Asbury Radio

Asbury Radio’s Reporters’ Notebook
Council Meeting – June 2, 2010 - As always corrections, additions, clarifications welcomed at AsburyRadio@aol.com
Full Council Present
Moment of Silence for Commerce Dir. Tom Gilmour and Family who lost Tom’s mom this week.
Oil Drilling Protest – Hands Across the Sands – June 26
Six Options for the Deteriorating Sunset Avenue Bridge
Woman Asks Council to Consider Creating Topless Beach for Women

Workshop
Denis Walsh, Mon Cty Dept of Engineering
Solutions for Sunset Ave Bridge over Deal Lake, which leads to Wanamassa.
Maser’s drawings presented by member of the Monmouth County Dept of Engineering

Six alternatives ranging from doing nothing to demolishing the 86 year-old bridge and rebuilding with a choice of options with prices ranging from $660,000 to more than $5 million. The County will apply the City’s choice of plan to the Federal Government, from which it hopes to gain approval for a federally funded bridge replacement. The bridge right now does not adhere to federal guidelines. For example the bridge can only withstand a weight load of 27 tons, where the standard for its grade is 40 tons.
[Additional notes on the presentation are available for those interested. asburyradio@aol.com]
Presenter: Could start new bridge design by early next year, 2011, 2 yrs at earliest to start construction, after labor day so as not to interfere w/ summer tourists.
8 ft shoulders are better from safety/ 6’ sidewalk is better, he says. Recommend, especially with concrete walls and foot traffic. His recommended design would not involve anyone’s property.
Mayor Ed Johnson offers audience opp to comment:
Donna Lagan – 1207 Sunset Av, owner of The Landing restaurant.
I’m afraid of there’s going to be a funnel effect. When customers parked on both sides, wider bridge w/ create funnel, endangering her customers crossing street. Coffer damn/ how does water get out/
Ans: coffer dams are kept lo enuf so always below flood stage/ all studies done to be sure set at right elevation/ coffer dam w/ flood before roadway does. Just finished job in Allentown and wk’d way supposed to/
As per crossing issue: too wide at bridge street, reduce amount of pavement patrons hv to cross. Make geometry more conforming, like more a conventional road.

Donna: Know you guys are concerned about getting sued,
Ans: when we get sued we all get sued. But more concerned w/ safety than getting sued.
Paul McEvely – 610 woodmere rd, applaud you and diligence in finding fed’l funds to replace this bridge, rows on lake everyday when no ice on it/ share donna’s concerns about funnel effect/ passage underneath roadbed, too, pls retain existing height between water and bridge and clearance between piers, so boats can pass

Tony McDonald – from 1300 sunset, relationship of bridge to my life very important. Qk comments, add’n to widening it, pretty darn close to being on my prop, guard rail wd affect his landscaping/ 5.5’ ft safer, better sure w/ be safer bridge when finished/ don’t want to design community away to conform w/ fed’l req’ts. Not jst the 5 ½ on each side, but multiply rdbed, shoulder ms

Todd rush, sunset drive – what is load limit for this type of bridge,
Ans: 40 ton on new std
TR: ever seen coming from deal into Allenhurst on ocean ave, everyone slows from 40 to 25mph, and they know police officer w/in a few feet/ laughter/ but believe hose flashing lighs mean a lot. Believe that’s a good thing.
Ans: lk at speed studies and recommend improvements/ wd be up to Ocean Twp and AP, as a local road
Mayor – these are things we can lk at as we make
Rose Scalotti, 1201 sunset – won’t u still be able to change the radius of bridge, if can hv 4’ shoulder and make it safer
Ans: yes cd do and that wd wk given 4 or 8’ option

3. Brian Grant – city engineer – lights
City Mgr Terry Reidy – right now don’t have the money to do this project
Mayor – money from stimulus can we sqz that?
BG – doesn’t come under that/ strictly storm sewer and clean drinking water
Workforce agreement w/ city and housing authority –
Mayor: need to help former convicts,
BG – recent sexual assault and burglary charges pre-empt that, charges that are not acceptable, in talks w/ Ramona Thornton//
TR – Ramona was very emphatic no people from Asbury Park be excluded from job opps.
BG - $15/hr…
on meters, 15 min drop off pk up zones, 5 elements – signage, not exceed 2 spc per blk, not in front of fire hydrant, to max use of avail real estate, so ord wd stipulate flex w/in loading zones. Allows mayor and council to mandate it wherever wnt to apply it. For downtown
James Famularo – Asst City Mgr and hsg dev
5 yr consolidated plan for Affordable housing, annual one-year plans/ Relocation dollars for people in need, if can’t afford utilities, emergency loan program/ mst important $92k for neighborhood revitalization, been using to make road improvments, infrastructure/ up to now $250mn for springwood ave, for road improvement/ need improvemtns on tot lots – in terrible state right now/
Mayor – can any of this be used if we finish springwd ave and hv wonderful lot, cd it be used to make a park?
TR – wd be a stretch. Mst grant money we get req matching funds. CBDG can be used to leverage other grant money.
Mayor – we should reach out to mel hood, who replaced Michael Brim on the mon cty parks comm..

