Barbara DeAmicis asked residents to vote for her in the School Board elections. She is unopposed. . She observed that handrails for the steps at the beach do deteriorate during winter weather and would like Council to consider providing a smoother wooden rail to eliminate splinters inevitably drawn to young, and old, hands. . .And would Council rethink providing parking spaces and/or stickers for the lifeguards‚ cars.

Council Meeting, April 19, 1999

Mayor Dunbar opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. Councilman Husted had an excused absence. The Mayor has been pleased with residents‚ response to repairing their sidewalks and eliminating shrubbery which inhibited visual and ambulatory access.

March was routine for the Police Department. Building checks, requests for first aid and traffic violations were the major activities. On March 13th, Ocean Avenue was closed to traffic for two hours because of a major gas leak. And the body of an apparent hit-and-run victim was recovered from the bay. The investigation continues. The police boat is undergoing repairs and the launch date is expected to be early May.

Chief Garon is experimenting with 10-hour shifts for three of the six patrol officers. This will enable some overlapped shifts and reduce overtime. The officers' work week will remain at 40 hours.

The Superintendent reports the bulkhead at 306 Old Bridge Street is washing out and eroding part of the street. The town-owned bulkhead is in need of repair as well. Minor repair was done to the bulkhead on North Lagoon, but major repair is necessary there too.

The Fire Company responded to seven calls, had four drills and one business meeting during March. Of the seven calls, one was the major gas leak on Ocean Avenue, two were alarms sounding, one wires down, one furnace fire, one basement fire and a car driven into a house.

John Wardell, the new construction official for the Borough, was introduced. He has been the deputy official under Bill Cobb who has retired.

Twelve new permits were issued; an addition and a demolition, and ten for alterations, all private ownership.

Bill Crelin, Chief Financial Officer, will be selling three Bond Anticipation Notes and expects for a rate under four percent.

In old business, Ordinance #399, the amend- ment to the Land Use Ordinance, was not ready to be acted upon.

In new business, Ordinance #400 was passed by title only. This ordinance reads as follows: An ordinance repealing Ordinance $393 entitled "an ordinance providing for the purchase of Fire Fighting
Equipment (Ladder Truck) at a cost of $455,000.00, authorizing the issuance of bonds and notes in the sum of $432,250.00 and appropriating the sum of $22,750 from the Capital Improvement Fund in the Borough of Mantoloking, Ocean County, New Jersey" and canceling appropriations for said purpose." On May 15th, 1998, Council adopted Ordinance #393, but since then our astute CFO has determined that alternate means of acquiring funds is more advantageous for the Borough; leasing the truck
and then owning it after ten years.

Ordinance #401 was also passed by title only. This ordinance amends Ordinance #376 which provided for the replacement of the bulkheads at Old Bridge Street and the south side of Bergen Avenue for a sum not to exceed $40,000. Ordinance #401 increases the sum to $66,000.00.

Summer must be coming. Ordinance #402, replacing Ordinance #188 which regulates dogs in the Borough of Mantoloking, restates Article XIV, Restraint of Dogs Outdoors:

(a) No person who owns, keeps or harbors any dog shall suffer or
permit such dog upon any premises, public or private, other than those
owned or occupied by such person, unless leashed and under the direct
and immediate control of a responsible person.

(b) (new) No dogs, or other animals, shall be permitted upon
Borough-owned beaches and access walkways from June 15th to September 15th.

A resolution requesting an extension of the New Jersey Department of Transportation's grant for the paving of Bay and Princeton Avenues was passed. Council is considering elevating the grade of the streets in an effort to alleviate flooding, but wants to confer with affected residents. Councilman Gillingham recommends the Borough Engineer present his findings re the impact of flooding and how it can be minimized, sometime in June or July.

Betsy Colie discussed the Barnegat Bay No Discharge Zone and the meeting she attended between the Barnegat Bay Estuary Program and local municipal officials. The goal is to protect waterways. No discharge zones are established by the US EPA and applications must be approved by that agency. The area of the zone would include the north end of Barnegat Bay to Kettle Creek. Boats would be mandated to use sewage pumpout facilities.

A resolution authorizing CFO Bill Crelin and Clerk Irene Ryan to auction Borough property, i.e., outdated office equipment, old beach buggy, was passed.

Mayor Dunbar attended a meeting pertaining to the sale of Point Pleasant Hospital to another hospital, of which two other hospitals are very interested. The State Senate is considering a resolution that
hospitals be sold rather than be decommissioned as hospitals. He will attend another meeting in two weeks.

A meeting of the Beach Associations, the police and Councilman Gillingham took place and beach staffing is progressing. Beach badges will be on sale Memorial Day, and beaches will be open and staffed starting June 15th.

Councilman Jones reported the dunes are in good shape. He urged all residents to contact their representatives to pass the Water Resources Act of 1999, Bill HR999, for permanent funding for beach restoration. There is an easy way to do this: go to WWW.Coastalcoalition.Org. -Contact Congress Bill HR 999-WRDA 99.

This is the last reminder to be able to make changes in the directory. Call 899-2386 or email cwilder@idt.net.

Remember: Mayor's Office Hours: Fridays from 10-12 in his office at
Borough Hall.

Council went into closed session. The meeting adjourned at 8:35 pm.
Next meeting: May 17th at 8:00.

The Mantoloking Reporter is edited by Christine Wilder.

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