Beach Haven closes window to amend excessive water charges

An ordinance adopted by Beach Haven Council in December to allow borough property owners to seek a one-time billing adjustment due to an unusually high water charge is expected to be rescinded because the town is implementing a mandatory water usage monitoring system. Residents will be automatically enrolled in the program and can receive text message, phone or email notifications. Every account in the Beach Haven Water Conveyance System will be billed $1.50 quarterly for the implementation and maintenance of the monitoring system.

Photo via Google
Bill adjustments for the water charges
became labor intensive for the town.

Councilman Jim White initially voted against the AquaHawk monitoring system due to the adoption of the relief ordinance. He had suggested repealing the regulation for anyone other than for those seeking relief from a bill issued in 2014 and 2015, which must be submitted no later than April 1.

Due to last winter’s extremely cold weather, a number of seasonal homeowners received excessively high water bills when their pipes burst or began to leak. While some residents asked for reprieve from the charges, the local government could not provide forgiveness because the ordinance did not include such a provision, according to Borough Clerk Sherry Mason.

When the relief ordinance was later adopted, it became an issue for town employees handling the requests.

“We were advised not to do this by our town manager, but we disregarded his advice because we didn’t want to hurt the people in town,” Mayor Nancy Taggart Davis stated at a public meeting Wednesday, Feb. 17. “But it has become somewhat of a nightmare because a lot of people with very small bills, we’re not talking about people with huge water leaks, are coming forth. It’s involving a huge amount of work for our borough employees.”

The regulation to repeal the relief ordinance is expected to be introduced by borough council at its regular monthly meeting in March. If adopted, it would take effect May 11.

— Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.