Events –
Jersey Pride event – June 6, and surfrider fdn want an oil protest, hold hands across the beach, asking beach badge be waved
Mayor: hv another grp wnt to wk w/ AP kids on volley ball clinic wd u be willing to do something for ap kids in return /
Jonathan Weber of SurfRiders Foundation
–/Hands Across the Sand -- June 26 – oil drilling protest / they’ll be another surfrider event later on//wnt to put a human line in the sand, come to beach at 11 and join hands at noon for 15 minutes/ we do events each summer, swimming lessons
JLoffredo – but after they have to buy a badge
TR: we’ll have lifeguards and badge checkers/ there has to be some way that others don’t pretend they’re w/ that event.
JWeber – can have wristband or other and hav volunteers, our group and other grps.
Harvest Ministries – paying all fees. Aug 7
NJ Sand Soccer Tournament -8/14
Shore Athletic – 5K Event – 8/14
AP Volley ball – 3rd and 5th beaches – 8/21 & 22
AP Historical Society –Convention Hall Bdwlk 8/22
Yoga Basin – second ave beach s and s until 9/10

Matters from Council –
Jim Bruno – Great job cleaning Sunset Park, planting flowers, Ed Baker, kids from Neighbors United, give a good shout out.
John Loffredo – dogs and bikes on bdwlk, police don’t understand they’re not allowed. Senior citizen passes $15 for whole season, next is $40/ think we should raise them ASAP
Mayor – Award for NJ clean communities, free Rabies shots at firehouse and register both dogs and cats there at same time. Subcommittee mtg at transportation center.

From executive session – resolution use and occupany agreemtnt w/ Bd of Ed basketball court 1100 Bangs ave, city make all nec improvement sand use courts immediately.

