November 10, 2025 Planning Board Special Meeting - WEHI Transcript

13 of 28 sheets Page 49 to 52 of 112 01/05/2026 03:19:18 PM 49 that they haven't given you but they say they're going1 to give you?2 They assumed the condition, a more conservative3 A. condition of the groundwater levels on the slope where4 they, they assume groundwater level that's below the5 basin of the topsoil layer, almost to the surface of the6 ground.7 Did they tell you what made them do this new8 Q. remodeling, M-O-D-E-L-I-N-G?9 MR. PLOCKER: I'm going to object. I don't10 believe anybody indicated --11 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Mr. Plocker.12 MR. PLOCKER: -- that anything new was done.13 Well, it wasn't given to you before, was it?14 Q. They did not give us the results.15 A. Okay.16 Q. And I don't know.17 A. Did they say when they did this?18 Q. No, they didn't. In the conversation I had with19 A. them.20 As a professional engineer does it strike you as21 Q. a little strange that they would have a more conserve22 model to address the very problem that was so obvious,23 but never provided it?24 Well, they formed an opinion that groundwater --25 A. 50 that there was no groundwater condition on the slope.1 And now they have another opinion that assumes2 Q. there's groundwater and that's why you called that a3 more conservative opinion, correct?4 Correct. It was just a test. If I was doing the5 A. analysis it would be a test. What "if" the groundwater.6 We don't know that it would, but it's a what if.7 So you would have done a more conservative8 Q. analysis initially and submitted that as part of your9 presentation?10 I don't know that. I'm not 100 percent sure that11 A. I would.12 Are you of any reason why they would have done13 Q. this more conserve analysis, held it back, not given it14 to anyone?15 I'm sorry if I implied that. I'm not sure that16 A. they did that.17 Well, either they have it now or they had it all18 Q. along or in contest to what Mr. Plocker said, it's a new19 analysis?20 I'm not sure. They would have to explain to the21 A. board when it was done and they would have to, I'm not,22 I don't know enough about it. All I know is they said23 we did it and we didn't include that in the thing.24 That's all I know.25 51 And just to be clear, they didn't tell you when1 Q. they did that analysis?2 No.3 A. Let's talk about the US Geological Map. The4 Q. hazardous map, is that how you referred to it?5 Yes. It's identified as Class B, which is a6 A. lower

tell you when1 Q. they did that analysis?2 No.3 A. Let's talk about the US Geological Map. The4 Q. hazardous map, is that how you referred to it?5 Yes. It's identified as Class B, which is a6 A. lower class of risk and in accordance with hazard7 standards a Class B3, which is for a weakly cemented8 sand or rock -- weakly cemented soil or rock with slopes9 of less than 15 degrees.10 Okay.11 Q. So this particular slope, is it more or less than12 15 degrees?13 The slope, when you get to about middle of the14 A. slope, roughly where the township sewer is, reduces to15 less than 15 degrees.16 And at what point is it greater than 15 degrees?17 Q. From that point up to the ridge.18 A. Okay.19 Q. And what is that angle?20 Those angles are between 20 and 29 degrees.21 A. Something like that.22 So it's a fairly steep change?23 Q. Yeah. You can see it in the contours.24 A. Now, what does the hazardous map that you have25 Q. 52 tell us?1 It's just saying that we, as I said, we could not2 A. find the basis for the hazardous classification. It was3 not, it was not indicated on the map. We checked with4 the New Jersey Geological Society in our files and we5 could not find a report that explained the basis of the6 classification and we went to the USGS and that's7 involved with the shutdown at this point.8 What is it that you would need from USGS once9 Q. they reopened, assuming they reopen someday?10 Just needed what the, what their description of11 A. the actual landslide hazard was. In other words, is12 that rising of the groundwater level to the surface of13 the ground.14 And based on the hazardous map that you have, are15 Q. you able to make that assessment at this point?16 No. We said that we can't.17 A. I just want to clarify.18 Q. So you can't really give an opinion at this stage19 as to that hazard until you have at least consulted with20 the geological survey?21 Well, I don't know anything beyond that. You22 A. would need to check for the background for the mapping.23 Right. You're thinking they may have it?24 Q. They may. But we did search for it, couldn't25 A.