The state of emergency declared by Gov. Chris Christie is still in effect for Ortley Beach.
That's why the community isn't ready to take back its residents full-time.
The mayor and township council say they are committed to the goal of returning Ortley Beach residents back in their homes as soon as possible, once conditions are certified to be safe for residents to return to their homes on a permanent basis.
Unfortunately, township officials say, the Ortley Beach area sustained more significant damage than the surrounding areas, and the re-population process is further complicated by the widespread level of damage.
The township's website does have a debris removal schedule for Jan.11-31. The barrier island opens to residents from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Jan-11,14,17, 20, 23, 26 & 29 East Zone Closed for Collections. Middle and West Zones open to homeowners and contractors.
Jan-12,15, 18, 21, 24, 27 and 30 Middle Zone Closed for Collections. East and West Zones open to homeowners and contractors.
Jan - 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28 & 31 West Zone Closed for Collections. East and Middle Zones open to homeowners and contractors.
According to the township's website, the current status of utilities for Ortley Beach involves the following:
- Gas – NJ Natural Gas completed the re-pressurization of the main gas line in Route 35 and is currently re-setting individual meters in the Ortley Beach area where it is possible to do so; however, due to the extensive damage, allproperties located east of Route 35 northbound have been cut off from the main as well as some other areas of Ortley Beach. The gas company has assessed the damage in Ortley Beach and is in the process of re-pressurizing the areas of Orltey Beach than can safely accept gas service. The projected completion date for the re-pressurization of those areas and re-setting of meters is by Feb. 1, 2013 for Ortley Beach, other than the properties east of Route 35 northbound. Weather conditions may alter or impact this schedule. Due to the degree of damage to some properties in Ortley Beach, it is not possible for NJ Natural Gas to re-set all meters. Property owners are urged to contact NJ Natural Gas if they have specific questions regarding the re-setting of their meter.
- Sewer Service – The Toms River Municipal Utilities Authority (TRMUA) had very little damage to their infrastructure on Ortley Beach. The west and middle zones are ready for sewage flow. The eastern zone near the ocean will take longer to repair. An updated timeline will be posted on our website as soon as it becomes available.
- Water Service – NJ American Water Company now has potable water on the entire barrier island, including Ortley. The water is safe to drink.
- Electrical Service (updated 1/9/13) – The electrical system in Ortley Beach was substantially impacted by the storm and there are areas of Ortley Beach that no longer have utility poles. Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) has restored service to the "Middle" and "West" section of Ortley Beach (see township map) on 1/7/13. JCP&L restored service to the following area in the "East" section on 1/7/13 (see township map), customers located between Route 35 North and South and isolated customers East of Route 35 North. JCP&L continues to work with the township on its master plan to rebuild the "East" section before company facilities can be rebuilt in order to allow service restoration to begin. If you meter has been removed due to flooding or other damage, JCP&L will install a new meter after the service has been repaired by a qualified electrician and inspected by a state or municipal inspector. After notifying the company, please allow 2-3 days for the meter to be reset. If you have a meter and your power has not been restored by then you may need to reset your breakers. Please check to make sure you have turned your breakers on. If you have checked the breakers and remain without electric service, please contact us at 800-984-9585 to speak with a representative who can expedite your request. Please say “outage” when you reach the customer service main menu and then say “representative” at the outage menu.800-984-9485 to speak with a representative who can expedite your request. Please say "outage" when you reach the customer service main menu and then say "representative" at the outage menu. Here is a website to follow: https://www.firstenergycorp.com/content/customer/outages_help/Sandy/barrier_island.html
- In addition to the restoration of utilities, the condition of the roadways in Ortley Beach must be assessed and certified to be safe, prior to the Governor approving any request for repopulation. Currently there are two roadways that are a concern. Bay Boulevard sustained major damage, inclusive of an ongoing problem with recurring sinkholes and undermining of the roadway. Bay Boulevard is a County roadway. The Ocean County Engineering Department has been working constantly on addressing the maintenance and reconstruction issues for Bay Boulevard. The County Engineering Department and the Township have major concerns about the current condition of Bay Boulevard and the County is now projecting that the entire roadway will need to be reconstructed. Once the County is able to develop a more definitive timeframe for the reconstruction of Bay Boulevard, we will publish the schedule on the Township website. The other major roadway that sustained substantial damage is Ocean Terrace. The road basically does not exist any longer and the utilities that were in the roadway have been exposed to the elements. The Township plans to rebuild the road and is currently attempting to coordinate the planning for the project with the water, gas and sewer utilities since all utilities have to be replaced prior to the roadway construction. The township is projecting that Ocean Terrace will be reconstructed during the months of February, March and April; however, weather conditions may alter or impact this schedule. A coordination meeting has been scheduled for 1/4/13 to further discuss this project with the utility companies.
