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COX HALL CREEK FOCUS GROUP PUBLIC MEETING JULY 12, 2008 Lee Spruell, Chairperson of the Cox Hall Creek Focus Group, called the meeting to order at 10 a.m. Lee provided a brief history of the project. Of the six possible scenarios, numbers five and six, which are very similar, had been selected on the basis of achieving goals of flood control, mosquito abatement, controlling fires and restoration of the coastal wetland ecosystems. Lee pointed out that two significant things had happened a year ago. First, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife had let us know that they would help with this project. Secondly, the NJDEP gave a grant to Cape May County Planning Department, which allowed us to contract the Lomax Consulting Group to develop State and federal permitting approaches and Hatch Mott MacDonald to provide the hydrology studies. He then introduced Brian O'Connor of the CMC Planning Department. Brian provided a brief history of the project going back to January 2001 and the Action Now project proposal of the County Watershed Management Program that resulted in the formation of the Cox Hall Creek Focus Group. He acknowledged the assistance provided by the Mosquito Commission and the Lower Township MUA. He also thanked Steve Hampton and the Board of Chosen Freeholders for their support of the project. Joe Lomax gave a power point presentation detailing the problems and proposed solutions. Mr. Lomax reviewed project goals, existing site conditions affecting the proposed wetland restoration, reviewed the design features of the selected project and the associated safe guards, including the protection of flooding, mosquito control, reedgrass control and protection of swamp pinks. He discussed regulatory and technical consultations with the engineers and State and federal environmental regulatory agencies. Peter Kocsik, of Hatch Mott MacDonald, presented the hydrology study. Mr. Kocsik described the purpose of the study; to meet the goals of the project, tide water from the Delaware Bay must be permitted into the lower elevations of the meadow to kill the common reedgrass and reestablish the existing channel. He indicated that the project must discharge stormwater from 14 stormwater outfalls around Cox Hall Creek Basin into the Delaware Bay . His review included a discussion of culverts under the Clubhouse Drive and through the Dunes, potential flooding, tide gates and the status of the pump house. He discussed the likelihood of flooding of homes and the design of water control features to minimize those impacts. Messrs. Lomax and Kocsik discussed the next steps: a. Prepare civil engineering plans b. Prepare operational and emergency water management plans c. Submit application and supporting information to State and federal regulatory approvals. ---PAGE BREAK--- Lee Spruell invited questions from the audience. QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD Bernice McLaughlin: Are you raising the road? Answer: Probably not. Or at most, one half foot. Michael McGinnis: What about the problem of salt water getting into our wells? Brian O’Connor: Fish and Wildlife have an agreement from Lower Township that they will be responsible for new wells or will provide city water, if the wells become salty from tidal inundation. US Fish and Wildlife has said they would not help with the project if this issue was not addressed. What is likely to happen in the event of a storm surge under present conditions? (Name not recorded) Peter Kocsik: In the event of a 2 to 2.5 foot surge, the current pump house structure will work somewhat. It does hold back the tide. A 5-foot tide and big rain event could cause flooding. Should the pump be fixed now? (Name not recorded) Brian: This is a matter that has to be addressed by the LT Council and LT MUA. Al Sherwood: Salt-water intrusion into wells will become a bigger issue. Can we get a copy of the document stating that L T Council and L T MUA will provide solutions for affected homeowners? Brian: I will put up documentation on the County web site. I will also try to get the County Health Department to sample all potentially affected wells for a baseline. What about a "big storm event"? (Name not recorded) Brian: Even with the pump not working, we are still protected somewhat. The Creek drains only when the tide is low. Remington & Vernick have provided an estimate of $1 million to repair the pumping station. One of the pumps has been removed and is now in the Lower Township Public Works garage. Don Olmholtz: What about keeping the channel open as the phragmites are dying? Pete