Report: Auto Insurance Rate Hikes on Tap

Insurance companies blame 2011's Tropical Storm Irene, Halloween nor'easter — not Sandy — for highest in nation auto rate increase.

New Jersey motorists, who currently pay among the highest rates for auto insurance now, are going to have to dig a bit deeper into their wallets to pay for increases in auto insurance, according to published report Sunday. Insurers and state regulators are saying Hurricane Sandy, which devastated portions of the state including the Jersey Shore, is not the reason for state approving rate increases for 26 insurers thus far in 2013, according to a NorthJersey.com report. Instead, officials blame the rate increases on losses related to Tropical Storm Irene and the Halloween nor’easter from two years ago, medical costs that continue to rise, reinsurance expenses and dim forecasts of investment income, the report said. Allstate, New Jersey …

•  32 Comments
• Photos (1)

Peggy Davison

1:17 pm on Thursday, May 2, 2013

Thanks for the link Chris! After reading the article, I too am confused as to why our rates are so high, and rising. It simply does not make any sense!   more ›

New Milford Passes Resolution Urging Approval of PSE&G's Energy Proposal

32 New Jersey towns impacted by Sandy and Irene back PSE&G plan to make New Jersey’s utility systems more resilient against severe weather.

Ten Bergen County towns have approved resolutions supporting “Energy Strong” – PSE&G’s proposal to strengthen its electric and gas distribution systems to better withstand powerful storms and natural disasters. Leaders in Bogota, Cliffside Park, Elmwood Park, Garfield, Hackensack, Hillsdale, Little Ferry, New Milford, River Vale and Tenafly said infrastructure upgrades are necessary to reduce the threat of extended service interruptions like those caused by Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Irene.  PSE&G proposes investing $3.9 billion in its distribution system over 10 years to reduce the number and duration of power outages caused by severe weather. “We are pleased that so many communities have expressed support for our plan to make New …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Senate Panel Approves Bill Providing Tax Relief to Towns Purchasing Flood-Prone Properties

Bipartisan bill to provide tax relief to towns that are acquiring flood-prone homes through the state's Blue Acres program.

A Senate panel on Monday approved bipartisan legislation sponsored on the democratic side by Assembly members Valerie Vainieri Huttle, Tim Eustace and Connie Wagner to provide tax relief to towns that are acquiring flood-prone homes through the state's Blue Acres program. The bill is sponsored on the republican side by Holly Schepisi and Jack Ciattarelli. The Senate sponsors of the bill are Robert Gordon (D) and Gerald Cardinale (R). The bill (A-3362/S-2256) would exempt certain properties acquired by municipalities after Oct. 29, 2012, when Superstorm Sandy hit, from county, school, and fire district taxes for the following tax year. Municipalities receive grants for acquiring flood-prone property for open space and conservation purposes …

• Photos (1)

Bill Providing Tax Relief to Towns Purchasing Flood-Prone Properties Approved by Assembly

Bipartisan bill to provide tax relief to towns that are acquiring flood-prone homes through the state's Blue Acres program.

Bipartisan legislation that would exempt flood-prone properties acquired by municipalities from county, school and fire district property taxes for the following tax year, was approved by the full Assembly on Monday. The bill is sponsored on the Democratic side by Assembly members Valerie Vainieri Huttle, Timothy Eustace and Connie Wagner and on the Republican side by Holly Schepisi and Jack Ciattarelli. Under the current law, if a municipality acquires any flood-prone properties after October 1, it must pay the county, school, and fire district property taxes owed for all or the remainder of the following tax year. Stating that this bill is a sensible way to help beleaguered homeowners and cash-strapped municipalities, Vainieri-Huttle …

• Photos (1)

Cranford's Battle With Hekemian Development

Cranford's local officials and residents fighting Hekemian's large scale development; concerned development will increase flooding.

Letter From The Editor

Responses to "Irene: One Year Later" gives Editor cause for a pause.

Given the private email messages and phone calls I received Friday regarding Irene: One Year Later, and the tenor of those messages and calls, I feel a need to press the editorial pause button for just a moment. In writing a story about the one-year anniversary of Irene, it was never my intention to dredge up old wounds or reassign blame. Instead, my intention was to note how the town came together and helped those in need. To illustrate how the adverse results of that storm had a hand in creating SOD (Stop Over Development), a grassroots group that is leading the public charge against the size and scope of the proposed development of the United Water property. Unfortunately, I had not yet arrived in New Milford when Irene hit. Yes, …

•  8 Comments
• Photos (1)

Irene: One Year Later

How did the 2011 storm impact you? Share your photos and your feedback.

Sunday marks the first anniversary of the storm that rocked New Milford to its bones. It pulled trees from their roots, flooded streets and cars, caused people to be evacuated from their homes by emergency services, decimated homes and businesses and left so many without power. After Irene blew through New Jersey in August 2011, Patch was there to cover the hurricane that had been downgraded to a tropical storm. The impact of the storm and subsequent flooding is still evident in New Milford, one of the most severely impacted towns in Bergen County. New Milford is slated to receive $403,075 in state Blue Acres Funding to assist with the purchase of five homes affected by repetitive flooding and heavily damaged by Irene. Some residents are …

•  9 Comments
• Photos (10)

Part 2: Disaster Conference Zeros In On Preparation

After learning about tapping into resources, critical infrastructure, and lessons learned from recent natural disasters, business owners brushed up on preserving data, business continuity, and having the right insurance before disaster strikes.

A major storm could potentially wipe out businesses that have taken generations to build in a matter of minutes. And while major corporations may have one or more staff members to ensure the continuity of an organization when natural disaster strikes, many small business owners may not have the additional staff or know of available resources. The Disaster Preparedness Conference at Bergen Community College in Paramus, an event organized by the Meadowlands Regional Chamber (MRC), the Bergen County Executive Office, and the Bergen County Office of Emergency Management on Tuesday, provided local businesses with critical business continuity plans in the event of a major emergency. Jim Kirkos, CEO of the MRC, said when his Lyndhurst home …

• Photos (1)

Chamber To Host Disaster Preparedness Conference

A year after the state was impacted by Hurricane Irene and other storms, and thousands of businesses were forced to close, a program is being presented July 10 in Paramus to prepare businesses for the worse.

Although the 2012 hurricane season is not in full swing, county entities are not leaving anything to chance. The Meadowlands Regional Chamber (MRC) is teaming up with the Bergen County Executive’s Office and the Bergen County Office of Emergency Management to help local businesses develop a business continuity plan in the case of an emergency. “Recent severe weather incidents along with a minor earthquake that rumbled our region show just how vulnerable and unprepared we are,” said Jim Kirkos, CEO of the Meadowlands Regional Chamber. “This conference is a call to action for all small and medium sized businesses who have not thought about how to protect and sustain their companies.” The event will be held Tuesday at Bergen Community College…

• Photos (1)

Assignment: Rebuilding New Orleans

New Milford Students return from their week of summer service in New Orleans.

  Students from David E. Owens Middle School and New Milford High School recently returned from their "Rebuilding New Orleans" trip.  The trip was the brainchild of first year social studies teacher at David E. Owens Middle School, Ray Cottiers, (NMHS 2004) who wanted to inspire his students by providing them with an opportunity that would positively and permanently influence their lives. An experience similar in scope to Colleen Tambuscio's annual Holocaust trip. Cottiers decided on a trip to rebuild New Orleans where the students could experience the larger world outside of New Milford and help people in need in their own country. He connected with Operation Nehemiah, a nonprofit group committed to helping families rebuild after the …

•  3 Comments
• Photos (6)