HTA September/October 2022 Newsletter

Welcome to Fall 2022 where storms have already severely impacted our beaches; on the plus side mild weather is still with us. Hopefully the re-emerging old stone jetties will hold onto more of the sand this winter.

SPECIAL NOTE: Please come out and support the All-Island Beach/Bay Cleanup on Saturday, October 22 from 9am-noon. The storms have deposited a lot of plastic on the beaches. This is in partnership with Alliance for Living Ocean, Clean Ocean Action along with most of the LBI taxpayer associations. We will meet at the Tebco Terrace Beach entrance at 9am. You should bring gloves and a bucket to pick up trash. HTA will provide water and long-handled pickers for the kids. See flyer at bottom of this email.

September/October Highlights

1. Beach Conditions
2. Fall Membership Meeting/BBQ
3. Windmill Status
4. Holgate Water Treatment Plant
5. Elections: Trustees and Officers
6. Dune Planting
7. Dune Planting Water Needs
8. Dune Grass
9. Adopt-A-Trap
10. Holgate Refuge Clamming Trail and Rules Reminder
11. Township Ordinances Moved on First Reading
12. Township Ordinances Approved on Second Reading
13. Grants Received by Township

Updates

1. Beach Conditions

• The remnants of Hurricane Ian still managed to do a number on LBI beaches and this was definitely true in Holgate. Southern Holgate saw increased dune damage and the return of 10-15’ cliffs. Northern Holgate didn’t have dune damage but lost a significant amount of sand. Much of the sand from our beaches appears to be just offshore in a large sandbar so hopefully it will come back. But the Township will need to be busy again with plows in the Spring.

2. Fall Membership Meeting/BBQ

• The annual Fall meeting was a great success with at least 75 people in attendance in Bond’s Park. The HTA provided updates on key issues, followed by more than an hour of Q&A.

3. Windmill Status

• The latest updates (#5 and #6) of available information from the Joint Council of Taxpayers Associations of LBI will be posted soon on the homepage of the HTA website. Please note, these summaries do not represent any formal position on the part of the HTA but are the result of efforts by the JCTA to present as much factual and objective information as possible so that people are better educated about the wind projects. One caveat to keep in mind is that much of the information that is specifically related to the fields closest to LBI is coming from directly from Atlantic Shores (LBI wind farm), Ocean Wind (Atlantic City wind farm), the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), or studies which have been commissioned by these parties. As such, it is up to you to assess if you feel there is any bias or vested interest in information provided by Atlantic Shores, Ocean Wind and BOEM.
• The Township has included a link on its home page to the petition started by Save Long Beach Island in opposition to the Atlantic Shores project. In addition, the Township has indicated it may donate funding to this effort (possibly as much as $25k).

4. Holgate Water Treatment Plant Project

• Unfortunately, it remains unclear what the specific plans are to update the water treatment plant located between Pershing and Roosevelt. Commissioner Bayard has said the footprint of the plant would not be increased but the building has to be raised. The HTA has asked for more specific information (how high will the structure be; are the 3 building structures on the property being combined; will noise increase). As of the October commissioners meeting, the design plans had not been submitted to the Township for review and the Mayor deferred comment until he has seen them.

5. Fall Elections

• Trustees: Art Levy and Jeff Lipman received overwhelming approval from the membership and will begin their two-year terms as trustees.
• Officers: The Board will elect officers in our November meeting. Rand Pearsall, Bill Cannon and Bob White have agreed to stand for election as president, treasurer and recording secretary, respectively.

6. Dune Planting

• Plants were put in the ground at Susan, Tebco, Scott, and Holgate. We continue to have the budget to plant much more than this and at many other locations, but are severely limited by a shortage of watering volunteers.

7. Dune Planting Water Needs

• Anyone who can help with watering the new plants on a regular basis (45 minutes/day, every 1-2 days when it does not rain), please reply to this email.

8. Dune Grass

• Dune grass is available at the LBT Municipal Yard. HTA Trustee Bill Hutson led a squad of local Boy Scouts to put grass in on some of the hard-hit southern Holgate dunes this past weekend.

9. Adopt-A-Trap

• Please bear with us as we work through the details of this new program. We are thankful that many people have volunteered and Bill Hutson’s team is working towards getting as many greenhead traps as possible placed with homeowners. Special thanks to Joe Chieffo for leading the effort on the north end of Holgate.

