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Politics & Government

Montville Considers Dropping JCP&L

Township administrator 'befuddled' by suggestions from state BPU last year not being implemented by JCP&L.

Montville is awaiting an answer from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities regarding whether the township can be removed from its contract with Jersey Central Power and Light (JCP&L) following Superstorm Sandy.

Township Administrator Victor Canning said during Tuesday’s township committee meeting that he submitted the question to the state Board of Public Utilities (BPU) via its official online complaint form and had yet to receive an answer.

Many Montville residents have called for the township to drop ties with JCP&L following what Mayor Tim Braden had previously deemed the “failure of JCP&L to effectively communicate with our residents” during and after Sandy.

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Canning said he was also able to get his hands on two reports the BPU had issued last year regarding utility responses to both Tropical Storm Irene and the October snowstorm. He said there was a “litany of suggestions” made specifically toward JCP&L that were not followed this time around.

“I was befuddled in reading that most of the things we dealt with last year continued,” Canning said.

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The administrator said he has asked the BPU what they plan to do to remedy the situation and whether they know why the suggestions were not implemented.

The administrator said township officials continue to meet to figure out how they can better respond to similar storm and natural disaster situations.

Canning met with Montville Township Police Chief Richard Cook, Montville’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Director Lt. Rudy Appleman, Assistant Township Administrator Adam Brewer and all department heads Nov. 19 to begin putting together paperwork to submit to the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) for possible reimbursement.

“I have asked them their input on what we can do to address future storms and our energy response techniques and procedures,” Canning said.

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