star the official newspaper of the bur of Belmar and the Asbury Park Press on March 22nd 2024 and notice that this meeting was posted on the bulletin board Municipal Building take roll call Council MC Donovan here Council mckenny here mayor bucco here councilman Rono here councilman Lis here please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance the United States America the stands na indivisible andice for all let's have a moment of silence for our troops their families and First Responders thank you to start tonight with three proclamations so um sit back and relax while we we read the proclamations uh why don't we start from my right and we'll just good evening everyone I have a proclamation tonight 55th annual professional Municipal clerks week May 15th through 11th am I echoing a lot back up whereas the office of the professional municipal clerk a time honored andit part of local government exists throughout the world and whereas the office of the professional municipal clerk is the oldest among public servants and whereas the office of the professional municipal clerk provides the professional link between the citizens the local governing bodies and agencies of government at other levels and whereas professional Municipal clerks have pledged to ever be mindful of their neutrality and impartiality rendering equal service to all whereas the professional municipal clerk serves as the information center functions of local government and Community whereas professional Municipal clerks continually strive to improve the administration of the Affairs of the office of the professional municipal clerk through participation in education programs seminars workshops and the annual meetings of their state provincial County and international professional organizations whereas it is most appropriate that we recognize the accomplishments of the office of the professional Municipal Kirk now therefore the mayor and Council of The Bu of Belmore recognize the week of May 5th through uh 11th as 2024 as per 2024 as professional Municipal clerks week and further extend appreciation to our professional municipal clerk April Claudia and to all professional Municipal clerks for their vital service they perform and their exemplary dedication to the communities they represent on May 7th 2024 signed all of us I'm going next I have the um Public Service recognition week Proclamation which uh talks about my favorite people public employees so whereas Americans have served every single day by public servants at the federal state county and Municipal levels these unsung heroes do the work that keeps our nation working and whereas public employees take not only jobs but Oaths and whereas many public servants including military personnel police officers firefighters border patrol officers Embassy employees Health Care Professionals and others risk their lives each day in service to the people of the United States and around the world whereas public servants include teachers doctors and scientists trained conductors and astronauts nurses and safety inspectors laborers computers technicians and social workers and countless other occupations day in and day out they provide the diverse Services demanded by the American people of their government with efficiency and integrity and without these public servants at every level continuity would be impossible in a democracy that regularly changes its leaders and elected officials now therefore the mayor and Council of the bur of Belmore who hereby announc the claim to all citizens that May 5th through 11th 2024 is public service recognition week all citizens are in encourage to recognize the accomplishments and contributions of government employees at all levels federal state county and [Applause] Municipal good evening this is a proclamation for building safety month whereas the burrow of belmare County of mamm state of New Jersey is committed to recognizing our growth and strength depends on the safety and economic value of the homes buildings and infrastructure that serve our citizens both in everyday life and in times of natural disaster and whereas our confidence in the structural Integrity of these buildings that make up our community is achieved through the devotion of vigilant Guardians building safety and Fire Prevention officials Architects Engineers Builders trades people design professionals laborers and others in the construction industry who work year round to ensure the safe construction of buildings and whereas these Guardians are dedicated members of the International Code Council a us-based organization that brings together local state and federal officials that are experts in the built environment to create and implement the highest quality codes to protect us in the buildings where we live learn work worship and play and whereas these modern building codes include safeguards to protect the public from such hazards as hurricanes snowstorms tornadoes Wild Land fires floods and earthquakes and whereas Building Safety month is sponsored by the international code Code Council to remind the public about critical role of our community's largely unknown Protectors of Public Safety our local code officials who ensure us of safe sustainable and affordable buildings that are essential to our prosperity and whereas safety for all building codes in action the theme for building safety month 2022 encourage us us to raise awareness about planning for safe and sustainable construction that's when it started career opportunities