10. Holgate Refuge Clamming Trail and Rules Reminder

• From Virginia Rettig, Forsythe Refuge Manager: Please check out the Clamming Trail, which is about 1/3 of the way down the beach. It is a great opportunity to see the back bays of our site, go clamming, or take a look at the refuge’s birds.
• It is very important that we are respectful of the Refuge and obey all posted signage. One important rule is that no dogs are permitted on the site at any time, which even includes being in cars or trucks. Unfortunately, dogs create a lot of disturbance to all wildlife and any birds that are forced to fly away are wasting much-needed energy. The area where this regulation is enforced is to the south of the small beach below the steel jetty, where the refuge boundary is located and clearly marked.

11. Relevant Ordinance Moved on First Reading

• 22-22C: Limits height requirement for commercial marina bulkheads

12. Relevant Ordinances Passed on Second Reading

• 22-20C: Establishes set-backs for air conditioning units and other such equipment
• 22-21C: Prohibits carrying guns into government buildings (including the LBT municipal building), in parks and on beaches in LBT

13. Grants Received by Township

• The Township, especially Angela Andersen, does an excellent job in applying for grants which fund projects that would otherwise impact our tax base. One such grant was received from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in the amount of $87k which is intended to protect Clam Cove through the creation of a living shoreline.

HTA August 2022 Newsletter

As Summer comes to a close, we are looking ahead to several big events in September and October and we need many volunteers to be successful. We’ll start with a double header on Saturday, September 10th with a Refuge Clean-up starting in the parking lot at 10am and the annual HTA Fall Member BBQ in Bond’s Park at 5pm.

The Refuge clean-up is important to Holgate. Not just because the Refuge is our neighbor but also because we need their support for approval of the extended steel groin. Please try to join us on the 10th. The HTA will provide coffee and crumb cake.

In October, we have dune planting on Oct. 8 and the all-Island beach and bay clean-up on Oct. 22. We’ll send separate emails next month to help plan for each event in October.

August Highlights

• Beach Replenishment
• Windmill Status Update
• Elections: Trustees and Officers
• Bond’s Park Basketball Court
• Township Ordinances Moved on First Reading
• Township Ordinances Approved on Second Reading
• App for Water Usage – Update
• Dune Planting Water Needs
• ReClam the Bay Raffle
• Supporting First Responders – Sandpaper Ad
• Save-the-Dates – Fall Events

Beach Replenishment

We spoke with former Congressional representative Tom MacArthur who advised us that the best way to influence our 12 New Jersey Congressional offices is to generate a petition with as many signatures as possible calling for replenishment of the most seriously eroded LBI beaches. While there is money in the still-to-be approved Federal budget for FY 2023, it is unclear if the amount is adequate. We are working with the JCTA to create an online petition for all to sign.

Windmill Status Update

You can find updated summaries of available information listed on the HTA website. Please note, these summaries do not represent any formal position on the part of the HTA but represent the tremendous efforts of the JCTA to present as much factual and objective information as possible so that people are better educated about the wind projects. One caveat to keep in mind is that nearly all of the factual information is coming from directly from Atlantic Shores (LBI wind farm), Ocean Wind (Atlantic City wind farm), BOEM, or studies which have been commissioned by these parties. As such, it is up to you to research and assess the validity of the information provided by these organizations.

BOEM has completed an extended 60-day public comment period for the proposed Atlantic City (not LBI) field on August 23. We will closely monitor any results as this may impact the LBI field. We will also let you know when public comment begins for the Atlantic Shores project off LBI. But note that we understand only 84 people offered comments. If you want to affect these projects, you need to participate actively in the process.

Fall Elections

Trustees: We have two candidates, Art Levy and Jeff Lipman, running for the three open trustee positions. An online election will be held beginning September 5 and you will receive a separate email with a link for the election.

Officers: The Board will elect officers in our November meeting. Rand Pearsall, Bill Cannon and Bob White have agreed to stand for election as president, treasurer and recording secretary, respectively.

Corresponding Secretary: After several years of service, Yanni Kaloudis has stepped down this month as corresponding secretary. The Board is very pleased that Yanni will remain as trustee of the HTA.

Bond’s Park Basketball Court

We share the disappointment of many that this project has been badly delayed. The Township bid it in conjunction with the new pickleball courts at the old M&M Steambar location along with refinishing tennis courts in Loveladies. All of those projects were very late and we are last in line. Some of this is due to having to accept the low bid and apparently you get what you pay for. However, we intend to ask at the next Commissioners meeting if they include a penalty clause for missing deadlines in their bids and contracts.

Relevant Ordinance Moved on First Reading

22-20C: Establishes set-backs for air conditioning units and other such equipment

22-21C: Prohibits carrying guns into government buildings (including the LBT municipal building), in parks and on beaches in LBT

Relevant Ordinances Passed on Second Reading

22-18: Authorizes the issuance of a general bond for $3,500,000 for the modernization of the water treatment plant in Holgate (note: this will not increase the footprint of the current facility but current structure will be raised).

