personal belongings. I was very impressed with this group of highly-trained individuals. This is an all-volunteer organization that does not charge for their services. I encourage donations to support their continued operations. Contributions can be mailed to PO Box 2153, Branchville, NJ 07826.

As of Sunday, Lewis Lane and Lakeside Drive remain closed. We understand the natural curiosity associated with this type of situation, but due to safety concerns, only residents of the immediate area are allowed in the area.

For those wishing to assist the residents who were displaced, gift cards to local stores would be greatly appreciated. They can be dropped off at the municipal building on Mountain Lake Road or All American Cycle on Route 46.

It has been a long few days. The amount of time and effort put in by members of the Mountain Lake Fire Company and Ladies Auxilary, Independence First Aid Squad, mutual aid companies, my fellow Committeemembers and local residents can not be explained. There was literally around-the-clock involvement and dedication by these individuals. To Fire Chief Steve Matuszek, I can not thank you enough.

I also want to thank Bob and Kathy Nykun of Nykun's Store, the Schiano Family of Mama's Pizza and all of the individuals who brought food and water to the emergency workers and residents over the weekend. Your generosity is deeply appreciated.

We are collecting contact information from the residents of the immediate area for emergency notification purposes. If you have not submitted your information over the weekend, please do so by calling Diane at the Municipal Building at 637-4579. We will be sending email updates to those residents during the next few days.

Again, I thank you all for your patience and cooperation during this time. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call me anytime.

John Inscho