Christie not defending N.J. gun law in state’s highest court

Christie not defending N.J. gun law in state’s highest court (via NJ.com)

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie’s administration is not defending a second legal challenge to one of New Jersey’s toughest gun-control laws, The Star-Ledger has learned. The Republican governor, who has said previously that he supported New Jersey’s…

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Will NJ Pull Plug on Promoting Zero-Emission Vehicles?

Will NJ Pull Plug on Promoting Zero-Emission Vehicles? (via NJSpotlight)

The Christie administration has already pulled New Jersey out of a regional initiative to curb greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. Does that mean the state’s efforts to encourage use of zero- emission vehicles — as proposed under the California…

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Seaside Fire Aid Will Only Cover Cost Not Picked Up By Insurance, SBA

The Christie Administration announced this morning that government aid to assist businesses in recovering from the Seaside Boardwalk fire will only cover costs not reimbursed by insurance proceeds or by the Small Business Administration (SBA).

Governor Christie announced over the weekend that the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) will make $15 million in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery monies available to affected businesses in the form of $50,000 grants and loans free of interest and principle payments for two years.

In announcement that the EDA will be providing CDBG-DR funding for debris removal assistance, the administration said, “the State will conduct an analysis of duplication of benefits and ensure that the CDBG-DR funds are used only to cover costs not already paid by other sources, such as insurance or SBA.  For the demolition of private structures, the state and/or municipality will place a lien on the property to enable recapture of any duplicative insurance proceeds, should they be paid later.”

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Taking Action To Distribute The Necessary Resources For The Rebuilding Process

What New  Jersey Residents Need To Know About The Christie Administration’s  Proposed First Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Action  Plan

“This    plan puts into motion the specific actions we’ve been designing to    get relief out as quickly as possible to our Sandy-impacted homeowners and    businesses – to reconstruct, rehabilitate and elevate homes, and to    get over hurdles for our small businesses to get up and running again.    These programs have been carefully, but quickly designed to fill the unmet    needs faced by our residents to rebuild in a safer, more enduring way, to    strengthen our impacted local economies going into this summer, and to help    preserve the unique character of our shore communities as we’ve known    them.  With this first round of funding, we will also begin an    aggressive marketing effort to let people both in the region and across the    country know that New Jersey is rebounding and that the Jersey Shore will    be open for business this summer.”

–    Governor Chris Christie

The  Christie Administration today unveiled its proposed Community Development  Block Grant Disaster Recovery Action Plan, which outlines how the State plans  to utilize $1,829,520,000 in federal funding. This is the first phase of  Community Development Block Grant funds provided to New Jersey by the U.S.  Department of Housing and Urban Development. Additional CDBG recovery funds  are expected in the coming months. With this first phase of funding, the  Christie Administration is focusing primarily on helping homeowners, renters,  businesses and communities impacted by Superstorm Sandy.

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Christie Administration Announces Extension for New Jerseyans Affected by Hurricane Sandy to Register for Disaster Assistance

Trenton, NJ – The Christie Administration today announced that New Jersey residents affected by Hurricane Sandy now have until January 30, 2013 to register for disaster assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“The single most important step people can take in this recovery period is to register with FEMA, if they haven’t already,” said Governor Christie. “The process of a family receiving any type of federal disaster assistance begins with registering as a disaster survivor with FEMA and working with a coordinator to determine what sort of relief they are eligible for. This extension will help us ensure that anyone who has been affected by the storm gets registered and the help they need and deserve.”

People with storm losses in all counties can register online atwww.disasterassistance.govor via smart phone or tablet here.

Survivors also can register by phone or 711/VRS by calling 800-621-3362, TTY800-462-7585. The toll-free telephone numbers operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice.

At the request of the state, FEMA extended the registration deadline beyond the original 60 day window due tothe magnitude of the Hurricane Sandy disaster.

The disaster registration process serves as a referral point for FEMA programs and those of partner agencies such as the U.S. Small Business Administration, American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and the Small Business Administration.

FEMA disaster assistance for individuals and families can include money for rental assistance, essential home repairs, personal property losses and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.

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Christie Administration Encourages Insured Residents Affected by Hurricane Sandy to Apply for Assistance

Insured Applicants May Be Eligible for Assistance for Unmet Needs

Trenton, NJ –Disaster assistance may sometimes cover damages that insurance doesn’t. That is why individuals affected by Hurricane Sandy are urged by the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to apply for assistance even if they have insurance.

Apply for FEMA assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or by web-enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov. Applicants can also register by phone by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), 711/VRS, or TTY 1-800-462-7585.

Only applying directly with FEMA will establish your registration for disaster assistance. Signing up or meeting with any other agency does not mean you are registered with FEMA.

“We want everyone qualified for assistance to receive help as soon as possible,”said State Coordinating Officer Lt. Jeff Mottley.

Keep in mind that you need to file your insurance claim with your insurance company as soon as possible. Failure to file a claim may affect a policyholder’s eligibility for disaster assistance. You have up to 12 months from the date of registration with FEMA to submit insurance information for review.

“By law, we cannot duplicate what insurance already covers. But we may be able to help with some disaster-related expenses, that are not covered by insurance,”explained Federal Coordinating Officer Michael J. Hall.

After filing a claim, if any of the following situations occurs FEMA may be able to provide some assistance:

Your insurance settlement is delayed.

