September 16, 1999 Hurricane Floyd paid a visit to New Jersey. Here on Mulberry Street in the City of Trenton, New Jersey we remember it well. Most families had approximately 2 feet of water from the Assumpink Creek on our first floors of our homes.
Since then many of us have not fully restored our homes due to a mitigation that is currently stalemated. We have witnessed a City that is unable to comply with a Federal mandate. The City claims they have done all they could. Have they?? Many of us here think if this is their best effort then our tax money has been squandered.
Here is what we have seen in the form of concrete action. Owner/occupants watched in disbelief as the renters got the best deal while owner/occupants were left behind. We watched a business concern get the lion share of funds for their properties.
Indeed things have changed phases realigned, properties acquired by the City secured. Then on June 22nd owner/occupants were requested to meet with City officials at the East Trenton Community Center. The purpose. The City unveiled yet another study, where a phase one containment wall would be constructed to prevent flood waters from reaching back streets that were never affected by flooding. Who pays for this study? Where did the money for that study come from? Questions owner/occupants will never find the answers too.
The remaining owner/occupants have now been all grouped into phase two. The majority have not even received an offer of buy out from the City. Those of us from phase one who have received a buy out offer now reject that offer since its a year old now and demand that we receive another offer along with the rest of phase two members.
Owner/occupants such as Mrs. Sokotoski of 59 Mulberry St. who is an 82 year old widow is outraged over the City's delay. Her feeling now is no deal. She intends on staying here no matter what the City does. The remaining owner/occupants of phase two say well if the buy out is enough for us to move out of harms way without additional financial burden then they shall comply. Otherwise they intend on staying.
The City of Trenton handling of this mitigation is horrendous and is a text book example of how a mitigation should NOT be handled. One year later citizens still sweat out hurricane season. Now they face additional burdens. These are due directly to the City's inability to act. Now that half this community is boarded up citizens have to police their properties due to the squatters. These people are using City owned property to find shelter. They bring along with them an unsavory element. City owned properties are being broken into and stripped of anything that could be taken.
Promises of Police protection by the Director himself were just hallow words meant to appease. Policemen MSA have spoken to say they can not handle our needs for they do not have the man power. The City has fell silent. The last time MSA had formal contact with them was on June 22nd. Many owner/occupants now believe that due to gross mishandling of this mitigation there will NOT be a phase two.
Owner/occupants are justified in there feeling. For the City claimed desnagging and clean up of the Assumpink to this date one could walk upon the banks and still see trees fallen by Floyd as well debris in the falls. The City is trying hard currently to revitalize this City. This City's effort shall fail, and it shall fail for one reason. This City takes way too long to do anything. And this City treats its taxpayers like second rate citizens.
Many MSA members feel the City is waiting for yet another flood. Another loss to us the taxpayers who has long suffered under the this City's lack of leadership and affrimative action. The City's torch song is we have no money. Yet we read in the newspapers of money coming in yet we see no action. Where is this money going to and to whom? It's certainly not going to owner/occupants.
MSA stands at the ready to aid the City to once and for all put an equitable end to the Assumpink Creek flooding issue. MSA will welcome the Mayor and be at his disposal to aid him in resolving this long standing problem. MSA still holds out an invitation to the Mayor himself to boost this City's effort in revitalization. Yet our words fall upon deaf ears, for all MSA has heard from the Mayor is silence.