in building safety understanding disaster mitigation energy conservation and creating a safe and abundant water supply to all of our benefit and whereas each year in observance of building safety month people all over the world are asked to consider the commitment to improve Building Safety resilience and economic investment at home and in the community and to acknowledge the essential service provided to all of us by local and State Building departments fire prevention bureaus and federal agencies in protecting lives and property now therefore the mayor and Council of the burough of belmare County of mamm state of New Jersey do hereby proclaim the month of May 2024 as Building Safety month okay let's move on to Workshop discussion anyone have anything they want to discuss on the workshop we just had probably not much more to discuss okay let's move on to petitions I have not received any petition reports of council councilwoman Donovan May um a reminder that Seafood Festival is coming up the 17th through the 19th please make sure check that out I'm sure it's going to be a wonderful event as always um on Wednesday the 22nd we will have a car show here in town between 8th and 10th Avenues so please come out for that congratulations to Belmar cares for a wonderful concert last night um we had wonderful musicians playing and it was a beautiful event once again so thank you all of you for for putting that on you um the Silver Lake team had a wonderful meeting everything's wonderful tonight um had a wonderful meeting um we had representatives from Army Corp the Army Corps of Engineers um the New Jersey Department Environmental Protections Ruckers and representatives from Chris smouth and Shan Keane's office we were joined there by the mayor and our Bo administrator Mr Kane um we discussed both short and longterm approaches to improving Silver Lake and potential funding sources um the team took a walk around the lake it was a really good experience and we're hoping to have a really good um base for future collaboration that's about it thank you C mckenny thank you so much um I also was at the breast cancer the Belmore cares event last night they were great we had it was really and it was very well attended so thank you so much for all of our breast canc Belmar car breast cancer survivor group for putting that on for us um couple things around the schools last week was um First Holy Communion for all our second graders in town so congratulations to all the CCD kids and all the St Rose grammar school second graders for making their First Holy Communion um the 14th is uh 8th grade confirmation so all the kids will be making confirmation on May 14th and St Rose would like everyone to know that the 15th May 15th is dy to donate portions of your check will go to the grammar school and the high school at any Surf Taco location so if you're out at Surf Taco on the 15th know that your dollars will be going back to the grammar school in the High School uh Belmore Elementary would like you to know that this Thursday is their spring concert May 9th in the auditorium and Recreation our next meeting is the 21st but there's still signups for kids tennis basketball running club and tennis camp so check the website for that and then our next Ada meeting is Tuesday the 14th in the library and shade tree is this Thursday May 9th and that is all I have thank you councilwoman R Theo thank you Mr Mayor um I just wanted to express my sincere gratitude for all who attended our first responders appreciation event last week uh when you try something new you're never sure whether it's going to flop or fly and this one definitely flew uh thanks again to John Walsh for co-organizing this with me and all of our burrow employees and first responder departments for making this so successful and meaningful um thank you to our police chief Tina Scott and our mayor for speaking at the event um I loved watching the young kids especially the the kids of the First Responders who who were there um enjoying the touch of truck and in our case touch a Lifeboat or board a jet ski uh my note to self for next year is don't order the whistles for the kids it looked like a good idea online when it was silent um I love the Belmar Caris concert last night thank you so much and to the Wind Ensemble um and the belmer Housing Authority yesterday I went to the belmer Housing Authority meeting the BHA will be going out to bid soon for work on the facade their engineer is working on reworking this spec to hopefully get lower bids so we can actually get the project done the main elevator has new doors and it's back in order um and in mid June I'm told a fan and some lighting um will be installed the belmare public library a reminder to those who um if you could bring in analog mechanical watches just your regular watches not digital uh to the library uh they're working with high school senior Zach Levy and his organization project on house to distribute watches to the homeless individuals and the community uh Saturday May 18th at 11:00 a.m. will be their author time with Gregory Andress author of portraits of the Jersey Shore let's see Louis just sent me something else too um the 2024 Beach Blanket Bingo summer reading program is now open for registration parents May register their children to participate on the library's website Instagram and Facebook pages there will be two kickoff events Wednesday June 12th and Saturday June 15th um um so you can get more details on the library website uh also there