NJ Floodplain NewsVolume 12, Issue 3 Fall 2016 NJAFM Conference – Another Record Breaker!

The NJAFM 12th Annual Conference on October 18-20, 2016 at Bally’s in Atlantic City was attended by over 360 people. The Conference started out with another exciting and informative Cracker Barrel session on Tuesday, October 18th where topics discussed included flood mapping, Community Rating System (CRS), FEMA Region *II, Coordinating Building Codes and Floodplain Management Regulations, NJDEP Land Use Regulations, Water Resources/Flood Modeling and Coastal Vulnerability Assessments. Only hours after state, local, NJ and New York City officials were debriefed of the NJ and NY Atlantic coast storm surge reanalysis, FEMA announced it to conference goers. The first plenary session included presentations on the implications of municipal flood risk on lending institutions, flood insurance and homeowners. John Englander , oceanographer and consultant, was keynote speaker who spoke on the societal and financial impacts of sea level rise. The second plenary session speaker was Chuck Roberts of Performance Management Group, LLC who spoke on Secrets to Superior Persuasive Communication. The third plenary session covered FEMA’s Community Rating System – A Hazard Mitigation, Financial and Political Success Story. Over 40 concurrent session presentations were made by numerous floodplain management professionals. Photos of the recipients of both the NJAFM and FEMA CRS Community Awards are below and at: http://www.njafm.org/resources/Pictures/ConferencePhotos.pdf

New Jersey Association for Floodplain Management (NJAFM) – NJ Floodplain News –December 2016 1

Conference Co-Chair Mark Mauriello Keynote Speaker John Englander

Michael Moriarty, FEMA receives NJAFM 2016 Floodplain Leadership Award from Legislative Committee Chair John Miller (far left), Awards Committee Chair Laura Tessieri and William McDonnell, FEMA (far right)

Michael Moriarty, FEMA Region II, Director of Mitigation and William McDonnell, FEMA Region II, Deputy Director of Mitigation

New Jersey Association for Floodplain Management (NJAFM) – NJ Floodplain News –December 2016 2

Lifetime Achievement Awardee Bonnie Flynn, Director of Community Development, Stafford Township, NJ with Awards Committee Chair Laura Tessieri

Lifetime Achievement Awardee Jimmy Galantino, Construction Official/FPA, Margate City, NJ with Awards Committee Chair Laura Tessieri

Lifetime Floodplain Management Achievement Awardee Ruth Ehinger, NJDEP with Conference Co-Chair Mark Mauriello

2016 Media Awardee Dan Skeldon, Atlantic City Press with Laura Tessieri, Awards Committee Chairperson

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2016 Outstanding Floodplain Management Awardee Marjorie Kaplan, Rutgers University with Laura Tessieri, Awards Committee Chair

CRS Awards

William McDonnell, FEMA Region II Deputy Director of Mitigation presenting to Maxine Rescorl, zoning officer of Aberdeen.

William McDonnell, FEMA Region II Deputy Director of Mitigation presenting to Ed Stinson, P.E., C.M.E, engineer and city manager, Brigantine Beach, NJ

William McDonnell, FEMA Region II Deputy Director of Mitigation presenting to Melissa Unrath, Planning Board Secretary of Denville

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William McDonnell, FEMA Region II Deputy Director of Mitigation presenting to Thomas A. Brody, P.E., Lincoln Park and Nick Agnoli, Agnoli Engineering

 William McDonnell, FEMA Region II Deputy Director of Mitigation presenting to Joseph Macones, construction official, of Little Falls.

William McDonnell, FEMA Region II Deputy Director of Mitigation presenting to Arthur Chew, P.E. assistant engineer and Pat Newton, construction official / Floodplain administrator of Ocean City

William McDonnell, FEMA Region II Deputy Director of Mitigation presenting to Timothy Skinner, construction official / floodplain administrator of Point Pleasant Borough.

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William McDonnell, FEMA Region II Deputy Director of Mitigation presenting to Michael Gardner, construction official / floodplain administrator of Point Pleasant Beach.

 

William McDonnell, FEMA Region II Deputy Director of Mitigation presenting to Mark Pasquali, Director of Public Works / Floodplain administrator / CRS coordinator of Roselle Park. 

William McDonnell, FEMA Region II Deputy Director of Mitigation presenting to Ray Zabihach, Planning Board and Dino Cavalieri, Construction Department / CRS coordinator of Ventnor City

William McDonnell, FEMA Region II Deputy Director of Mitigation presenting to Steve Booy, Zoning officer / CRS coordinator of the City of Wildwood.

