Local Lessons from Sandy May Reach State Legislature
Cooperation between state and local government was critical during Sandy, and may inform the legislative response to the disaster.
As local towns struggled to communicate with PSE&G during post-Sandy recovery efforts, state officials sometimes had to step in as liaisons between municipal officials and the utility company. Now, as municipal and state government alike seek to better prepare for the next storm, the lessons learned during their cooperation may be the key to crafting the next response. Coordination between levels of government was important, and Ridgewood Mayor Paul Aronsohn spoke regularly to State Senator Kevin O’Toole during the crisis. “We have a good relationship with the senator and his staff and we were in regular contact,” Aronsohn said. “That worked. The communication with PSE&G is another story.” “Communication with PSE&G left a lot to be …