is a bilingual story time um every Friday at 12:30 and there stories in Spanish and English lastly it's approaching graduation season for our High School uh our high schoolers and families uh the mayor and Council are happy to offer our high school seniors a congratulations Banner that will hang on the light post with their names and picture on it for the second year this program is completely volunteer for students um and their families who are interested and you can absolutely opt out if you're not um this is for belma residents only uh but includes students from all area high schools including St Rose and I think we have a few rbr this year um I have a list of the students from those schools emails will go out tomorrow to the families and I'll follow up with calls the deadline to request a banner is May 21st any students or parents can also contact me at m rondinaro at at belmar.nj live 4th our Main Street will look patriotic and festive thank you I have just one question on the on the the watches what if they aren't working like they need a batteries is that that's a great question bring them in anyway they will um put in new batteries for them and they will check if you don't even know like H maybe this works if it has a new battery bring it into the library please great question Council president Levis thank you mayor um I don't have anything other than be careful if you're going to the beach and going in the ocean I believe water rescue had about three three calls last week um this is a real dangerous time I was at today and the rip is really bad so just proceed with caution the weather's good the beach is going to start to get crowded so just be careful there don't go into an ungard Beach that's that's it and and I just have one one reminder uh there will be a uh Co Memorial plaque dedication on uh this Saturday May 11th at 10:00 a.m. at the 3rd Avenue entrance to the beach okay so if anybody's available please stop by uh for the it's the um ramy's heart Co Memorial which is the only Nationwide Co Memorial that exists currently in the United States so if you're out and about stop over okay uh next we have the budget 2024 budget going to turn that over to our CFO thank you mayor thanks everybody um the 2024 budget has been a bit of a challenge to get it put together in in a timely manner for uh for Barrow residents but we've managed to uh to take care of that the total Municipal budget which is current operations is 24,56251 um that is um basically the general operations of the burrow but the burrow is comprised of four separate funds and the breakdown of the funds is the current fund at 24, 569 5782 the water sewer utility which is at 4,143 47380 the beach utility 6 million 423 338 and the parking utility of 137500 um this is uh always an interesting process and the state is not making it any easier for us our budget is uh under the 2.5% Appropriations cap by 20,000 551 and the 2% Levy cap by $3,056 the proposed tax rate for municipal purposes only is uh 51.3 cents per $100 of assessed valuation for a home assessed at the borrow average of $59,500 this represents an annual increase of $89 or $700 $742 a month uh inflation although it has moderated ated is still an issue with year-over-year increases of 2.8% and we're happy to report that the burrow was awarded several new grants for 2024 including the Belmore station pedestrian safety Improvement Grant at $484,900 tourism tourism Cooperative marketing Grant 10,350 Boardwalk preservation Grant at 1,504 1884 and lead paint Grant assistance project at 13,400 most most grants do have a matching fund requirement the match is included in this year's proposed budget uh the budget is made up of obviously revenue and Appropriations and our Appropriations um there are some highlights Debt Service decrease from 2,452 1998 to 2,58 225 and that is the result of retirement of some outstanding debt that occurred in 2023 uh unfortunately the rest of the news is not that good fuel costs increase from 1.5 million to 1.68 uh health insurance costs increased to 2,484 th000 EMS salary and wages increased um significantly to fund the cost associated with the appointment of four new EMTs to adequate adequately staff the service and increase salaries to enhance employee retention which is a project which is a problem across all all borrow departments contractual cost of trash and recycling services increased to 45,8 and 205,000 from 324,000 and 182,000 respectively and our appropriation the reserve for uncollected taxes has been increased to $800,000 this is prudent given the increase in our assessments the current fund Appropriations can be broken down into the following categor iies other expenses salary and wages capital and Debt Service shared services reserve for uncollected taxes Library defer charges and that comes up to the total of 24 million 569 5782 um our Revenue briefs we uh propos to apply 3, 35,000 from fund balance for the 2024 budget in 2023 the budget uh the burrow applied 3 million from fund balance this is an increase obviously of$ 35,000 and we're anticipating $445,000 state8 for 2024 which is a slight decrease $3,353 from uh prior year our um revenues can be broken down into the following categories amount to be raised by taxation local revenues fund balance Mara slip rentals delinquent taxes state aid Shar Services Grants construction code fees and our total again is 24, 569 507 the municipal tax rate will be 51.3 cents per $100 of assessed valuation which is an increase of Point 1.5 cents