New Jersey Association for Floodplain Management (NJAFM) – NJ Floodplain News –December 2016 6

2016-2017 NJAFM Officers

Craig Wenger, Past Chair; Andrew Banff, Chair; Maria DiSalvatore, Vice Chair;

Mark Herrmann, Secretary and Jacob Oldenburger, Treasurer

NEWS

Back Bay Flood-Defense Plan will take Time, Federal Official Sayshttp://www.njspotlight.com/stories/16/12/01/back-bay-flood-defense-plan-will-take-time-federal-official-says/#

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NEWS (Continued)

Readington resident concerned about township flooding

Source:

By Dave Hutchinson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com   on September 19, 2016 at 5:25 PM, updated September 20, 2016 at 11:33 AM

Flooding on Pleasant Run Road in Readington. (Courtesy of Pleasant Run Flood

Control website)

Readington Twp. - Township resident Kenneth Garvey had requested to be put on the agenda for Monday night's Township Committee meeting in hopes to discuss flooding within the Pleasant Run and Holland Brook watersheds, but no promise was made to him, said Mayor Betty Ann Fort Tuesday morning.

At the end of the meeting, the item was briefly addressed and plans to form a committee to study the flooding were announced, Fort said on Tuesday.

Recent rains have caused flooding on Pleasant Run Road that have resulted in major damage to vehicles and property in the area, said Garvey, who has started the Pleasant Run Flood Control website.

According to the website, 1,267 properties on the Holland Brook and 927 properties on the Pleasant Run, which covers 23.3 square miles, have been affected by the flooding.

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Gov. Chris Christie signs N.J. flood bill

Gov. Chris Christie signed legislation on Sept. 1, 2016, creating a task force to address Raritan River and Delaware River flooding.

"I think this is a very important issue for Hunterdon County and Readington Township because the road is sometimes four and five feet underwater within an hour or so after it starts raining," said Garvey. "Cars are getting stuck. It's getting worse and worse.

"We're hoping the township can put a group together to address the problem. We'd like them to look at the different causes of the flooding and how it can be corrected. There's a lot of destruction going on."

Garvey said he'd like a task force to include engineers from Readington Township, Hunterdon County and officials from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Garvey said issues such as the safety of residents and the preservation of their property, the erosion of stream beds, debris impeding the flow of water within steam beds, storm water runoff and the possibility of obtaining grant money to fix the problem will be discussed at the meeting.

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Gov. Christie signs bill creating Hunterdon-Somerset Flood Advisory Task ForceEditors Note: NJAFM has been active in promoting an NJAFM member appointment to this Commission. NJAFM will let the membership know when appointments have been made public.

Source: Hunterdon Review – September 6, 2016

Gov. Chris Christie has signed legislation establishing a task force to address Raritan

and Delaware River flooding in Somerset and Hunterdon counties. The legislation was

sponsored by Sen. Christopher “Kip” Bateman, R-Hunterdon, Sen. Michael Doherty, R-

Hunterdon, and Assemblyman Andrew Wicker, D-Hunterdon.

The new law establishes the Hunterdon–Somerset Flood Advisory Task Force, which is

charged with reviewing past flooding events within Hunterdon and Somerset counties

from flooding of the Delaware and Raritan rivers and their respective tributaries, and

recommending measures to reduce future impacts from flooding on residents,

businesses, and local government units in the Delaware River and Raritan River basins.

The task force would also review the effectiveness of county and local emergency

response plans.

“We took great strides last month in Bound Brook by moving forward Green Brook Flood

Risk Management Project,” Doherty said. “However, we still need a comprehensive plan

to ensure all communities along the Raritan and Delaware Rivers have the tools and

information needed to prepare for severe flooding. I look forward to reviewing the task

force’s findings and finally implementing longterm solutions for our residents.”

“As a lifelong resident of Somerset County, I have seen far too many homes and small

businesses that have been irreversibly damaged by flooding,” Bateman said. “The

residents who continue to come to me with these concerns deserve answers, which is

one of the many reasons why we advocated for establishing this task force.

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“After generations of coping with serious flooding, it is relieving to know that we now

have a pathway to protecting our communities from future severe weather events.”