App for Water Usage – Update

The app continues to be delayed but you can call the Water/Sewer Dept for your water meter readings, if needed: 609-492-6314

Dune Planting Water Needs

As mentioned above, we will send out a separate email about dune planting but we want to underscore just how important water sources and watering volunteers are. We have had to cut back our efforts from time to time because we can’t guarantee we have watering volunteers and we will not waste your donations on plants that die from inadequate watering. When you get the dune planting email, please try to be able to volunteer to water.

ReClam the Bay Raffle

The drawing for the ReClam the Bay (RTB) 50/50 Raffle will be held Saturday, October 1, 2022, 3:00 pm at the ChowderFest Bayfront Festival, Taylor Avenue Bayfront, Beach Haven, NJ. Winners need not be present. Raffle tickets are $5 each. Please email billw@reclamthebay.org if you can help support this raffle. As RTB did last year, they will make arrangements to get you tickets through their members on LBI (unfortunately, New Jersey doesn’t allow online raffle sales.).

Supporting First Responders – Sandpaper Ad

At the bottom of this email, please see the ad created by the JCTA and supported by the HTA to increase awareness and support for our volunteer first responder units. This ad, which ran August 3 in The Sandpaper, is the first of an ongoing campaign to preserve our volunteer first responders network.

Save the Dates – Fall Events

Fall Membership BBQ: 5-7pm, Saturday, Sept. 10 at Bond’s Park

Fall Refuge Clean-up: Saturday, Sept. 10, 10am-noon, meet at the Holgate parking lot

Fall Dune Planting: Saturday, Oct. 8, 10am-noon, meet at Tebco Terrace beach entrance

All Island Beach and Bay Clean-up: Saturday, October 22, 10am-noon (meeting location TBD)

HTA May 2022 Newsletter

As you’ve probably seen in the news or online, NJ beaches including Holgate were hit hard by the last nor’easter. The Township is doing its best to plow sand back up at low tide and has been meeting with Congressional Representative Van Drew to push for replenishment funding. Fingers crossed for Memorial Day Weekend access.

Please mark your calendars for our rescheduled May 21 clean-up. Weekend weather looks good for a change and there seems to be a fair amount of garbage out there waiting for us.

May Highlights

1. Spring Clean-up
2. Spring Membership Meeting
3. New Member Meet and Greet
4. Resilient LBI
5. Bond’s Park Basketball Court
6. Dogs on the Beach
7. Relevant Ordinance Moved on First Reading
8. Speed Limits, Traffic Lights and Increased Police Enforcement
9. Plastic Bag Ban In Effect
10. App for Water Usage – Update
11. Special Offer from Friends of the Island Library
12. Ocean County Fire Marshall Inspection
13. Other Save-the-Dates

Updates

1. Spring Clean-up

• On Saturday, May 21th from 9-11am, we will kick off an Island-wide clean-up, sponsored by the Joint Council of Taxpayers Associations in partnership with Alliance for a Living Ocean. Holgate will be going first as each association is juggling reschedule dates. We would like to have a great volunteer turnout; you can collect a lot of trash in a short time. We’ll meet at 9am at the Tebco Terrace beach entrance (roughly the halfway point for north/south). The HTA will provide water, a snack, safety vests, and some handy pickers for items you don’t want to touch or for the kids to use. Please bring your own gloves, sunscreen, and a bucket (if possible, to avoid using plastic bags).

2. Spring Membership Meeting

• All members are invited and encouraged to attend this annual meeting. We are looking forward to an in-person meeting on Saturday, June 11 at 10am at the new Marine Field Station on Osborn Avenue on the north end of Holgate. For those who would normally walk to the meeting, we are trying to arrange an extra shuttle bus that morning for people on the south end. There is some seating but you may want to bring a folding chair too. Coffee and crumbcake will be served and if the weather turns bad, we can simply move the meeting indoors.

3. New Member Meet and Greet

• Members who are new to the HTA in 2022 are invited to join the HTA trustees for a sunset reception at the new Marine Field Station on Osborn on June 18 from 5-7pm. All are welcome but please be sure to RSVP to the coming Evite (separate email) so we have an accurate count to plan for refreshments.

4. Resilient LBI

• Resilient LBI is a State-funded group to study and recommend solutions to preserve the Island in the face of tremendous climate challenges. They have been working for a few years on this project and have offered several opportunities for public involvement. Like most projects of this type, people tend to only participate after the final recommendations are in. We strongly urge everyone to become more familiar with what they are trying to accomplish.
  You can watch the on-demand version of the recent workshop by clicking here. You can also find the slide presentation to follow along here.
  You can also follow the project and find the latest updates by clicking here.