Public Session –
Public Comment –
Vernice McGriff – I’m concerned about our young people standing on mem’l dr asking for money, dangerous setup to begin w/ we do hv money for young people why are those children standing out there w/ cups. I know you have programs tied into housing and other things
JF – out there to help offset costs of running other programs. Ex. Costs $50k a/yr to run pop warner, some $ comes from those kids/ since been out there no incidents of anyone getting hurt.
VMcG – maybe hvan’t had accident so far, and I’ve been approached by other people asking why they hv to go out there.
JB – we
Earl..jr – Belmar resident, grew up in AP and want to know why Lukus is pouring all this blacktop and no one here getting a job/
TR – lowest bidder gets the contract. Don’t know if you are same gentleman who spk at last mtg.
Earl – I spoke and keep speaking
TR – started to go over money…fed’l gov’t has recommendation no enforcement opp for the city
Earl – what does that mean?
TR – city engineer just up here, putting aside $250k workforce AP to hve locals do wk for city/ Lukus Bros has no obligation to hire , it’s lowest bidder, city req’d to award to lowest bidder.
Earl – I want to see some black faces
Bob Stevens – third av – adendem to what vernice said. I also find it quite treacherous children doing collection for pop warner or other…req’t now to wear some kind of vests, leaders of orgs shd be re’d to where some kind of vest and kids in road. Sometimes cannot see them. Shd be at least min req’t from city
Bruce Quinlan – freezers ice/ vendor for 26 yrs/ you’re enforcing noise ord that’s prob been on the books since 30s. Read off court decision vendor to play turkey in straw won case on state level. I think to enforce this ordinance is absolutely absurd.
TR – hv you gotten ticket?
BQ – no but competitor has - $50/wk for vendor/ $100 wk jst for me to sell ices, just because this woman on Kingsley no one went to her deli.
Everyone knows when hear my patented tune it’s Weezer Ice.
Reggie…, 506 5th ave, has council ever considered topless beach in this town for women
JLoffredo – DONE!!
TR – I’d support that.
Mayor – I don’t think we’ve reached that point in AP
Reggie – quite a few women already doing it now. You fellows have advantage there
Bob Farentino – ice cream/ hav had incidents where got summonses.
Mayor – in nuisance ordinance trying to find some balance
TR: old ordinance that actually prohibits any sound on ice cream trucks
BF: We can ask our guys to keep sound lo when they’re by someone’s hse.
Bob Stevens: asked to spk
Julian ?: two concerns, I’m opposed to beach q as family person. Re Lukus, heard the same concerns, monies paid to pay lukus, is it form community blk grant?
TR: depending on the job, projects out ther now, ENv Infras Trust dollars, sewer, storm system, some stimulus dollars, state dept of trans dollars, mainly for road repair monies from state.
Julian – is there a req’d % for minorities or Asbury residents.
TR: we researched that since last mtg, fed’l guidelines encourage minority wkrs, subcontract etc., city monitors it, contractor has to fill form describes processes how they hire/ basis to submit time sheets, etc. no obligation on their part to hire people from AP, city engineer recommended program to take money city carved out of project to dedicate to help locals get jobs. You could add money to a project but nothing that allows us to mandate that.
Julian – is there any problem going into a contract suggesting …
TR: we do that. Mayor attended sev’l wkshops we did/ sev’l affordable hsg projects we did recently, this rm filled w local residents/ contractors, workers/ tables for them to sit explain skills, meet and greets/ we do encourage all of that.
Rita Marano – think $9k error in engineering/ $4k on page 3 goes to $13k,
CFO – that’s the total from first 2 pgs, $4k is for engineering / $13k is for all other departments.
RM: Myra Campbell for urban renewal/ blanket for $12k
CFO – one of RCA bids for her house improvements.
RM: 12 new firemen/ supposed to hav cost saving for 1 yr is it up yet?
Chief Kinmon– end of month it w/ be//over $500,000 in grant money/ 60 overtimes yr to date/ in 08 had 435 overtime.
TR: short answer is yes.
TR: city saved over $400,000 in overtime due to add’l firefighters. Grant money that came in covered the other salaries.
Jerry Scarano – read about Molliver in paper today. Has he ever appraised anything that didn’t have to be appealed? Has he won anything for city.
TR: Yes he has.
JS: man got $1.5m, when molliver’s appraisal was much lower. I see it tax payers pay taxes, gets low ball offer, hire fornacola and hav to pay legal fees, something wrong w/ eminent domain process
TR: you’re starting w/ assumption not a fair appraisal
JS – Why doesn’t city just make a reasonable offer instead of wasting legal fees.
Lane – bidding ocean av to grand
City atty – provision in city redev plan and agreement provides developer, Apartners and Madison Marquette / master dev has right to Ocean Ave to bdwlk/ any vendor has to apply to the master developer/ can appeal to city
Kingsley to west?
Atty: Prime renewal area – Ocean Ave to Web, vending only in city sponsored special events/ that’s what’s agreed to in plan and binding now.
Lane - I was just trying to figure out how you give a developer that much power?
Atty: For city sponsored special events city can issue license
TR – when agreement was written reason written into it was so dev wd encourage businesses to come to the bdwlk and open up businesses. Similar to issue rita raised sev’l yrs ago vendors competing w/ stationery businesses.
Lane – mercantile vendor has to spend $50 wk compared to business $75 a yr/
TR: theory there is peddler doesn’t pay taxes, renting space / peddler is more seasonal
Lane – council is one app’d the agreement?
TR: they’re the ones had to approve it.
End of public portion.
Minutes May 19th approved.
Payroll - $1,326,000. includes ss, health insr.
Bill resolution $744,261.73
Mayor’s concert july 2 at transportation center – all yes
June 21 catering at carousel for langosta lounge – all yes
Liquor licenses – Asbury lanes, Harrison, synaxis, jimis, georgies, mcloones, jimi’s restaurant, bond st bar and grill, tap rm, upstage… all yes
Work session events – surfriders w/ amendments, app’d
Did you have Alternate #2 PB? No
Temp budget / $54,500. , beach utlity $12,000
Tax bills app’d
$47,000 Edward Byrne grant for police dept. all yes
Police to apply for grant for bulletproof vests and body armor grant
Retaining wall to remain 835 Central Ave
Use and occupancy agreement city to use basketball courts at middle school – yes
Workforce agreement approved
Bidding for 2 projects CBD and springwood utilities and lighting/ all yes
ORDINANCES –
A,b,d,f removed to July 7th
Dog/cat to $10.80
On street time limits – introduce- apprd
Adjourned