Red Bank Introduces Stormwater Trust Exploratory Committee to Address And Identify the Borough’s  Stormwater Challenges Now and Into the Future

The State of New Jersey faces an extensive set of problems due to the inadequate stormwater infrastructure and management, and these problems directly affect the health, safety, economy, and quality of life of New Jersey residents.

Councilman Ed Zipprich introduced resolution 21-213 in Red Bank at the July regular meeting to address the future of stormwater management. The resolution creates an exploratory committee to identify and address the Borough’s existing and future stormwater challenges.

Zipprich believes it is in the public interest to establish and authorize a local stormwater trust fund to finance the improvement of the municipality’s infrastructure and prioritize green infrastructure to better control water pollution and flooding.

“This should help to restore and enhance the quality of the borough’s waters and protect the health, safety and welfare of our residents. Large developers who cover more land and create more stormwater runoff could be impacted,” Zipprich said.

The infrastructure projects funded by the trust would benefit Red Bank through neighborhood beautification, enhanced wildlife habitat, increased property values, economic revitalization, and job creation resulting in a more resilient community.

Councilman Zipprich said that he was “pleased that the Red Bank Borough Council adopted this resolution unanimously and that the Borough will establish a Stormwater Infrastructure Exploratory Committee charged with the responsibility of researching the potential of pursuing a stormwater trust fund and accompanying fee system to fund green initiative projects and improvements.”

Zipprich is currently serving his fifth term on the Borough Council and has served on the Public Utilities Committee for thirteen years and was its chairman for eleven years.