5. Bond’s Park Basketball Court

• We’ve seen a number of questions about the status of the court. The contract for the reconstruction was approved and it includes repair work on other Township tennis courts (not Holgate) and new pickleball court construction at the old M&M Steam Bar site. The work is expected to be completed “by Summer” so we will seek an update at the next Commissioners Meeting in June.

6. Dogs on the Beach

• A reminder: No dogs on the beach from May 15 – October 1.

7. Relevant Ordinance Moved on First Reading

• Speed limits on Ocean Blvd, Beach Ave and Atlantic Ave will be reduced to 15mph between May 15 and October 15.

8. Speed Limits, Traffic Lights and Increased Police Enforcement

• Speed limits have already been reduced and traffic lights should be back on or around May 23. School is still in session so please be patient if you are behind a school bus in the morning or afternoon. The Township Police will begin to issue summonses without warning for dogs that are on the beach, illegal parking, and drivers not allowing safe distance when passing bicyclists per the recently passed NJ law. The HTA has also asked that this enforcement also apply to bicyclists who don’t obey the traffic laws and create dangerous situations for everyone on the road.

9. Plastic Bag Ban In Effect

• As of May 4. Please bring your own shopping bags as NJ is also not allowing paper bags to be used in grocery stores. Also, remember to tell your tenants if you rent.

10. App for Water Usage – Update

• The Township will offer a free app available to allow you to track your water usage in real time. Due date has been pushed back to June.

11. Special Offer from Friends of the Island Library

• The Friends of the Island Library is sponsoring a bus trip to the Philadelphia Flower Show at FDR Park on Tuesday June 14. The bus departs from the Long Beach Island Library on Central Avenue in Surf City at 9 am and leaves Philadelphia at 4 pm to come back to the library. The cost is $89 per person, which includes round trip bus transportation and one ticket to the show, which is regularly $50 at the door. Sign up by coming to the library or email questions or your request for tickets to lbif@theoceancountylibrary.org. Tickets are available for sale through May 26.

12. Ocean County Fire Marshall Inspection

• For those who rent your homes, please remember to schedule your Ocean County Fire Marshall Inspection. Schedule Inspection

13. Other Save the Dates

• Town-wide Yard Sale: Saturday, May 28 (rain date Sunday, May 29); Township permit required

Fingers crossed as we get nearer to Spring as the beaches have held up well this Winter. Also, please pay special attention to the sections below on Ordinance Passed on Second Reading and Increased Police Enforcement.

March Highlights

1. Membership Renewals for 2022
2. Call for New Trustees
3. Beach Conditions
4. Offshore Wind Updates
5. Pickleball at Old M&M Steambar location
6. Ordinance Passed on Second Reading
7. Ordinances in Process after First Reading
8. Increased Police Enforcement
9. Save the Dates
10. Helpful Links

Updates

1. Membership Renewals: If you’ve already submitted for 2022, thank you! If not, please consider sending your dues in soon – and ask your neighbor if they are a member, especially if they are a new homeowner. Members offer the very best outreach. “https://bit.ly/HTAMembership
2. Call for New Trustees: Please respond to this email if you would like more information about joining our Board. Help is needed. We have spoken with 3 potential candidates for the 3 open positions but we haven’t received any nominating positions yet (it’s early in the process). Any member who has lived here for at least 2 years is eligible.
3. Beach Conditions: The Township is hoping to move forward with the extension of the current steel jetty and adding at least two smaller steel jetties. This is subject to agreement by the Department of Fish and Wildlife which runs the Refuge. The HTA has reached out to DFW to request their support. Also, we spoke with the Township about getting dune fencing where needed at the bottom of the dunes. This will be done by early June although it may not be feasible on the narrowest beaches.
4. Offshore Wind Updates: The Joint Council of Taxpayers Associations is working on updates to their previous FAQ document (posted on HTA home page) and we will share when it is available.
5. Pickleball at Former M&M Steambar Site: If you have driven by this property recently, you will have noticed it has been largely cleared and the Township is hoping to have pickleball courts ready for play in June. Planned hours will be 8:30am – 5:00pm. The adjoining parking lot will be open until 11:15pm to serve nearby restaurants.
6. Ordinance Passed Into Law on Second Reading:
   22-06C was passed into law and prohibits any structure on a rooftop deck that extends beyond the permissible height of the house (based on the true roofline, not rooftop railings). This includes but is not limited to pergolas, kitchens, pools, cabanas, hot tubs, etc. When the HTA asked if this was retroactive and would require homeowners to remove these objects, the answer was yes as far as it applies to hot tubs. The Township is still considering if other previously installed structures would be included.
7. Ordinances Moved on First Reading:
   An ordinance was moved which would allow open containers of alcoholic beverages at Township-sponsored events.
   An ordinance was moved to allow the Township to charge for OPRA-related requests for police videos since these require an outside service to edit them.
8. Increased Police Enforcement: The Township Police will begin to issue summonses without warning for dogs that are on the beach without leashes, illegal parking, and drivers not allowing safe distance when passing bicyclists per the recently passed NJ law.
9. Save the Dates:
   • Spring Clean-up as part of an Island-wide effort: Saturday, May 7, 9am-noon
   • Spring Dune Planting: Saturday, May 21 (morning)
   • Yard Sale: Saturday, May 28 (rain date Sunday, May 29); Township permit required
   • HTA Spring All-Membership Meeting (Saturday, June 18; time/location TBD)
10. Helpful Links:
    • Hazardous waste disposal
    • Ocean County shredding dates