- The removal of debris by the Township and its designated contractors has been ongoing since the day after the storm. That debris removal process is the impetus behind the staggered schedule for daily re-entry so that sections of the island can be cleaned up while property owners are in other areas. Thus far, over 40,000 tons of debris have been removed from Toms River, inclusive of the barrier island. At least two complete passes through Ortley Beach have been completed and the process will continue for the foreseeable future. As residents are able to re-visit their properties and begin the rebuilding process they are placing more debris out for pickup. Once the repopulation request is approved, the debris removal process will be slowed by the fact that there will be more vehicles and construction trucks in the area, which will complicate the process. Therefore, the Township is making every effort to maximize the debris collection effort over the next few weeks in anticipation of the repopulation of Ortley Beach taking place. Weather conditions may alter this time frame as well. Specific questions concerning debris removal can be sent to the Director of Public Works, Lou Amoruso, at Lamoruso@tomsrivertownship.com .
Martin
2:53 pm on Saturday, January 12, 2013
This is the best communications we have had from the politicians, dept. heads and utilities -- since the superstorm hit. Thank you, TR Patch staff, for waking up the twp. (which has been AWOL).
We R TR
11:36 pm on Saturday, January 12, 2013
martin you don't have a clue. who do you think removed the over 40 thousand tons of debris.
TR Voice of Reason
8:21 am on Sunday, January 13, 2013
Where do you think that the Patch got that information? The Township Website. I don't know what some people expect but they have a program that will email you any new updates on their website, we do need to be somewhat proactive ourselves and seek out information. They are not AWOL, they are doing everything within their power to get this town back on track, the key words are "within their power." Our Governor is battling Washington for funds to rebuild, FEMA is implementing a new flood evaluation map that changes all kinds of building standards and you think that one town council and their administrators should be able to make everything all better in record time? This situation is horrible for many of us, playing the blame game serves no purpose.
butch cassidy
3:14 pm on Saturday, January 12, 2013
saw a group of volunteers working cleaning out a home in my area that was flooded...they are looking for more work and have been staying at the grace and peace church in tr...called samaritans purse...group from billy graham but no matter how you might feel about him these people were so nice, trust worthy etc..hope they can help some in ortley
Kimbo Sliceopizza
8:36 pm on Saturday, January 12, 2013
They are fantastic. They're happily gutting the summer houses of people that could easily pay a contractor for the work. Us primary residents are learning a lot about our wonderful neighbors
J N
3:33 pm on Saturday, January 12, 2013
I live in The Surf Cottages assoc. which is the first three blocks north of CVS, we DO NOT Have substantial damage but are being lumped in with the rest of Ortley, it's time that the Mayor of Toms River wakes up and realizes that we are not part of GROND ZERO. Hello Mayor do you hear us, you need to get your head out of the sand.
Lori McCutcheon
8:07 pm on Saturday, January 12, 2013
we were told not to re-enter.....not sure what is up.... we could us some direction here..... Ortley is still looking like a war zone..... my mom wants to go home!
Michelle Blamble
9:12 pm on Saturday, January 12, 2013
These excuses are wearing thin. So now they can't let us in Ortley because of Bay Blvd and OceanTerr? Funny how Bay Blvd is so bad in Ortley it keeps the town closed but presented no such challenges to Lavalette? And, speaking for myself, I live no where near Ocean Terr and can get to and from my house with out driving on it (or Bay Blvd for that matter). How about Toms River stop treating us like children and let people decide for themselves whether it's a good idea or not to move back into their home. Like Surf Cottages, the "middle" section did not have substantial damage. Is this kindergarten? No none can move back until everyone can?
And not letting us work on our homes every third day is infuriating. Slowing everything down for no good reason. And don't believe the nonsense about collections 1) they are still picking up in the northern beaches, and 2) they aren't using the closed day to pick up as the pile on my street for over a week can attest.
And finally, don't buy the Toms River BS that it is the emergency order keeping us out. The only reason they have the legal power to keep us out is the emergency order and the governor can't recind it until the municipality requests it.
Mark
10:31 pm on Saturday, January 12, 2013
The one and only reason the TR is not repopulating Ortley Beach is to keep the FEMA tab running. All the police, public works and assorted other overtime etc will be billed to FEMA & me thinks that the final FEMA bill will pay for things in TR that had absolutely nothing to do with SANDY! At first I just though TR officials were incompetent...now I think they're incompetent and crooks!
