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| Photo by Jack Reynolds Crew utilize assorted equipment to perfectly place replenishment sand on the beach. |
Beach replenishment in Beach Haven is underway with the Liberty Island, Padre and Dodge barges fully engaged in dredging operations in the northern and southern areas of the municipality. Although ocean conditions this past week prevented contractor Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co. from working for a few days, crewmembers are now back on the job, Borough Manager Richard Crane announced at the borough council’s regular meeting on Monday, May 9, which marked the 17th day the project was in town.
“It’s quite interesting to watch. They’re up to Leeward (Avenue) in terms of the southern end of town,” he noted.
Councilman Chuck Maschal, who said one of his most important initiatives is to try to get the town protected again, noted one potential munition has been found, though it hasn’t been confirmed.
He also said, “It appears that we may seriously be able to get (Little Egg) Inlet dredged, which would be huge in helping to replenish and rebuild our commercial fishing fleet, which has suffered.”
Council members adopted a ban on smoking on “the beachfront, beach or beach access pathways, including areas within 15 feet of the beach access pathways.” Smoking is now also prohibited “in any recreation or park area or in any borough-owned area.”
To avoid cigarette littering, resident Michael Peler suggested the town install more trash receptacles, which he said could be funded through ticketing violators. He noted eight $250 fines a week would net $2,000.
“I would like not to pay for somebody’s habit. I’d like them to pay for it,” he said.
Mayor Nancy Taggart Davis said the ordinance will be enforced, and she hopes people will respect the regulations.
Councilman Don Kakstis said the council should begin looking at New York City’s newly enacted 5-cent charge on plastic bags, which could be used as a guideline in Beach Haven.
Maschal mentioned getting involved with a recycling program offered by Trex, an environmentally responsible outdoor products company that provides communities with a composite bench in exchange for more than 500 pounds (about 40,500 plastic bags) of plastic refuse in a six-month span.
“If we can’t eliminate them right away by law, at least we can start recycling them,” he said.
Taggart Davis, who said she recycles all her plastic bags, noted an article in The New Yorker last week said most of them go to a dump.
“That’s basically what happens to them,” she said. “There’s just no market for those bags. So when you’re saving your bags, you might get a bench and that’s good, but it’s not really making a difference in the environment, and that’s what we need to think about.”
Kakstis said he’s also looking into having the street lighting equipped with either wind or solar panels.
Crane said he is pleased the town will be receiving $275,000 from the state Department of Transportation for street reconstruction on Dock Road beginning this year. The funding comes from the Transportation Trust Fund, which Crane said is “nearly depleted.”
“We’re extremely fortunate to be receiving these funds,” he said, noting that the town did not receive funding last year.
Crane also noted that bids for the construction of the new municipal building will be accepted on Thursday, May 12.
The council passed a resolution for a $6,000 reduction in cost for the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce’s Chowderfest contribution. The decrease is for this year only, due to last year’s cancellation from severe weather.
The members also approved the hiring of Jennifer Beahm, a planner for CME Associates, who is experienced in administering Council on Affordable Housing funds.
“We’ll greatly appreciate her assistance as we do have a bit of money accumulated in our residential development fees,” said Crane. “We hope to have some interesting projects.”
The council is holding a meeting with the land use board and the Historic Preservation Advisory Committee on May 16 to begin discussing ways to encourage people to put in affordable housing and how to improve the business district between 12th and Pearl streets. Taggart Davis mentioned the option of possibly utilizing the district as an affordable housing overlay area.
“We, as a town, are not obligated to build affordable housing, but we are obligated to provide opportunities for other people to do it. But we can’t force them to do it,” she said.
The working meeting is open to the public, but the mayor said comments from the audience will be limited to three minutes. A larger public gathering to discuss potential options when they arise will be held in the future, she noted.
Ordinances to implement a $2 daily pass and a $40 season pass for the borough’s pickleball courts, to permit and regulate “sandwich” sign boards and to establish this year’s salaries for the town’s officers and employees were also adopted.
A special ordinance authorizing a utility agreement and right of way on block 133, lot 2 for Atlantic City Electric to “install, operate, maintain, add to, extend, relocate and remove electric and communication facilities, accessories and appurtenances to provide communication services” was passed on first reading.
The adoption of an ordinance to regulate the use of dune walkovers was tabled at the request of council President Jim White, who said after the meeting that he wanted to make sure it doesn’t breach any easement agreements.
In honor of National Maritime Day, on May 22, the Beach Haven Borough Council presented a plaque to Deborah Whitcraft, who owns and operates the New Jersey Maritime Museum with her husband, Jim Vogel. Whitcraft thanked the members for recognizing the day annually.
“There are 565 municipalities in New Jersey, and Beach Haven, unfortunately, is one of very few who honor this day every year, and we’re very thankful to you and the entire governing body for doing so,” Whitcraft said.
White, who leads the town’s Memorial Day observance, which is usually well-received, said he’d like a lot of participation at this year’s event at Veterans Memorial Park.
Councilman Don Kakstis encouraged residents to get an AngioScreen, which is being offered by Meridian Health at the Beach Haven Firehouse on May 24, between 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. The special discounted rate for the vascular screening, which provides information about a person’s circulation and risk for heart attack and stroke, is $49.95. Pre-registration is required. Call 1-800-560-9990 to sign up.
— Kelley Anne Essinger
This article was published in The SandPaper.
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