Kocsik: The 20-foot wide culvert will take care of it. We anticipate weekly maintenance visits and clearing if necessary. Jim Welsh: How about using Mosquito Commission machines to open channels? Ed Sikorai (Mosquito Commission): We don’t have any equipment to do it. We’ve tested it and our machines can’t do it because they are too heavy. The muck is too deep. ---PAGE BREAK--- Pete Moraz: Where is the money coming from to complete the studies and the work? Brian: Funds are limited, but we are applying for a $70,000 grant from Fish and Wildlife, who are eager to take over the project. Can we tear down the pump house? (Name not recorded) Pete: The pump has to stay in effect until rebuilt. This will be a 9 to 15 month project. What about a chemical approach to killing the phragmites? (Name not recorded) Joe Lomax: Not the best solution. The use of herbicides creates a lot of controversy. In similar projects the use of herbicides has slowed the project because of the requirements for permits. Also Cox Hall Creek is the perfect situation for using a natural remedy. Stephanie Garrett: Has any thought been given to bulkheads to protect bordering properties? Joe: We looked at berming, but because homes are built up to the wetlands, there is not enough room for berming. One cannot build berms on wetlands, so that is not an option. Charlene Guido: The creek is 50 feet from my back door. I have large oak trees. What will happen to them? Who will be responsible if trees die and fall on my house? Joe: Salt water coming from the marsh will be limited. Fresh water will also be flowing from uplands. If trees are affected, they will die gradually. As they start to die, we will deal with them at that time. Phil Harris: How will this affect the water quality of the Bay? Will debris from the phragmites cause more pollution? Joe: Picture this: When tidal inundation happens, one great WHOOSH would be a mess, but in reality, with the 3 ½ foot tide range, there will be a slow metering out of the vegetation. We project it will take 3 to 4 years for the organic matter in the channels to be clear. Storm water is already creating problems in the Cox Hall Creek basin. Ed Butler (LT Taxpayers Assoc.): Has any consideration been given to new water mains and pipes under the S curve? Pete: Water pipes will go under the culvert. Water will be coming into Town Bank. This project needs to coordinate with that. Ed Butler: What is the cost of the maintenance after the project is finished? Brian: Lower MUA signed on to do this. Carol Keenen: Our sewer plant is too small. We can’t get water. Mary Ellen Spruell(Cox Hall Creek Focus Group): LT Council needs to require water hookups when pipes are installed. The MUA can’t install more water pipes until that happens. ---PAGE BREAK--- Bill Thomas (a past board member of the MUA and Cox Hall Creek Focus Group): Former Director of MUA, Cliff Gaul came to our Cox Hall Focus meetings. They helped us. They put dye into sewer mains to check for leaks. The pumping station is the property of the LTMUA, but the Twp pays the electric bills for the pump station. At this time there are no water mains in Town Bank. Joan Mc Ginnis: Why can’t we get the pump working? Various attendees: Call Council. They need to know we want it done now. Claire Nagel (Cox Hall Creek Focus Group): We’re going to have to do this project step by step as money becomes available. Al Sherwood: We can express problems to agencies. We are aware of global warming and increased storms, which will affect all of this also. As a community, we need to recognize we are trying to get rid of a bad design man created years ago. We need to keep the goal in mind. The sooner we get the process started, the better. Mike Beck: Write letters to Council and legislators. That helps get it done. Joan Chamberlain: Attend Twp meetings and call. Lee: MUA invites people to their meetings. Mary Marple (Brock Rd?): We have green tint in our water. Brian: As Pierre Lacombe (USGS) has pointed out, the stuff we put on our lawns goes right into the shallow Holly Beach aquifer. There is no clay layer. Any surface contaminants flow into it. Today NJDEP would not allow a well less then 50 feet deep. What can we do as a community to make it happen? Will this be put on the back burner as so many others have been? (Name not recorded) Brian: No. And we did not lose any of the funds we were granted. Ed McGhean: They now know we want to go forward. Meeting adjourned at 11:48. 78 people attended. Plus 30 who could not attend signed up to support the project. (Attached). PS: Claire Nagel and Mary Ellen Spruell took the notes to this meeting.