Mantoloking
October 16, 2000 No. 314
Oceanfront property owners: re beach grass. Call the Borough to reserve then pick up Saturday, November 4th between 8 am and noon. . . . Lots of information about Mantoloking is published on the internet site, www.mantoloking.org. . . .The Reporter is published there, as well. . . . If you would like "The Reporter" sent to you by e-mail, e-mail your address to cwilder@idt.net. The e-mail address will be included in the 2001 Directory.
Mayor Dunbar requested a moment of silence to commemorate the lives of those young sailors killed on the USS Cole.
The Council Meeting opened at 8:04 pm. All members of Council were present.
Minutes from the meetings of July 17 and August 21 were distributed and approved.
The Police report included seven animal complaints, five first aid calls, one harassment, one lockout, a public assistance and 88 radar/mdt stops. Chief Garon said all was quiet.
Superintendent Heckman wrote the bulkhead project at the north end of Lagoon Lane will start in the first part of November. Sinkholes were repaired at the Lyman Street bulkhead, but a permanent solution is needed there. He and the engineer cleaned up the Bay Avenue lot. The DEP has approved the lot to be buildable.
Chief Downes informed Council the fire company responded to nine calls, had three training drills and one business meeting. Five calls were alarms sounding and one each for a gas leak, pole fire, structure fire and to stand by at Station 27 in Ocean Beach.
Thirteen new and ten updated construction permits were issued during September for everything from repairs and replacements, plumbing alterations and new houses to new inground pools and room additions. It doesnât stop!
CFO Bill Crelin says there are still 13 tax and sewer delinquents from 1999. If these accounts are not paid, they will be sold in the tax sale on December 1st. And 65 accounts are delinquent for 2000. These people have been notified but the response has been negligible.
CFO Crelin has negotiated with Summit Bank a substantial increase for the interest revenue paid to the Borough--7% instead of 6.23% on deposits.
There was no old business, but several new resolutions were passed.
The award to purchase a new 2001 police car was given to the lower of two bidders, Ozzie's Ford Store of Kearny, NJ whose bid of $20,969 for a Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor Sedan was accepted. The other bid from Winner Ford of Cherry Hill was $22.62 higher.
A resolution to cancel 2001 preliminary taxes on two properties on Barnegat Lane was passed. These lots are additions to their existing lots and were foreclosed through tax lien sales and have been deleted as separate items in the assessor's records.
The resolution to authorize a tax sale for delinquent properties to take place on December 1st was passed.
The Mayor and Council passed a resolution to provide for real estate reassessment. Dynamic changes have taken place in the values of Mantoloking properties and the procedures used by the County Tax Board significantly impose taxes higher than the Borough's true value. Tax Assessor James Anderson has said it is in the Borough's interest to initiate a voluntary reassessment before the County mandates a Borough reevaluation. The average ratio assessed to true value in the Borough last year (10/1/99) was 97.51; this year, 87.56. The County taxes are based on recent sales weighted over two years. Mr. Anderson has been doing maintenance every year, but this method does not give any consideration to our ratio of assessed value to the selling prices of properties. He raised the assessments of all lagoon and bayfront properties. But the County did not recognize this maintenance formula and penalized the Borough re county taxes which are based on the total assessments of each municipality after the ratios are applied and adjusted to 100%. The real property value in Mantoloking is $449,670,600, and divided by our ratio of 97.51% equals $461,153,317, our 2000 true value, and on which the county taxes are based. If the County Board used the "maintenance" formula, the ratio would have been 102.59%, thus reducing the Boroughâ true value to $438,318,159. Applying the overall county tax rate of . 568, Mantoloking's overall county taxes would be approximately $129,000 less than it is.
Anyway, the reassessment will be done next summer. Assessors are authorized to look at properties, exterior and interior. A letter will go out to advise of the reassessment, a person hired by Mantoloking will do the inspections and another letter will post the results. If a taxpayer disagrees with the new assessment, he will be heard, at which time he will see a list of similar sales and be able to review his new assessment to insure the data is correct.
A resolution to authorize solicitation of bids for garbage and recyclables was passed, as were resolutions to consider approval of additional sick leave for a Borough employee and to consider approval of payment for the repavement of Carrigan, Chafey, Mathis, Newman, Stephens and Williams Place(s). (These were done six months ago)!
And the Council passed a resolution to oppose the approval of proposed rate increases for telephone service for Verizon by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
Steve Gillingham, Mayor Dunbar, etc. met with the Department of Transportation to discuss the reduction of the speed limit on Ocean Avenue to 35 mph. The DOT was responsive to this proposal and will study it and have the results completed by springtime. They will also study the need for traffic control at Lyman, Albertson and Princeton Avenues, but will not implement it, most likely. Changing the light at Herbert Street to accommodate pedestrian traffic will not be done, but the DOT will take steps to increase the awareness of motorists that pedestrians do cross there. They will place signs at intervals before the intersection, paint the pavement, etc. If that doesnât work by after next summer, DOT will study a dedicated pedestrian crossing.
Councilman Jones reminded Council the beach walk is next Monday, October 23rd. And he reported that Budget 2001 is in progress.
Councilman Husted said there is still confusion in Washington re monies available for renourishment of the beaches.
The flood map is posted on the wall of the ăcourt roomä in Borough Hall.
The Borough Hall has a new roof and new siding, said Councilman Gillingham.
And Councilman Popaca would like to hear of any complaints about cable, water or other utility problems.
Happy Halloween, and remember to VOTE on November 7th.
Next Meeting: Monday, November 20th at 8 pm
Anne Benedict is still looking for photos to include in her history book of
Mantoloking.
Mayor Dunbar's Office Hours: Fridays 10-noon
For sale: Mantoloking Flag, 18" x 24", $15.00, at Borough Hall
