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Politics & Government

Fix on the Way for Livingston Avenue Flooding Problems

Mayor Jason J. Varano and Council President Karen Davis clash over Harbor Inn Road speeding remedy

Relief from flooding that has plagued homes along Livingston Avenue will soon be on the way, since the township has received a permit from Ocean County to dig a trench across Veterans Boulevard from Livingston to Veterans Park.

Mayor Jason Varano told the Township Council at the July 13 meeting that the trenching will be done sometime before school starts. The road will be opened and 24-inch pipes will be installed to replace the 15-inch pipes currently in use.

Varano said it hasn’t been decided whether to close Veterans Boulevard completely and detour traffic during the work or whether the township will instead use single-lane closures over the heavily traveled two-lane stretch.

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“We have to plan that out,” Varano said.

While the trench and new pipes are only part of the plan designed to ease flooding – Varano noted the project also includes drainage basins – township officials believe the drainage pipe will make a significant difference in the flooding issues.

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In other business:

The Ocean County Board of Elections has ordered a redistricting of Berkeley Township, to balance the population numbers in each ward. It’s not clear, however, whether Berkeley will handle the task itself or if the county will choose the firm. The township’s population rose 3 percent from 2000 to 2010, from 39,991 to 41,255.

“I have a great reluctance to pay someone without a say in who’s hired,” Council President Karen Davis said.

A discussion about controlling speeders along Harbor Inn Road turned testy when Varano told the council that money to pay for groins similar to those installed on Maryland Avenue had been cut from the budget.

Davis said a suggestion had been to install painted groins instead of concrete ones.

Varano repeated the money for them had been cut, but added that he would look into what they would cost.

Davis said she couldn’t understand how the town had the money to form an in-house paving crew, but no money to paint groins.

“It costs money to buy the taping and the paint,” Varano said.

He then accused Davis of turning it into a political issue.

Davis said she wasn’t making the statement as one party versus another.

“I can’t believe we can afford to have our own people to pave and can’t do this,” she said.

Township engineer Chris Theodos said the town doesn’t have the necessary equipment to do the project.

“I just feel like it (the Harbor Inn Road issue) fell through the cracks," Davis said.

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