As usual, there is a lot going on even during the “quiet” winter months. Film lovers should be sure to see the special Lighthouse International Film Festival offer to HTA members listed below.

February Highlights

1. Membership Renewals for 2022
2. Call for New Trustees
3. Beach Conditions
4. Offshore Wind Updates
5. LIFF Film Festival Discount Offer to HTA Members
6. Ordinances Passed on Second Reading
7. Ordinances in Process after First Reading
8. Coyotes
9. Q1 Water and Sewer Bills
10. Upcoming Events

Updates

1. Membership Renewals: We’re off to a great start with a goal of 500 members this year (out of 800 households). If you’ve already submitted for 2022, thank you. If not, please consider sending your dues in soon. https://bit.ly/HTAMembership
2. Call for New Trustees: We are very thankful to have had 6 members express interest in becoming a trustee, with 3 so far deciding to move forward and begin the nominating petition process. Remember, this requires a limited time commitment and you do not have to be retired or a full-time resident (most of us aren’t). Please respond to this email if you would like more information.
3. Beach Conditions: Beaches continue to hold up better than expected for this time of year although there will be more storms. We are hopeful of approvals this Spring to extend the steel jetty and add 2-3 more jetties to the north. Construction would likely begin next Winter. Less positive news regarding future beach replenishment is LBI does not appear to be getting any Federal funding despite being scheduled for the work. The HTA is working with the JCTA (Joint Council of Taxpayers Associations) on a plan to convince Congress to fund this project.
4. Offshore Wind Updates:

The Federal government continues to move forward with plans to create wind turbine fields along the East Coast. Next up is the auction for the NY Bight field which sits between New Jersey and New York. Also a second lawsuit seeking a delay in the construction of the field off LBI was filed by a group representing local fishing concerns. The final link is a Sandpaper report of local government opposition to the project.

• https://bit.ly/BOEMNYBightAuction
• https://bit.ly/RODALawsuit
• https://bit.ly/WindCoalitionSuit
5. LIFF Offer: Please see the special offer to HTA members at the end of this email. In summary, you can purchase a $150 All Access pass to the Lighthouse International Film Festival on June 1-5 Film for $120 and LIFF will also make a $10 donation to the HTA for each purchase. Deadline: March 10. A win-win for film lovers!
6. Ordinances Passed Into Law on Second Reading: 22-02C authorizing microbreweries and craft distilleries was approved and the bulkhead ordinance was rescinded.
7. Ordinances Moved on First Reading:
   • An ordinance was moved which would prohibit hot tubs, cabanas, kitchens, etc. on rooftop decks that are already at the maximum allowed height.
   • Bond ordinances were moved to Second Reading for construction of: handicapped bathrooms behind Town Hall; a small building to store gators and shuttles near the Acme; and basketball and pickleball courts at the site of the old M&M Steambar.
8. Coyotes: They have been sighted again in several areas on LBI despite what had been an active trapping program in the last year. This suggests they may be here to stay and you should not attract them by putting out any food for other animals. And you should keep a close eye on small pets outside.
9. Q1 Water and Sewer Bills: These were sent out 10 days ago so you should have received them in the mail.
10. Upcoming Events:
    • Spring Clean-up as part of an Island-wide effort, Saturday, May 7, 9am-noon
    • Spring Dune Planting: May (specific date TBD)
    • Yard Sale: Saturday May 28 (rain date Sunday, May 29); permit required

Reminders

Covid Testing (from LBI Health Dept.): Go to https://lbihealth.com/covid-19-testing-resources/ to schedule an appointment for the vaccine or booster dose. First vaccine doses are offered for walk-in on Wednesdays from 9-12pm. Local resources are available for Long Beach Island residents who are homebound or with lack of internet access or computer literacy. Those who need assistance should call (609) 492-1212.

