TOMS RIVER – The township changed how street repairs are done after a utility company does work, and the timeline for fixing holes was questioned at a recent Township Council meeting.
Tony Averso said that the street he lives on, Rico Avenue, got ripped up by a company doing work but it wasn’t repaired right away despite the fact that there is a new law on the books that governs that.
Mayor Daniel Rodrick said that the companies have to do a patch at first. They patch the spot, which is a temporary fix for vehicles to drive over, and then it has to settle for 90 days. The company has until the end of that 90-day period to repair the spot permanently.
The mayor noted later in the meeting that sometimes these companies try to skirt this by not pulling a road opening permit.
Averso also said he is waiting on a request he made to the town months ago about who did the job.
Councilwoman Lynn O’Toole said that there have been a lot of roads opened up by the water company, Veolia, in her senior community. She explained how fixing the roads immediately makes no sense because the dirt has to settle.
This is a relatively new ordinance for Toms River, introduced at the end of last year.
At the time, Rodrick said that utilities have opened up a road and then a few years later open up the same road. This ordinance will give them an incentive to do work in the same area at the same time, minimizing inconvenience for residents.
At the time, Councilman James Quinlisk, who often opposes Rodrick on issues, said it was a great idea. It would save wear and tear on municipal vehicles as well as those owned by fire and first aid companies.
He was concerned, however, that a utility company would pass the cost on to consumers. If the town is requiring the utility to perform more expensive fixes, that could impact bills in the future “because nothing is free.”
Rodrick said because the utility companies bill entire regions, Toms River wouldn’t get an increase.
He also said that other townships have similar ordinances and Toms River looked at their rules in writing their own.