“While the Delaware and Raritan rivers afford Somerset and Hunterdon county

residents many benefits, they also pose serious threats when it comes to flooding,” said

Wicker. “The goal of this task force is to bring together experts in the field and local

officials with keen insight so that comprehensive strategies can be formulated to

mitigate damage from future flooding events. I’m looking forward to reviewing the task

force’s final report and working with my colleagues on any legislative solutions that may

come out of it.”

The task force will consist of 11 members as follows:

• The Commissioner of Environmental Protection, or the commissioner’s designee;

• The Director of the State Office of Emergency Management in the Division of State

Police in the Department of Law and Public Safety, or the director’s designee;

• Two mayors who represent municipalities located in the Delaware River basin;

• Two mayors who represent municipalities located in the Raritan River basin;

• One representative each from the Hunterdon County Office of Emergency

Management and the Somerset County Office of Emergency Management;

• One representative from the Millstone and Raritan Rivers Flood Control Commission;

and

• Two individuals with relevant expertise in the areas of engineering, flood mitigation,

public planning, environmental protection, or related issues.

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The task force will organize as soon as practicable after the appointment of its members

and would be provided primary staff support from the Department of Environmental

Protection (DEP).

Within one year after its organization, the task force will submit a final report, including

its findings, conclusions, and recommendations, to the Governor and the New Jersey

Legislature. Copies of the report will be posted on the DEP’s website, and printed

copies of the report will be provided to the public upon request and free of charge.

Community Rating System (CRS) Coordinator’s Manual for 2017

In accord with its routine three-year cycle, the CRS is preparing to release an updated version of the CRS Coordinator’s Manual. The draft document is undergoing final review at the Office of Management and Budget to ensure adherence with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act. When OMB issues its final approval and sets an effective date—expected to be January 1, 2017—the new Coordinator’s Manual will be available for download at www.CRSresources.org and at other sites. Unlike the previous, 2013, edition, the upcoming Coordinator’s Manual will include no major changes. Numerous improvements, clarifications, and minor corrections are being made, some of which are quite important even though they do not require substantive changes to a community’s CRS program or procedures. Some of the 2017 changes are discussed below. The CRS Team thanks all the communities who provided feedback about the Coordinator’s Manual from month to month, pointing out places where the language could be clearer, where another example would be useful, or how criteria or scoring could be adapted to ensure an approach to credit that is appropriate in a wide range of circumstances. Things to Know ▬ You do not need to change your preparation for your next verification visit. Just get ready as you always do. As usual, your community’s coverage under the new edition will be phased in and your ISO/CRS Specialist will work with you to spot any different documentation or other changes that will apply to you in the future. ▬ The 2017 Coordinator’s Manual is expected to become effective January 1, 2017, and will be available for download at www.CRSresources.org. [continued on next page]

▬ Changes from previous editions will be marked with vertical bars in the margins of the pages of the 2017 Coordinator’s Manual. This will help you spot places that you may want to review, to see if the change affects your community.

Four Things that will be Different

▬ The CRS repetitive loss categories will be changing. Category C communities will be those with 50 or more repetitive loss properties (compared to 10 or more such

New Jersey Association for Floodplain Management (NJAFM) – NJ Floodplain News –December 2016 12

properties under the current Coordinator’s Manual). With this change will come a requirement that repetitive loss areas be addressed either in Planning Step 5.c. for floodplain management plans (FMP) (Section 512.a under Activity 510 (Floodplain Management Planning)) or included in a repetitive loss area analysis (RLAA)(Section 512.c). There will be more explanation about this requirement in the next newsletter. For most Category C communities, attention to repetitive loss areas already meets the CRS requirements, but some communities may need to give more consideration to their repetitive loss areas as they develop or update their hazard mitigation plans or other plans.

▬ The three special flood-related hazards supplements (dealing with coastal erosion, tsunami hazards, and inland hazards) to the Coordinator’s Manual are being discontinued. Communities who map and/or manage areas subject to one of the seven CRS-credited special flood-related hazards will see that, in the 2017 edition, all the credit criteria, scoring details, and other needed information for receiving credit have been folded into the Coordinator’s Manual itself. This eliminates the need for the extra documents, and makes it easier to see how the special floodrelated hazards credits relate to broader management techniques, i.e., mapping, higher regulatory standards, open space, and the like.

▬ With the 2017 Coordinator’s Manual, credit for being a Cooperating Technical Partner (CTP) is being retired and credits within other floodplain mapping elements are being increased to offset that loss. The majority of communities will see their points go up in other mapping elements. This shift will allow for fair credit to communities that, for one reason or another, do not or cannot avail themselves of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s CTP program.