We R TR
11:46 pm on Saturday, January 12, 2013
Mark, I have read alot of crap on the blogs since this storm hit, but your comments set the all time record for the most ignorant comments of the year. Maybe the mayor and council are to blame for your sewars being filled with sand and for the lack of utiity poles in your area as well.
TR Voice of Reason
8:44 am on Sunday, January 13, 2013
Once the emergency order is lifted FEMA refunds for work being done does stop. So they are crooks because they are trying to get an area that was devastated rebuilt with the same Federal funding that rebuilt Katrina damage etc? I call that fiscally responsible. Unfortunately, the money is not coming quickly for NJ like it has for previous national disaster victims. Washington and the "pork" bills are to be blamed for that not local officials. I wouldn't want to be a Lavallette resident who got into their homes a month or two sooner and then personally have to foot the bill for the entire cleanup because they didn't adhere to the Federal guidelines for reimbursement. @Mark just about everything that is damaged in Ortley is due to Sandy, don't be so short-sighted.
Mark
6:39 pm on Sunday, January 13, 2013
RE: We R TR: It's nice to see you could spend your days reading & judging blogs...it must be a very fulfilling an rewarding endeavor. The reality is that I and many other residents absolutely blame the incompetent political hacks of TR for the extreme devastation in Ortley by not properly designing & maintaining the dune system in the years prior to Sandy ( The township engineer, although a nice enough fellow should have been fired for failing the taxpayers of Ortley Beach). After the storm their level of incompetence speaks for itself! Other than hiring a firm to collect the debris and another to put some sand on the beach...THEY HAVE DONE ZERO!
Dainty
10:43 pm on Saturday, January 12, 2013
Samaritan Purse has left as they have completed their demo stage. They will be back with a rebuild phase. They do great work. They work with primary residence. We have been volunteering to remove walls, floors, debris around the property. If we can help you, please contact us. we have worked in Ortley, Ocean Beach, Diane Lane, Pelican Island next week* Sandy - Weekday Warriors on Facebook* Hang in there, there are alot of folks who are volunteering* Just reach out* No one should have to do this work alone. Its overwhelming*
Michelle Blamble
9:08 am on Sunday, January 13, 2013
TR Voice of Reason - so you are saying Ortley residents are sacrificing so everyone else in TR can still get FEMA funding? Abuse of power is what it is. They've been using the same sorry excuses since the hurricane and yet nothing ever seems to get done. 2.5 months later and we still don't have electric - and good luck getting a TR inspector to the house before Feb. I don't understand people defending this incompetence. Frankly, when this is over the first thing the mayor needs to do is fire the entire staff at Emergency Management. I don't know what they were doing the years before the hurricane but they clearly weren't making plans for dealing with a flood and brainstorming disasters and solutions. There has been far too much "seat of the pants" about this so called recovery. Really, a flood in a coastal city - why would Emergency Management have a plan on hand to deal with that.
TR Voice of Reason
10:09 am on Sunday, January 13, 2013
Michelle- I am not saying that Ortley residents are being sacrificed, I am saying that the amount of damage in many areas of Ortley is worse then people realize and the town needs FEMA funding to rebuild properly, apparently re-populating affects the reimbursment from FEMA and they are still working on the infrastructure in certain areas. The entire area is connected by sewers, gas lines and other utilities. Just because one area looks fairly untouched doesn't mean that it isn't afffected by damages to the infrastructure because they are all connected. It's the same reason why numerous Silverton residents didn't have electric even when they weren't flooded. They were connected through transformers to houses that were affected. If the town allows some people to re-populate it may jeopardize the funds they need to rebuild all of Ortley. We all want to go home, unfortunately your entire area suffered the worst infrastructure damage and correcting that damage does not happen over night. It does feel like everyone is flying by the seat of their pants trying to deal with a bankrupt Federal agency who imposes rules and restrictions to obtain money they didn't even have until the bailout last week. What purpose does it serve any town to unnecessarily prolong having people out of their homes, tax assessments reduced in half and the majority of their manpower focused on this disaster? Remember this was the perfect storm, not a normal occurence in this area.
TR Voice of Reason
10:12 am on Sunday, January 13, 2013
I don't even know if it is truly safe over there yet, I am hearing of new sink holes still popping up and God Forbid Ortley starts to re-populate in some areas and a gas line ruptures because the ground is still unstable. Did you see the pictures of the Mantoloking fire shortly after the storm?
