Middlesex County commissioners approved a $323,633 emergency contract to fund traffic‑safety work after Smith Street was closed due to cracking that county staff say was likely caused by undermining of the road embankment.

The contract, described in meeting materials as an emergency expenditure, was discussed during the public comment period. “I read that you approved tonight expenditure of 323,633 contract for traffic safety service due to an emergency closure at Smith Street,” public commenter Charlie Pratt said, asking whether the closure was caused by nearby warehouse construction. County staff member Ron responded, “We have a strong sense that the embankment was undermined, which caused cracking on Smith’s Streets, which caused us to close the road.”

A county director told the meeting the county “fully intend[s] on pursuing this with the developer,” saying staff will pursue reimbursement through available contracts and claims. The director’s statement was presented as the county’s intended next step; no timeline for recovery of costs was given.

Pratt and other members of the public also criticized the scheduling of a separate public hearing on a warehouse application at Old Waterworks Road in Old Bridge, which the county set for 2 p.m. on a weekday. Pratt asked, “Why are you scheduling this hearing for a Wednesday at 2PM? This is not a public hearing that’s attended by the board of commissioners … Why don’t you make it more accommodating to the working public?” County staff replied that scheduling at that hour is common for that type of hearing and that planning staff make recommendations on hearings and applications.

There was no formal vote recorded in the public comment dialog about the warehouse hearing time; the formal action at the meeting related to the emergency contract and to routine consent/resolution votes. Meeting materials referenced multiple resolutions and items placed on the agenda for separate consideration.

What happens next: meeting participants were told staff will continue the investigation into the Smith Street embankment failure and pursue developer reimbursement where applicable. No date was given for completion of that effort.