Brick Awards Demolition Contract

After some heated debate, the Brick council awarded a $10.8 million contract to Waterside Construction, LLC, T. Fiore Demolition as part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Private Property Debris Removal program.

Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis said that it is likely - particularly in light of the fact that the updated FEMA maps were just released today - that the amount that is actually spent will total between $6 and $8 million. This single bid process, which was a departure from the township's first bidding round held earlier tihs year - included some additional requests from the DEP - including asbestos removal.

Councilman John Ducey - who voted against the bid - questioned the fact that the top bid of the first round of bids did not exceed $9 million, adding that he doesn't like giving "blanket authorization" for projects such as these.

The township's assistant business administrator called the $10 million bid a "worst case scenario."

Township officials said that 83 homes are currently ready for demolition, but that number could grow to about 300. In the original bid specifications, the town had projected 500 homes would be demolished, however, with the revised flood maps, that number will likely drop, Acropolis said.

The PPDR program is available to communities following disasters so large areas of destroyed properties can be cleaned up all at once. Under the program, the township bids out debris removal contracts, and property owners apply to the township and FEMA to have their homes demolished or debris from their destroyed homes cleaned up. The program is only available to properties where a destroyed home or debris pose a safety risk, according to federal regulations.

FEMA will reimburse the township 75 percent of the cleanup costs, and the remaining 25 percent will come from homeowners' insurance policies and other FEMA funds to which the homeowner may be entitled. If a homeowner did not have insurance and does not qualify for additional FEMA dollars, the township will be obligated to pay for the remaining 25 percent.