▬ The freeboard prerequisite for becoming a CRS Class 4 community is being clarified. Between the 2007 and 2013 Coordinator’s Manuals, a revision to the prerequisites language led inadvertently to a misunderstanding, namely that freeboard was not required throughout a community’s entire Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), and in particular in unnumbered A Zones. Most Class 4 and better communities already were properly implementing the freeboard requirement, so going back to the original interpretation is not a burden. However, with new language clarifying that the one-foot freeboard requirement must be implemented throughout the SFHA, other communities will have time to update their ordinances, and require that a base flood elevation (BFE) be established at the time of development in unnumbered A Zones.

Source: NFIP/CRS Update – September/October, 2016

Community Rating System (CRS) Webinar SeriesFEMA is sponsoring a series of webinars on the Community Rating System (CRS). These webinars will cover introduction to CRS, changes in the 2017 CRS Coordinator’s Manual, Repetitive Loss Properties and the CRS, Preparing for a Verification Visit, the Role of the Community CRS Coordinator, CRS and Coastal Hazards and Developing

New Jersey Association for Floodplain Management (NJAFM) – NJ Floodplain News –December 2016 13

Outreach Projects (Activity 330). The schedule for these webinars is posted on the NJAFM Calendar page at http://www.njafm.org/calendar For further information on the webinar series go to: https://atkinsglobalna.webex.com/mw3100/mywebex/default.do?siteurl=atkinsglobalna&service=7 and enter CRS in the search function.

To enter the CRS program, communities must be in good standing with FEMA regulations (no violations) and contact should be made with Jim Watt (609-292-2296 or james.watt@dep.nj.gov ) or Pat Griggs, FEMA Region II (212-680-8523 or patricia.griggs@dhs.gov).

Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) Review Course and Exam On January 12-13, 2017NJAFM is presenting a 2 day review floodplain management class for individuals preparing for taking the CFM exam. The course and exam will take place at the Nurture Nature Center in Easton, PA. This review course will closely follow the following documents: FEMA-480, a study guide and desk reference for local officials. The course instructor will be Cleighton Smith, PE, CFM. All registrants will be expected to review study materials prior to the course. For further information go to: http://www.njafm.org/news_blog/4401740

NJAFM CRS Committee Convenes

Vice Chair Maria DiSalvatore and Legislative Committee Chair John Miller have worked with the CRS Committee Co-Chairs Jonathan Raser and Jim Watt to begin CRS Committee activities for the new year. The CRS Committee met on November 18th to review the current CRS Committee description on the NJAFM website: http://njafm.org/crs_ committee ; discuss goals of the committee; discuss co-chairs thoughts on value to our members and activities; and thoughts on future outreach to committee members.

New Jersey Flood Management Quick Guide

NJAFM is proud to announce the last year’s publication of the Quick Guide for Floodplain Management in New Jersey. The purpose of the Quick Guide is to help the user to understand why and how communities in the State of New Jersey manage development in floodplains to protect people and property. Flood-prone communities adopt ordinances and enforce building codes that detail the rules and requirements. Some of the topics covered in the Quick Guide include:

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Why do we regulate the floodplain? What is the National Flood Insurance Program

(NFIP)? The NFIP’s Community Rating System (CRS) FEMA Flood Maps Understanding Riverine and Coastal Floodplains Understanding the Floodway Levee Certification for FEMA Flood Maps Flood Map Revisions Fundamentals of Flood Resistant Construction What is the Elevation Certificate and How is it Used? And many other topics

In case of conflict, those codes and ordinances, not the guidance provided in this publication, must be followed. The Quick Guide can be found at: http://www.njafm.org/resources/Documents/KeyDocs/NJQuickGuide_web.pdf

Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) Program The Certified Floodplain Manager’s exam was offered on the final day at the NJAFM annual conference on Thursday, October 22, 2015 at Bally’s, Atlantic City. In 2016 NJAFM is currently planning on four training opportunities which will be announced shortly. For more information on the CFM Program go to:

http://www.floods.org/index.asp?menuid=426&firstlevelmenuid=180&siteid=1

New Jersey now has 295 Certified Floodplain Managers!

CFM certifications, awarded by the ASFPM, are effective for a two year period. Every two years, each CFM must submit a renewal application, renewal fee, and proof of 16 Continuing Education Credits (CECs) within the previous 24 months, with a maximum of 12 CECs earned for any one event. Attending the NJAFM annual conference each year satisfies your CEC requirement. See http://www.floods.org for further information on CECs and accreditation.

