Beach Haven’s first borough council meeting of the new year, held Monday, Jan. 13, picked up right where it left off in December, addressing old business the council and Beach Haven’s constituents have not yet come to full agreement on. More than a year ago, concerned citizens Don and Bonnie Lenhard suggested the town create an ordinance that would keep people from parking recreational, construction and commercial vehicles on residential streets during the nighttime.
Recently, Councilman Charles Maschal Jr. explained, Don Lenhard asked members of the council to drive around town with him “so he could show each of us personally where he felt there were trailers that were causing a blight in the community.” Three of the five council members acquiesced to the tour, and many of the owners of the trailers agreed to move them when asked.
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| Photo via Wikipedia Beach Haven, known on LBI as the "Queen City," is a late 19th-century, beach-front resort originally established in 1873 to house wealthy, summer residents from Philadelphia. |
“Our objective is to be responsive when taxpayers raise questions and issues,” said Maschal. “Our intent is to do so with the best interest to ensure our streets are in compliance and that we are following the law.”
Mayor Robert Keeler said the council wants to be able to think through the issue before passing an ordinance that could be disadvantageous for other residents. He raised the point that many households have more than one car and no driveway.
“We can’t expect people to park a mile away from their house,” he said.
To help move things forward, Councilman James White said a letter would be drafted and attached to every permit coming out of the building department, requesting that contractors respect the rights of the homeowners and avoid parking their vehicles in front of other peoples’ homes. The code enforcement officer will follow up, he explained.
In response, Bonnie Lenhard said she believed this could work only as a temporary solution.
“Do we have to wait until an accident happens to do something? Let’s be proactive and do something before something happens,” she added.
Resident Irene Bailey said she, too, has had a similar problem in which her neighbors have not moved their truck for more than a year.
Of course, many residents sat on the other side of the fence, too.
Tammy Harrison said her 17-year-old daughter, Amanda, has four sport racing cars, which are personally registered. They must be kept on the street in front of the family’s property due to limited available space.
“We don’t have a lot of money, so we can’t store them anywhere else. That’s the only location, but they do move,” said Tammy.
Other residents agreed that neighbors with private-use trailers and vehicles should not be forced to move their personal property.
“I just don’t understand their (the council’s) reluctance to pass an ordinance,” said Bonnie. “This is not going to cost them any money. It will make the town look better, make it safer and enhance real estate value. Why would you not want ordinances to keep confrontations from happening? I still question their motives,” she added.
Richard Crane, borough manager, also mentioned at the meeting that the number of gallons of water pumped in town during the 2013 calendar year was down 22 million gallons from 2012. This is significant, he said, considering the town did not pump any water in November 2012 following Superstorm Sandy. The town also pumped 40 percent less water than normal in December 2013.
Because of this, the town has received more calls than usual regarding "brownish water." To rectify the situation, public works has been opening individual household meters. They have also been flushing hydrants in areas where a number of residences in a common geographical location are experiencing the same problem, something officials usually do only once a year, in the springtime.
On the same topic, the recent cold snap has caused a lot of pipe breakages, said Crane. Officials have responded to the leaks by turning off the water and contacting the property owner. Crane suggests owners update their contact information with the town to expedite the process should any more leaks occur.
Board utility officials told Crane many outdoor showers have not been properly winterized; some even have exposed pipes. He attributed the “lulled complacency” to the recent mild winters, but urged people to use more caution.
Nancy Taggart-Davis, council president, said the council is working on establishing a weekly or biweekly newsletter to help better disseminate information to the public. Anyone with opinions or ideas for the format of the newsletter should contact her.
— Kelley Anne Essinger
This article was published in The SandPaper.
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