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LIGHTHOUSE FILM FESTIVAL OFFER

The Lighthouse International Film Festival brings an outstanding 4-day cinematic experience to LBI! This year we are supporting LIFF’s “Friends of the Lighthouse International Film Festival Program (“Friends of LIFF”). As part of this program, the Holgate Taxpayers Association is offering to our members an opportunity to purchase a LIFF 2022 ALL ACCESS PASS, at the reduced price of $120.

Additionally, for each discounted 2022 ALL ACCESS PASS purchased by our members, LIFF will donate $10 dollars to the HTA. This is a great opportunity to enjoy a world-class film festival and support the Holgate Taxpayers Association.

An LIFF ALL ACCESS PASS is your ticket to a 4-day cinematic experience on LBI. The 14th annual Lighthouse International Film Festival includes award-winning, independent films from around the world, 2 “Breakfast with the Filmmakers” events, master classes, panel discussions, and evening parties. ALL ACCESS PASS patrons also get priority entrance to films. This special discount expires on March 10, 2022, so make your purchase today and join the LIFF for amazing films, stimulating discussions, and fun on LBI.

It’s very simple to take advantage of this special offer. Just 6 easy steps to purchase your 2022 ALL ACCESS PASS:

• Click here to purchase tickets Or copy and paste https://www.goelevent.com/LIFF/Pass/Sale/ALLACCESSPASS2022
• Register/Sign In
• Select number of passes and click “Add to Cart”
• Click “Checkout”
• On the Checkout page, you will be asked for your Discount Code. Type in “hta” (no capitals) and then click “Apply.” Your discount will appear in the Order Summary.
• Type in your payment information and click “Complete Purchase.” If you have any questions or concerns please email – liffinfo@gmail.com

HTA January 2022 Newsletter

New Trustee Update: We are very thankful to have had 5 members express interest in becoming a trustee, with 2 so far deciding to move forward and begin the nominating petition process. That said, we are hoping to attract at least 3 in total to help us help our community. Remember, you do not have to be retired or a full-time resident (most of us aren’t); a very limited time commitment can do a lot of good for Holgate. Plus, you get to pick the causes/projects you care the most about.

If interested in learning more please let me know by responding to this email and I’ll contact you to set up a short phone call or Zoom.

Rand

January Highlights

1. Membership Renewals for 2022
2. Bulkhead Ordinance Rescinded
3. Flooding, Resilient LBI and Back Bay Study
4. Offshore Wind Updates
5. Recycling
6. Yard Sale Dates
7. New Ordinance: Microbreweries and Craft Distilleries
8. New Policy for Commissioners Meetings
9. Covid Testing

Updates

1. Membership Renewals: Everyone should have received their tax letters for 2021 and we’re off to a great start for 2022. We welcome back past members and ask everyone to reach out to new neighbors to let them know about the HTA with the hope of convincing them to join too. Join Now!
2. New Bulkhead Ordinance Rescinded: An ordinance passed in October which called for raising bulkheads due to water coming over the existing bulkheads. The ordinance allowed for a phasing in of the new height requirements (LBT noted other towns are mandating 100% compliance within 2 years). This meant there would have been no deadline if you were not selling or planning a major renovation. After significant public opposition, the ordinance will be rescinded.
3. Flooding, Resilient LBI and Back Bay Study: Resilient LBI’s next meeting is January 24 and an HTA representative will attend. Questions have been raised about scenarios and impacts on the southern half of LBI, and we will ask about this on Monday.

Additional information regarding Back Bay plans will be covered in an LBIF presentation on January 29. Dr. Stan Hales, Director of the Barnegat Bay Partnership, will discuss the US Army Corps of Engineers Back Bay study plan. The $18.5 billion project will potentially impact our environment, our coastal economy, and our way of life. Dr. Hales will give a brief overview of the currently proposed Barnegat Bay component of the project. $5 registration free required. LINK

4. Offshore Wind Updates: The amount of information and conjecture on offshore wind continues to increase. Recent news highlighted the auctions of more fields off the New York/New Jersey coast while one local group is suing the government to at least temporarily halt the development off LBI.
   OFFSHORE AUCTION INFO
   OFFSHORE LEGAL ISSUES