Committees and Leader Contact Information

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Joining a Committee is a great way to get involved with NJAFM. The NJAFM Committees and their 2016-2017 chairs are as follows:

Annual Conference Committee: Co-chairs – Mark Mauriello, Edgewood Properties, (mmauriello@gmail.com ) and Mike Graham, CFM, SmartVent, Inc. (mike@smartvent.com)

Membership Committee: Chair – Chris Theodos, PE, CFM, Brick Municipal Utilities Authority (ctheodos@brickmua.com)

Outreach & Communications: Chair- Tom Slowinski, CFM, PLS, NJDEP (tom.slowinski@dep.nj. gov )

Training Committee: Chair –Jim Galantino, CFM, Margate City (galantino_jim@margate-nj.com)

Legislative Committee: Chair – John Miller, CFM (jamiller45@gmail.com )

Stormwater Committee: Chair – Vacant

Community Rating System (CRS) Committee: Co-Chairs - Jonathan Raser, CFM, TetraTech (Jonathan.Raser@ttemi.com) and Jim Watt, CFM, NJDEP (james.watt@dep.nj.gov )

Awards Committee: Chair - Laura Tessieri, PE, CFM, North Jersey RC&D (lauratessieri@gmail.com )

Calendar of Events

December 15, 2016 – 10:30 a.m. - Ocean County CRS Users Group @ Ocean County Office of Emergency Management in Berkeley Township. For further information contact Mark Villinger at: mvillinger@co.ocean.nj.us

January 5, 2017 - 11 a.m. - Atlantic – Cape Coastal Coalition CRS Users Group. Stockton University Carnegie Center, MLK Blvd. and Pacific Avenue, Atlantic City, NJ. For further information contact Tom Quirk: acmcoastalcoalition@gmail.com

January 12, 2017 – 10:00 a.m. – Monmouth County CRS Users Group. The location is the Monmouth County Police Academy, 2000 Kozloski Road, Freehold, NJ 07728. For further information contact Margaret Murnane Brooks at: mmurnane@mcsonj.org

January 12-13, 2017 – Nurture Nature Center, Easton, PA. For further information go to: http://www.njafm.org/news_blog/4401740

New Jersey Association for Floodplain Management (NJAFM) – NJ Floodplain News –December 2016 16

Career Connections

NJAFM Job Site (http://njafm.org/Jobs ) has the most recently listed opportunity:

Community Planner Positions (2), Washington, DC. GS-11 and 13 Community Planners Announcement

If you would like include information about an employment opportunity at your organization or company in our next newsletter, please send a full description, including how to apply.

Membership

Currently there are 308 active members in NJAFM as of 12/4/2016.

Are you enjoying the benefits of an NJAFM membership?Unlimited networking, scholarship opportunities, educational seminars and training can be available to you by becoming an NJAFM member. Have immediate access to a platform where issues that matter to floodplain professionals are the focus.An Individual Membership is only $30 per year and Corporate Membership is only $240 per year. To join today, visit www.njafm.org to download the membership forms.

NJAFM Board Meetings

Board meetings usually take place on the third Tuesday of each month. See the calendar for more details at: http://njafm.org/calendar

New Jersey Association for Floodplain Management (NJAFM) – NJ Floodplain News –December 2016 17

Board of Directors, 2016-2017 (http://www.njafm.org/contact)

Chair: Andrew Banff, PE, PP, CME, CFM, Maser Consulting Vice Chair: Maria DiSalvatore Municipal Code Enforcement Agency, Inc.

Secretary: Mark Herrmann,PE, CFM, Adams, Rehmann & Heggan Associates

Treasurer: Jacob Oldenburger PE, CFM, Langan Engineering & Environmental Services

Immte. Past Chair: Craig Wenger, CFM Michael Baker International

Annual Conference: Mike Graham, CFM   SmartVent, Inc

Mark Mauriello Edgewood Properties

Membership: Chris Theodos, CFM

Brick Municipal Utilities Authority

Outreach & Communications:  Tom Slowinski, CFM, PLS, NJDEP

Training:  Jim Galantino, CFM City of Margate

Legislative: John Miller, CFM  University of Pennsylvania

Stormwater: Vacant

Community Rating System (CRS):  Jonathan Raser, CFM, Tetra Tech

Jim Watt, CFM, NJDEP

Awards & Scholarship:  Laura Tessieri, CFM, North Jersey Resource Conservation & Development

Administrator: Greg Westfall, CFM

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