Don Lasher writes "The Mantoloking Parade will be part of a special day on Monday, July 4th to celebrate our Nation's 229th year of Independence, and to honor our military service men and women, our veterans and our police, fire and emergency aid personnel.  The day will begin at 8am with the Casie and Chrissy Memorial Mile Race, with shorter races for kids under twelve. The Flag Raising Ceremony will be at 11am, the Parade at noon, followed by food and beverage service, Parade winners' award ceremony and children's games; radio controlled boat races at 2pm and canoe races at 2:30. Chairpersons Nadia and Don Lasher expect a large turnout, and urge residents to bring their family and friends. The Mayor presented Don Lasher with a check for $350 to defray some of the costs. The Navesink Brass will again play during and after the Parade."

 All Council members were present except for Mr. Husted who had been excused.

 Herbert Wright said he had been waiting seven months for an ordinance  to specify where he should replace his flagpole. . . .Mary Ann Buck thanked Irene Ryan for her help with Brick and a house numbering problem.  She asked Council to work with the DOT to designate turning lanes by using arrows on signs well before the turns.

 The Mayor stated residents must contact the Borough with their construction plans before work is started. This is necessary to avoid stop-work orders. Permits are mandatory for what might be considered 'a nothing job,' like installing pavers.

 The Mantoloking Bridge is on time and budget. A lane going west is expected to be in use in the fall. But this summer boat traffic will be directed to one 35-foot area while work is done on the bascule leaf decks, the opening sections. This area is to be dredged soon and will allow only one vessel to pass at a time. A police boat will be there at all times.

 Tax Assessor, James Anderson, explained in detail reassesment vs. revaluation of properties in the Borough. The cost of a revaluation could be $200,000 and $150,000 for required new tax maps, while a reassessment would be $25,000. The state compares house sales to assessments, and sales now are 62% of market value; in 2002 the ratio was 120%. Revaluation is being demanded for all of Ocean County. Mr. Anderson strongly recommends reassessment which would take place in 2006 for tax year 2007. Council tabled the resolution until the June 20th meeting.

 A resolution to proclaim June, 2005 as Myas- thenia Gravis Awareness Month was passed. This is a neuromuscular disease striking children and adults, affecting control of voluntary muscles and afflicting several hundred New Jerseyans.

 The Police Department responded to 162 incidents during April. Lt. Michael Dreher and Sgt. Mark Wright received certificates from the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police for attending a Policing Your Town Seminar on April 12, 2005.

 Bill Heckman, Borough Superintendent, installed stop signs at the southern end of East Avenue and two on Barnegat Lane at Lyman Street. The Fire Company was quiet during April. It will be having a drill soon in a Lagoon Lane house before the house is torn down.

 Construction official Wardell issued sixteen new and four permit updates. They are for everything from plumbing, new siding, shingles, pools, new houses, kitchens and internal restoration due to water damage to a geothermal air conditioning unit.

 Land Use Officer Guldin reported receiving seventeen applications during April. Thirteen of these were approved. There were two pool foundation surveys and one certification of pre-existing non-conformity issued.

 A resolution to accept the report of the Municipal Finance Officer as of March 31, 2005 was passed.Bond Ordinance #497 providing for roadway improvements on Barnegat Lane from Lyman to Herbert Street was passed.

 Two ordinances were introduced, #498, establishing a State Uniform Construction Code, and #499, amending Ordinance #465, the Land Use Ordinance, providing for regulation of critical facilities within the 500 year flood plain. These were passed by title only.

 Ordinance #498 will establish a municipal enforcement agency in the Borough to enforce the Uniform Construction code, and the Borough will appoint the following: John Wardell (construction and building subcode), Douglas Erb (electrical subcode), Anthony Gargani, Jr.(plumbing subcode), Michael Clayton (fire subcode) and the Department of Community Affairs (elevator subcode).

 Councilman Nebel presented a resolution to pay the April bills of $313,843 which was passed. And a resolution to refund two property owners for overpayment of taxes was passed, as well.

 Councilman Gillingham announced the appointment of five seasonal Special Police Officers and sixteen badge checkers for the summer. This was in the form of a resolution and it was passed.

 The Fire Siren Committee is working on specificaions for an appropriate siren system to meet the needs of the community. We now have two siren locations and see a need for two more, in order to have a quieter system.

 Residents will be receiving a letter from the Borough telling them that recycling bottles and cans in plastic bags will not be picked up, that they must be in containers, that newspapers and magazines must be tied separately and placed at the curb.

 Resolutions to pay for the curb, sidewalk and drainage improvements for Barnegat Lane form Lyman Street to Bergen Avenue were passed.And a resolution to award the contract for storm drainage improvements for Barnegat Lane from Lyman Street to Herbert Street to the lowest bidder, Haskell Site Work, was passed. The bids ranged from $521,000 to $362,000. This work will be done in the fall.

 Councilman Popaca announced a resolution to apply to the New Jersey DOT for a grant for discretionary aid for the roadway improvements to Barnegat Lane. It was passed.

 The Regionalization and Shared Services Committee is planning to contact residents of Bay Head, Point Pleasant, Mantoloking and Point Pleasant Beach to assess their thoughts and wants for a regional recreation center.

 The Water Company is attaching meters to several fire hydrants in the Borough to measure time-of-day water usage and water pressure to see what the problems are. And it will ask residents to water lawns and landscaping on an odd-even schedule

 As for windmills, there are only certain places on the New Jersey coast where these would be used.Most people are against them, the NIMBY syndrome.

 Councilman Jones said the cost of any WERDA bill will be higher because of added projects, with the Corps adding dams and locks to it.  And he said the beach is not very wide, that we need days of west wind.

 The Flood Strategy Committee will have a meeting on July 19th at 7pm in Borough Hall to discuss the Flood Mitigation Plan. Councilman Jones would like input from the public.
 
 Beach badges will be on sale starting May 27th at Borough Hall.

 There will be an open house at the Fire House from 10:30am to 1pm on June 16th to celebrate the installation of the new Post Master, William Clark. Everyone is invited.

 This meeting was adjourned at 9:23pm.

 The next Council Meeting is June 20, 2005 at 8pm.

The Reporter is compiled and edited by Christine Wilder.