or 3.3 3.01% from 2023 the average residential assessment again is 59507 the average Municipal only tax per residential property is $3,029 and the total uh the average total tax per residential property is $ 8,497 65 which includes estimated County and school taxes and final Library taxes our water sewer utility their Appropriations can be broken down similarly into other expenses capital and debt salary and wages deferred charges and the total is 4,143 to a 73 need obviously most of the revenue comes from water sewer Billings we at 3, 346,000 and we're applying $797,000 from fund balance to come up to the total budget of 4 mlion 143 4738 U Beach utility again um the Appropriations can be broken down into salary and wages other expenses capital and debt and a total of 6,423 338 is what the buau anticipates needing to fund the entire operation of the beach for the 2024 season um our revenues obviously are significantly most of it most of the revenue comes from Beach badge sales we apply a certain amount of fund balance and we have other miscellaneous to bring us up to the total of 6,423 338 our parking utility is uh very very cost effective um our total breakdown is salary and wages other expenses capital and debt for a total of 137500 and all of that Revenue comes from parking fees so essentially this is the budget for for this year the budget has been submitted to after introduction is submitted to the State Department of Community Affairs for their review um and U at this point Mr Mayor we can um open the public hearing s if anyone has any uh comments please step up to the microphone state your name and address and we'll be happy to try to answer question there and Mar jov 11th Avenue I just have a question about the capital expenses um are is there any allocation for Capital expenses like repainting the water Tower it looked like there's zero in the water and sewer utility for Capital but I don't but maybe I didn't understand you know the presentation but is there a plan for Capital expenses like that and where can we find it yes and that would be funded by the adoption of a bond ordinance that's not necessarily included in in the budget at this point in time The Debt Service on the bonds that would be issued to fund the project so it's it's an un it would be an funded project as of right now is that what you mean like is it planned for is there it's on the the there is what they call an asset management plan in place for the water sewer utility and the painting of the water tower is included in that plan and is that scheduled for this year not this year do you know offand when I believe with it's in for the 2025 portion of the uh Asset Management plan I'm I'm not sure of that but I can get back to you with the answer okay um okay that's just that's my only question just because it doesn't seem like there's the plan for it and it really is an is store and uh I understand we do have a a plan for moving forward with water sewer improvements yeah okay all right thanks anyone else I have a motion to close the public hearing motion second all in favor uh can I have a motion to table resolution 2024 98 the resolution adopting the budget uh will'll table that to the May 28th meeting I'll make that motion second councilman Donovan yes councilman Kenny yes mayor B FCO yes councilwoman Rondo yes Council leis yes thank you Mr Mayor thank you okay we're moving on to the uh public session for the anyone would like to speak about a resolution listed on the consent agenda please step forward state your name and address okay I have a motion to close the public session motion second all in favor and can I have a motion to adopt the resolutions as listed on the consent agenda I make a motion second Council Donovan yes counc mckenny yes mayor B fesco yes councilman Rondo yes councilman Lis yes and last item is ordinance 20249 this is an ordinance amending and supplementing uh chapter 23 garbage and waste section 2.3 uh specifically bulk items and I have a motion to offer this ordinance for first reading and introduction motion second Donovan yes councilwoman Kenny yes mayor B Fusco yes councilman rero yes councilman Lis yes okay now we're on the public session please remember to state your name and address before you speak Jim deoria 2178 Avenue um I have two questions quickly I read last week that c ger got their phase three approval on affordable housing do we have any updates getting close um they're still working on it uh I getting close is probably a good good way to put it but uh you also have to recognize to Seager I think started that process like two years ago three years ago so we're we're kind of playing catchup with that but it's definitely moving in the right direction at this point the article made sound like hadn't done anything and this was a big breakthrough that's why I was asking it it is a long process yeah okay and and the other question this is kind of agent history like four years ago before Co there was talk about developing the west side of Main Street between Fifth and 6th Avenue um where the paint store is and and um in light of the affordable housing since that's a big plot of land is there any discussion going on with that PR I I think when our Redevelopment attorneys were here they identified that that's one of the properties that is um that is actually intervened into the into the lawsuit so there is plan for plans for that to be developed uh since we don't have a plan they can intervene now or no they they have intervened okay so