Mark
6:48 pm on Sunday, January 13, 2013
Michelle, I agree with you 100%. I also think the Township engineer should be fired for failing to properly design and maintain the dune system in the years prior to the storm. The public works director for failing to properly reenforce the dunes in the days prior to Sandy and doing nothing ( other than hiring a firm to pick up the garbage) after the storm to quickly get resources equipment into Ortley after the storm. Then finally the police chief should be fired for setting up those nonsense and meaningless check points that forced taxpayers to wait for hours to get to their properties! These are all incompetent political hacks that are way in over their respective heads and it shows!
tuna stick
10:49 am on Monday, January 14, 2013
Let's just say that TR township is prolonging the clean-up in order to bill FEMA for clean-up and police overtime, as stated. Even so, what is being done? Are the sewers, and other infrastuctures, like the roads re-built??? Or even being worked on? What about debris clean-up? I realize that this was an unprecedented storm, and none of of our elected officials have had to deal with anything like this before. But what is being done?
It's time to forgo the beaucratic bull, and cut thru the red tape. I have lived in SIlverton all of my adult life, Thankfully, I have not been adversely affected by the storm. But enough is enough. This is our home. This is where we live. I don't care if it's someone's 2nd home. Or someone's business. These are LIVES we are talking about. Not some #'s on a piece of paper. This is were we play, and recreate. These are our neighbors, friends, and family. And if the powers that be can't, or won't do something and soon, it's time to do it ourselves. And thank God for the volunteers. Maybe the politicans should take some notes.
TRWatch
12:07 pm on Sunday, January 13, 2013
Very interesting article:
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/01/politically_connected_florida.html#incart_river_default
butch cassidy
2:07 pm on Sunday, January 13, 2013
what a shame...i wish they would stop saying how everyone is getting back to the barrier islands when its obvious they are not..there is a mess there i hope you all get help soon ! enough already
john doe
10:16 pm on Sunday, January 13, 2013
Can anyone find info concerning attempts by Ortley Beach to secede? Is this connected to Toms Rivers contempt negligence towards its citizens and infrastructure?
Mark
11:13 pm on Sunday, January 13, 2013
We have to start a movement via the Property Owners Association to secede from this joke of a Government. Bay Beach Way did it in 2009, Westmont Shores in 1973 and West Point Island in 1973. All three areas were part of Toms River/Dover Township and were successful and annexed into Lavallette Bouough!
See the below link on aNY Times article on Ortley Beach's unsuccesful attempt at succession in 1989.
http://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/12/nyregion/ortley-beach-journal-secession-drive-brings-criticism.html
butch cassidy
10:17 am on Monday, January 14, 2013
good luck mark! i really do mean that. how is it that you all are still suffering so bad and it seems toms river is not doing much to help you all,, i love ortley and would be proud to live there....west point island did it and i hope you can too...
Halpha2
1:02 am on Monday, January 14, 2013
Keep whining on a web link that seems to be working.
john doe
1:23 am on Monday, January 14, 2013
if not maruca than who will
all we get from TR is dialtone
nice try halpha2 using reverse psychology
butch cassidy
10:20 am on Monday, January 14, 2013
john maruca is very busy with running the DMV..i do not see how she could fully commit to helping ortley or any where else..probably a nice lady but her experience is making pizza
TomsBoy
3:41 pm on Monday, January 14, 2013
All I want is a definate set of building regulations that is not going to change moment by moment. And the freedom to let contractors work on my house on a continues basis. I know that certain areas are unsafe. Enough time has passed, to separate the dangerous areas and to allow continuous access to safer areas.
Elizabeth Marvin
6:22 pm on Monday, January 14, 2013
Some comments ... I have read through the comments here and feel the time has come to set the record straight ...
1. Ortley suffered quite a bit of damage but not nearly the damage that Mantoloking suffered and yet ONLY Ortely is subjected to the ridiculous every 3 day rule. This rule makes no sense and serves no purpose other than to slow down reconstruction
2. I find it interesting that Brick was able to rebuild a bridge long before Toms River even allowed anyone back to their homes on any sort of regular basis ... so exactly who is incompentent
3. All of you ignorant people who seem to think that residents of the barrier island are all rich ... let me give you a few facts ... the majority of my neighbors are police or retired police ... so am I to believe that you think all policemen are rich? Most of the people you are so fond of villifying ... are people who instead of buying the newest TV or best cell phone or what have you ... actually saved their money so they could have their small dream of a beach house ... one which I would guess most of us have dreams of ... I'm thinking you are all just jealous because you don't have the willpower to save instead of spend
TomsBoy
8:10 pm on Monday, January 14, 2013
It is a sign of the times we live in. If you do not have. Blame someone else. Not yourself. To not care or to be jealous because someone has a second home and you don't is a mindless waste of effort. The fact is that people with two homes pay twice the taxes. And in most cases use up half or less of the resources the taxing township provides. If you do not own a home or want a second home; make some of the hard choices those of us made to get what we have.