January 13, 2023

State Issues

Governor Delivered State of State Address 

On Tuesday, Governor Phil Murphy delivered his 2023 State of the State address. In his speech, Governor Murphy announced plans to overhaul New Jersey’s antiquated liquor laws, something that has been a longtime League priority; the extension of the deadline to apply for the ANCHOR property tax relief program until February 28; a new “Boardwalk Fund” to help make upgrades to Shore towns to be included in the Fiscal Year 2024 proposed budget; and efforts taken by the administration to address the rise in auto thefts. For more information on the address, please see our January 10 Daily Update. 

The Governor’s address did not discuss the 22% increase in costs for those municipalities that participate in the State Health Benefits Program. While conversations are ongoing, the issue needs to be resolved as soon as possible to minimize budgetary and revenue issues. 

Contacts: 

• Mike Cerra, Executive Director, mcerra@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x120.
• Lori Buckelew, Deputy Executive Director & Director of Government Affairs, lbuckelew@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x112. 

Key Liquor License Reform Takeaways from State of the State

In Governor Murphy’s State of the State address, he revisited the topic of Liquor License reform, which he discussed during his speech of the League Conference in November. The Governor’s proposed plan includes phasing out the population cap by 10% each year until lifted completely. New licenses would be issued with new progressive fees based on the size of the entity that applies for a liquor license.

Municipalities would have the ability to add their own local fees. The proposal also includes the creation of a new “consumption license” that would be available for breweries, wineries, and distilleries, allowing consumption license holders to hold more events and sell food. For a further dive into the State of the State Address and Governor Murphy please see our blog post.

Contact: Andrew LaFevre, Legislative Analyst, alafevre@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x116.

Federal Issues

FEMA Announces Firefighters Grant Program 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program that opened January 9. The application deadline period closes February 10.

The AFG Program provides financial assistance directly to eligible fire departments, nonaffiliated emergency medical service (EMS) organizations, and State Fire Training Academies (SFTAs) to equip and train emergency personnel to recognized standards, enhance operational efficiencies, foster interoperability, support community resilience, and enhance the safety of the public and emergency responders before, during, and after hazardous events.

Over the next two weeks, FEMA will be hosting a series of webinars in advance of the deadline on subjects including vehicles; PPE/equipment; narrative development; wellness & fitness, modification to facilities and training.

Since 2015, 516 fire departments, municipalities, and rescue squads in New Jersey have been awarded a total more than $63 million in Assistance to Firefighters Grants. 

We encourage you to share this information with the appropriate personnel and volunteers in your municipality.

Contact: Paul Penna, Senior Legislative Analyst, ppenna@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x110.

Post Conference 

Your CEU certificates from the 2022 League Conference are available and can be accessed online through May 1, 2023. Please access instructions and the CEU certificate site via the 107^th Annual League Conference page. 

In addition, the 2021 tracking system has closed.  

Contact: Danielle Holland-Htut, Continuing Education/Special Programs Manager, dholland@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, Ext. 118. 

Also of Interest 

New Jersey Conference of Mayors 2023 Winter Summit 

On Thursday, February 2 the New Jersey Conference of Mayors will hold their 2023 Winter Summit at the Trenton Historic Mason Temple, 100 Barrack St., Trenton, NJ. Registration is now open. 

Please see the NJCM’s website or email  njcm@njcm.org for additional information.  

FEMA and NJDEP To Host Federal Flood Risk Management Standards Training

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 2 Floodplain Management and Insurance Office and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s (NJDEP) State National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Coordinator's office will be offering two virtual training sessions on the Federal Flood Risk Management Standards in New Jersey.

The virtual training sessions will take place Wednesday, January 25, at 11 a.m. and Thursday, January 26, at 1 p.m.  There is no cost to attend the training sessions, but prior registration is required.  

The training will focus on two recent FEMA policies and the accompanying Draft New Jersey Guidebook for Implementing the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS). These changes affect the design flood elevations for projects funded with Federal Public Assistance and Mitigation funding. Together with FEMA’s policy on the use of available flood hazard information, a federal minimum standard has been established that adds additional height requirements above FEMA’s Base Flood Elevation (BFE) mapping. It is anticipated that other Federal agencies will update their regulations in the future to comply with these policies.

Please share this information with your floodplain manager, construction official, and other interested parties. Please see the announcement from FEMA and the NJDEP for additional information. 

Clean Water Council to Host a Virtual Meeting Regarding Impacts of PFAS

The New Jersey Clean Water Council will host a virtual meeting on Thursday, January 19, from 1 to 3 p.m. to solicit public input about environmental impacts of the PFAS family of chemicals, also known as “forever chemicals.” This meeting will focus on management of PFAS in the byproducts of the drinking water and wastewater treatment processes, known as residuals. 

The Clean Water Council is soliciting public testimony focused on how to address the presence of PFAS in residuals and its potential impact on management alternatives. Information on NJ residuals production by management mode may be found at on the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection website.

The Council will provide up to five minutes per oral presentation and strongly encourages the submittal of detailed written comments by email or on paper to augment your testimony. Written comments will be accepted until January 27 and can be sent via email to CWC@dep.nj.gov.  

This public hearing will be conducted through a virtual format using Microsoft Teams. A link as well as a telephone number to the virtual public hearing will be provided on the Clean Water Council website the morning of the hearing. For more information on the virtual meeting, please see the Clean Water Council’s website or email CWC@dep.nj.gov. 

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