5. Recycling: 2022 LBT Recycling & Trash Calendar. The mailing of this calendar to LBT taxpayers began January 10. Please be sure to read the new recycling section because Ocean County has expanded the list of recyclable items. Proper compliance (including from seasonal renters) is good for the environment and save money.
6. Yard Sale Dates: Two Township-wide yard sales have been scheduled. Mark your calendars: Saturday May 28 (rain date Sunday, May 29) and Saturday July 2 (rain date Sunday, July 3). You need to register in advance by completing and returning a form with a $10 fee to the Municipal Clerk’s office. A few days before the sale date, the list of addresses of those participating will be posted on the LBT website so people do not have to randomly drive around looking for sales. Later this year, the list of Upcoming Events will be updated on the website’s Home page to include the 2022 Township-wide yard sale. When that happens, click on that event from that list and you will see the link to the form that you will need to complete.
7. New LBT Ordinance: 22-02C authorizes microbreweries and craft distilleries to exist within a general commercial zone, provided specific standards and conditions are complied with and a conditional use permit is applied for and obtained from the LBT Land Use Board. Such establishments would need to offer a specific, designated sampling area, provide only snack-type food and submit a full set of plans to receive a permit.
8. New Policy for Commissioners Meeting: The six LBT taxpayer associations have requested greater transparency around the public meetings. Specifically, that more information be accessible to the public. In response, Township officials recently announced that effective immediately, you can find advance copies of the agenda for the upcoming monthly public meeting and drafts of proposed ordinances after they have been passed on first reading. They can be found here: https://bit.ly/LBTPublicMeetingInfo. Note: Last minute changes could result in the agenda distributed at the meeting differing from the one that was posted. Postings of new ordinances passed on first reading will happen within a week following the Public Meeting.
9. Covid Testing (from LBI Health Dept.): Go to https://lbihealth.com/covid-19-testing-resources/ to schedule an appointment for the vaccine or booster dose. First vaccine doses are offered for walk-in on Wednesdays from 9-12pm. Local resources are available for Long Beach Island residents who are homebound or with lack of internet access or computer literacy. Those need assistance with scheduling an appointment should call (609) 492-1212. New Jersey resources: To find additional access to Covid-19 vaccines, you can search by your zip code and distance from home https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/finder

HTA November 2021 Newsletter

As we leave Thanksgiving and enter the holiday season, the HTA is very grateful for all of your support in 2021.  With a record number of members, we have become even more visible and active within the community and Long Beach Township.

That said, we are in serious need of 3 new trustees who can help us help our community.  For those of you who are interested in learning more, please contact me for a short phone or Zoom call to discuss.  You do not have to be retired or a full-time resident (most of us aren’t) and it is not an overwhelming time commitment required to do a lot of good for Holgate.  Plus, you get to pick the causes/projects about which you are most passionate.  Please let me know by responding to this email and I’ll contact you to set up a short call.

Rand

November Highlights

1. 2022 Water/Sewer Rates
2. Bond’s Park
3. Bulkhead Ordinance
4. Flooding and Resilient LBI
5. Offshore Wind Development
6. HTA Officer Elections
7. Gator Program
8. Holiday Lights Are Back!

Updates

1. 2022 Water/Sewer Rates:  It is heartening to know the Township responded to the concerns of the LBT taxpayer associations and the community that attended the last Commissioners meeting.  The ordinance has been revised and the new rates (subject to formal approval) can be seen here:  https://bit.ly/LBTProposedWaterSewerFees

2. Bond’s Park:  Based on recent HTA discussions with Town Hall regarding Bond’s Park:

• Despite the efforts of the community, the HTA and the neighboring property owners, the Township asserted its legal right to use an easement to create a driveway to connect the residential property to Bay Terrace/Joan Road.  The work has been completed.
• While a significant amount of mature vegetation was destroyed (the HTA looked at it in advance and determined it could not be transplanted), the HTA will follow up with the Township to see if new vegetation can be planted around the driveway and walkway in the Spring.

3. New Bulkhead Ordinance:  An ordinance passed in October (see at the bottom of this newsletter) which calls for raising bulkheads due to water coming over the existing bulkheads.  LBT continues to add one-way caps to storm drains and pumps but this may not be enough – or happen soon enough – to halt flooding.  The ordinance allowed for a phasing in of the new height requirements (LBT noted other towns are mandating 100% compliance within 2 years).  But this means there is no deadline for those who are not in construction.  If you are concerned or have questions about this ordinance, you may want to join other people from throughout LBT in attending the Commissioners meeting on Monday, December 6 for further discussion:

• This applies just to Long Beach Township but would probably be much more effective as an Island-wide initiative
• If your neighbor rebuilds and installs the higher bulkhead, your property may see a great deal more water.
• Homes sold after Feb 1, 2022 must have a raised bulkhead to get a CO after the sale.  An estimate must be part of the deal and 110% of the estimate will have to be posted for 12 months
• This ordinance will apply to new construction, new sale, substantial property improvement (+50%)
• Boat ramps will probably need to be gated but this was unclear as of the last meeting

