Flood Victims to Protest Tonight

Homeowners who live in the flood-prone areas of Woodbridge aren't taking what they believe to be neglect from elected officials lying down.

About sixty showed up at a meeting at the First Presbyterian Church last week to talk about their homes, devastated by the storm surge from Hurricane Sandy.

They're forming action committes around issues that contribute to the flooding, they want flood mitigation, both short and long term, and they're creating Facebook pages to add to Woodbridge Flood Zone, the new website leader Monique Coleman created.

And they aren't just talking about it. They're meeting at the Reo Diner before next Tuesday's council meeting, and they'll be marching down Main Street to Town Hall, with protest signs and teeshirts that say such things as "Flood Victim."

One of the conclusions the group came to at their meeting was that putting pressure on elected officials - and not taking 'no' for an answer - is a priority. Coleman said there's a lack of visibility, both in and outside Woodbridge, to the fact that flooding is a severe issue in some parts of the township.

The march to Town Hall and attendance at council meetings by group members is one way they're hoping to raise their profile with town fathers.

Two officials went to the meeting: Woodbridge Councilman Kyle Anderson and State Senator Joseph Vitale, who represents the district and has offices down the street from Town Hall.

Vitale, Coleman said, encouraged the group "to keep organizing" and formulate specific goals. 

The state senator said he's "at our disposal, and he will help bring in federal officials, such as Congressman [Frank] Pallone and Senator [Robert] Menendez." Anderson also told the group that he'd "do whatever he could on a local level" to help.

"There seems to be a common goal of working proactively towards securing short and long-term flood solutions," Coleman said to the group in an email.

Other issues Coleman and the group are targeting are the link between commercial development and flooding; soil contamination in the wetland areas; the Blue Acres program, which does home buyouts; and increasing tax rates without relief for flood residents.

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