The Township Committee heard the first reading of a capital ordinance for $800,000 worth of improvements to the storm water drainage system as well as roads, curbs, sidewalks and other infrastructure that was damaged during Hurricane Irene.

"When we want to take money out of the capital improvements fund, we have to pass an ordinace," said Deputy Mayor Robert Tillotson. "...We are hoping to get most of it back from FEMA."

Much of the damage to homes in the South Mountain and Washington areas came not just from the Rahway River overflowing its banks but also because of an old and inadequate sewer system.

Millburn officials are also trying to fix drainage in that area as well as the decrepit sewer pipes, but that will come at a later time, after engineers survey the property.

The $800,000 only covers the previously mentioned items such as stormwater drainage infrastructure, roads, sidewalks and curbs.

Township Administrator Tim Gordon said the town has sent letters to all the residents of South Mountain where drainage is needed, asking for permission to come on their property to do survey work. About 50 percent of the residents have returned their permission forms.

Residents from the South Mountain Civic Association, which has recently brought neighbors together to address flooding issues there, told the committee that they would work with the township to get the rest of the neighbors to send in their letters of permission.

Gordon said the township doesn't want to "pit neighbor against neighbor" and that he will give it a little more time before he enlists neighbors' help in securing the permission.

He estimated that the survey work will be done next month and that they should have a prioritized list of what needs to be done in the neighborhood by January.

The Millburn Township Committee also had a first reading of a bond ordinance to authorize the construction of an $8.5 million parking garage on Municipal Lot No. 2.

The ordinance also calls for township to make a down payment and authorize the issuance of bonds to finance the construction of the garage as well as provide for the issuance of notes in anticipation of the issuance of such bonds.

The parking option Millburn chose was to create a deck on Municipal Parking Lot No. 2, which is located at the corner of Lackawanna Place and Essex Street. It will have a total of 362 spaces and cost $8.11 million ($22,410 per space), executives of Tim Haahs & Associates, an architecture and engineering firm that specializes in parking, have told the committee.

Committee member Jim Suell said the bond ordinance has to be be passed in order to have it all ready, if the township votes to go ahead with the project.

In other news, Short Hills residents Jeff, Nancy, Jake and Danny were awarded  the Township's Community Service Award for their work in raising money and awareness for Distonia through the community event that they started - Jake's Ride.

Jake, a sophomore at Millburn High School, was diagnosed as a fifth grader with Dystonia, a painful muscular disorder that causes uncontrollable, painful spasms in various parts of the body and affects roughly 500,000 people. After treatment, he realized he could ride a bike better than he could walk and the idea for a bike ride grew from there, with members of the community coming together to put it on and participate.

After four years, the family has raised $1 million for the Bachman-Strauss Dystonia and Parkinson Foundation and created an event in which the community can come out a support the cause.

Tillotson read a proclamation by the Township honoring the family that the family receives the thanks it "so rightly deserves for their selfless dedication to our community and for providing inspiration to all."