4. Flooding and Resilient LBI:  Surf City recently held an informative forum on flooding.  Rick Bushnell of ReClam the Bay was the featured speaker.  You can view the presentation here:  https://bit.ly/LBIFloodingMtg2021

5. Offshore Wind:  Atlantic Shores has received approval to begin construction of a field south of LBI, off Atlantic City.  This provides an advance look at how the project east of LBI might proceed.  The link below is to the visibility report for the Atlantic City field.  It is a large document, more than 300 pages, but information about the views from Beach Haven and the Forsythe Refuge are particularly interesting.  Be sure to read the comments in addition to looking at the pictures (which were not all that helpful on my computer):   https://bit.ly/BOEMACVisibility

6. HTA Officer Election:  The Board re-elected Bill Cannon as Treasurer and Yanni Kaloudis as Corresponding Secretary at its November meeting.

• The trustee terms of the current President, Vice President and Recording Secretary are up in 2022 and the officers will be voted on by the Board following the trustee election in August/September.

7. Gator Program:  Commissioner Lattanzi reports there will be no change in the gator program for 2022.  There had been consideration of implementing a fee but that will not happen next year.

8. Holiday Business List:  Shop local and attend great winter events in December:  https://bit.ly/LBIHolidayBusinessList

9. Support Your Local First Responders:  Holgate’s closest first aid and fire responders are based in Beach Haven.  Large-scale emergencies often may involve first responders from further north.  To preserve and strengthen this important volunteer service, we ask you to consider an end-of-year donation to these vital organizations.  And please also consider volunteering some of your time to support them (there are roles for people who do not/cannot be on the front line).

• http://www.bhfas.com
• https://beachhavenfire.com

10. Holiday Lights Are Back!:  Thanks again to Dan Macone for the return of Holgate’s Holiday Lights, plus two new additions, to brighten the December holidays.  Our appreciation also goes to Long Beach Township for getting them installed in November!

The proposed water and sewer charges have created a great deal of controversy. For most homeowners, costs will increase significantly and this raises a lot of questions. To obtain as many answers as possible, representatives from the six taxpayer associations in Long Beach Township met with Commissioner Ralph Bayard and Administrator Kyle Ominski last Friday.

Please carefully review our Question & Answer document on the HTA website at this link:

Keep in mind a few things as you read the document:

• New Jersey is behind the move to meters with the goal of forcing everyone to economize on their water usage. This was not an LBT initiative.
• Water and Sewer fees have not been raised since 2013. Had the Township increased the charges by 3-5% each year, the cost increase from 2021 to 2022 would not have been so large.
• Costs to the Township for the Water and Sewer services have greatly increased
• Significant investments have been made to update most of LBT’s water/sewer infrastructure. Much of this was deemed necessary after Superstorm Sandy and the rapid growth of new construction. It is considered by the Township to be a strategic decision to avoid main breaks and shutdowns due to aging pipes.
• The Water/Sewer budget must be separate from the Municipal taxes and self-sustaining; rising tax revenues from new and higher value homes cannot offset increased Water/Sewer expenses.
• Budgeting for 2022 revenue was determined to be based on fixed charges and could not take into account anticipated revenues based on water use above the quarterly allotments; upon being clearly established, the variable charges due to usage and the resulting surpluses can be used in the future to lower the fixed charges. Any surplus cannot be used for anything outside of the Water and Sewer budget.

Bond’s Park

The Township has confirmed their intention to extend the Bay Terrace paper street to allow creation of a new driveway for the home known as the old Coast Guard Station. This will result in the likely removal of all of the vegetation between 24 Joan Road and the new nearly-completed walkway. The work is scheduled to begin within the next 1-2 weeks.

The HTA looked into the transplanting of the existing foliage but because they are mature plants, our experience is there is little likelihood of doing so successfully. We have asked the Township to replace as much of the foliage as possible, putting plants around the walkway and recreating a foliage barrier on the border of 24 Joan Road and the new driveway. It is unclear what, if anything, they will do.

The Township did meet with the owners of the Coast Guard Station home last week to review the changes about to be made.

The HTA proposed alternatives to the Township to avoid this change. We also clearly advised them of the tremendous dissatisfaction this would cause with the Joan Road and Bay Terrace neighbors. In the end, the Township asserted its legal right to determine the best use of the property it owns.

Lastly, the Township has acknowledged the results of the HTA survey which called for no new recreational facilities to be added. There is no indication they have any plan for any of the property they own other than creating the easement/driveway to Bay Terrace/Joan Road, although the existing basketball court is expected to shift slightly to the south to allow for the new driveway entrance.