Politics & Government

Residents Criticize Officials on Response to Flooding

Fayette Avenue resident: 'You have to make sure that you don't let [residents] in the floodplain down.'

Flooding was again a topic of discussion at a council meeting Wednesday night. Residents at the meeting said the town’s elected officials have let them down when it comes to their response to flooding this year and their efforts to alleviate the problem.

“I think you’ve let the citizens of Wayne down. All the citizens of Wayne have pulled together on this one,” said Fayette Avenue resident Lu Jashari said to officials. “You have to make sure that you don’t let [residents] in the floodplain down. You are a government by the people for the people."

Jashari referenced the work the Wayne Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters, the Wayne Interfaith Network, and residents of Ryerson Avenue have done recently to assist flood victims.

Find out what's happening in Waynewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Stick to the business of the people. It's not about the floods, it's about the whole picture," said Marlene Prlinik.

After the meeting, Mayor Christopher Vergano addressed rhetoric by residents who say there is a conflict of interest regarding John Szabo being both township planner and the mayor of Oakland when it comes to protecting residents from flooding.

Find out what's happening in Waynewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“I don’t believe there is a conflict between the two positions,” Vergano said after the meeting. “If I did, I wouldn’t have re-appointed him two years ago.”

Several flooded-out residents have said that the floodgates on the dam directly contribute to flooding in low-lying sections of town while sparing municipalities upstream–including Oakland and Mahwah–from floodwater.

The gates, which are controlled by a computer, open automatically when the water reaches a certain level behind the dam. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers oversees the gates’ operation.

“The truth of the matter is: the volume of water is the volume of water,” Szabo said. “These are low-lying areas with a history of flooding, that’s not going to change. There’s been no scientific, hydrological evidence, or study that shows the gates have contributed one ounce to the problem.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) denied Governor Chris Christie’s appeal in May to declare parts of North Jersey a major disaster area due to flooding that occurred in March. A preliminary damage assessment report by FEMA states that the damage “was not of such severity and magnitude as to be beyond the combined capabilities of the State, affected local governments, and voluntary agencies. The township was denied several hundred thousand dollars in relief funds.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here