• “Delayed”means a decision on your insurance settlement has been delayed longer than 30-days from the time you filed the claim.
• If a decision on your insurance settlement has been delayed, you will need to mail a letter or send a FAX to FEMA explaining the circumstance. Mail or FAX your letter to:

FEMA IHP

National Processing Service Center

PO Box 10055

Hyattsville, MD 20782-8055

FAX 1-800-827-8112

• You should include documentation from the insurance company proving that you filed the claim.
• If you filed your claim over the telephone, you should include the claim number,         date when you applied, and the estimated time of how long it will take to receive        your settlement.
• If you receive FEMA assistance and you later find that your insurance will cover what your FEMA assistance was for, then you must return that money to FEMA because

it is considered a duplicate benefit.

Your insurance settlement is insufficient to meet your disaster-related needs.

• If you have received the maximum settlement from your insurance and still have an unmet disaster-related need, you will need to mail or FAX a letter to FEMA at the above address indicating the unmet disaster-related need.
• You will also need to send in documentation from your insurance company on what they cover for review.

You have exhausted the Additional Living Expenses (ALE) provided by your insurance company.

• If you have received the maximum settlement from your insurance for Additional Living Expenses and still need help with your disaster-related temporary housing need, mail or FAX a letter to FEMA at the above address indicating why you continue to have a temporary housing need.
• You will also need to provide documentation to prove use of ALE from insurance,

and a permanent housing plan.

You are unable to locate rental resources in your area.

• The FEMA Helpline has a list of rental resources in the disaster area.

SBA Loans

• Many people who apply for disaster aid also receive an application for a low-interest disaster loan from the SBA. If you receive an application, be sure to fill it out and return it in order

to be considered for all forms of disaster assistance.

• FEMA will process applications for housing assistance regardless of whether or not the applicant has applied for an SBA loan. Eligibility determinations for FEMA’s temporary housing assistance will not be held up because the applicant has or has not filled out an    SBA application.

• You must complete an SBA loan application to be eligible for additional assistance under

the part of the FEMA program that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement,

and moving and storage expenses.

You can apply for an SBA disaster loan online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

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Christie Administration Releases Hurricane Sandy Preliminary Damage Assessment: $29.4 Billion

Figure Accounts for Cleanup Costs to Date Plus Rebuilding and Improvements to Infrastructure

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Trenton, NJ – In response to the unprecedented and widespread damage caused by Hurricane Sandy to personal property, businesses, transportation and utilities infrastructure, as well as New Jersey’s $38 billion tourism industry, the Christie Administration has completed a preliminary cost analysis of those damages, which puts the total cost at approximately $29.4 billion. The estimate will be further refined in the days and weeks ahead.

“This preliminary number is based on the best available data, field observations and geographical mapping, and supported by expert advice from my Cabinet commissioners and an outside consulting company,” said Governor Christie. “In a short period of time, we put together a comprehensive and responsible estimate, which may increase in the weeks ahead, and I stand ready to work with our Congressional delegation and the Obama Administration to get the funding support New Jersey expects and deserves in the aftermath of this catastrophe.

“We will continue to provide immediate relief for our citizens who were struck hard by Sandy,” the Governor continued. “But be assured, I will spare no effort and waste no time to rebuild and restore our tourism industry, our transportation and utilities infrastructure and the lives of our citizens for the long term.”

The preliminary cost estimate is inclusive of aid received to date and anticipated from federal sources including FEMA and the Small Business Administration. The estimate will likely be refined further to consider and include the long-term impact on the next tourism season, shifts in population, impact on real estate values and other factors.

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Christie Administration Activates Volunteer Emergency Response Hotline

Volunteers Asked to Call 1-800-JERSEY-7

Trenton, NJ – New Jersey residents can help their neighbors recover from storm damage Hurricane Sandy may cause by volunteering in their communities. Depending on the severity of the approaching storm, volunteers may be needed to help with a variety of clean-up activities.

“During Hurricane Irene, I saw firsthand how individual New Jerseyans worked selflessly to help others during a crisis,” said Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno. “Based on what we learned, we established this volunteer emergency response hotline to enhance our responsiveness during emergencies and better organize volunteers.  Today we’re activating the hotline so that our state is prepared to direct volunteers where help may be needed.”

If you are interested in volunteering, call the state’s volunteer emergency response hotline at 1-800-JERSEY-7 (1-800-537-7397).  This hotline was established earlier this year to enhance the state’s emergency responsiveness by harnessing New Jerseyans’ strong spirit of service.

If storm conditions preclude the hotline from being answered by live operators, volunteers may call one of two backup hotline numbers: 609-775-5236 or 908-303-0471.  Volunteers may also send an email to [email protected].

If you are already a trained volunteer affiliated with an emergency response organization, please contact that agency to register your readiness to receive an assignment.

This hotline is managed by the New Jersey Business Action Center and the Governor’s Office of Volunteerism.  Both divisions are within the New Jersey Department of State.

Calls placed to the hotline will be received by the Business Action Center, which will work with the Office of Volunteerism and NJ AmeriCorps to match and direct volunteers where help is needed.  When live operators are not available, callers can leave a voicemail message that includes their place of residence, availability and skills.

Those who need help from volunteers and other services may call 211 or go online at www.nj211.org.

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