we can't stop them is that it that's it right okay thank you very much any other comments bring it down to my height horiz tell 14th Avenue in Belmore first it's delayed thank you Maria for getting my husband's banner up for the military banner and it was great it was right on 13th Avenue you couldn't get it any closer to our house if you tried so thank you for your assistance and helping get that um congratulations to April to all your accomplishments you're definitely definitely needed around here that's for sure um and thank you for last night for um letting us use the tailor Pavilion it was one heck of a concert it was a full house standing room only and the two country girls have offered to do a concert for us for our cancer group and they said possibly in the fall as long as they could use the tailor Pavilion I said well when that time gets closer we'll talk about it but thank you so much for the use of it and thank you to George cuz he was a great help setting up breaking down um it it was it was it was just really good we made out very very well piano Plaza I just went by there the flowers that I put down for the second time are still there and the pink lay that's up on one post is still there I put so much pink duct tape on that that it would annoy somebody if they took it down I'd really like to know why and who that was removed the first time we did it because we put a lot of time and money into doing that and that was just a big disappointment to go there on a Saturday and thanks to John Walsh he had come over and he helped us put the banners up on the four light posts but evidently he was taller than we were so it was easier for him to put him up high but that was just really really frustrating to see that somebody would have the nerve to go and remove all that stuff and like I said I went back there um yesterday morning put down not as much but pink flowers and another pink thing up on the the pole and on my way here I noticed it's still there so I guess we'll keep an eye on that um the stops there's been an issue my husband asked me to mention about 14th Avenue in K Street since we had talked to the chief a couple times about it we've noticed that there are five stop signs where the railroad and 10th Avenue is if you go if you've got the lumber store on the lumber yard on your right railroad tracks on your left you're on that Railroad Avenue you come to a stop there's two stop signs then there's another stop sign because they have a little road that comes out so there's three now you get to 10th Avenue there's four one in front of you and right across the street another one that's five stop signs in not even a whole block so what is the problem problem with getting a stop sign another stop sign at 14 in K when people when they're driving they look in front and all they see is the arrow that's all they say people have come to my house and I've said you know you just ran a stop sign you're like what stop sign I like that stop sign on the right oh we just see the arrows in front of us even if we can put a sign on the other pole the one way sign is on one pole on the other on the other pole can we put a slow sign anything something to make people slow down we have so many kids on that plock I'm just afraid somebody's going to get hit well so I mean I agree we'll take a look at that but you know even in my neighborhood I walk and I see people they just they go right through stop signs right through you know and I don't really know what what more you know we can do in general in the town it just seems that people are they're going to rush to go places you know and I look at them but I don't yell at them because you know I don't want to come out and harass me but you know it's just it's a problem but we'll definitely look at that corner again if we can just even if we can put something that says slow and if anything just to slow people down whipping around that corner um on 16th Avenue in L street if you're on L Street now you're attempting to get to 16th Avenue on the left is a house that had a big like a holly tree they cut from the ground up about 5 ft great you can see the traffic going West on 16th Avenue now across the street on the northwest side is another holly tree it's all the way to the ground it's overgrowing over the sidewalk so you can't see any traffic going east on 16th Avenue and you have a car parked here a car parked here and you got enough room for one car to get out so somebody coming I almost got hit last night and I was like all right this something has to be done can they if the people on the left trim the tree from the ground up 5 ft can't the one on the right do the same thing we'll have to have the Cod officials look at that because there is I was just looking at this in the code the other day there there are um possible requirements that corner homeowners have to abide by in terms of disability so we we'll have them take a look and see if I'm just looking atest considering I almost got hit a couple times with somebody coming up 16th and getting ready to turn onto El Street and I had I had know where to go and I didn't even see them coming up 16th Avenue cuz the tree was there so I'm just trying to creep out to see if the traffic's coming and then you almost get it um there's still no solution on those darn bushes on 13th Avenue in Highway 71 you still have to go across the crosswalk and onto the shoulder in order to see traffic going North on 71 that's 13 Kyle do you have an address for that one because C did go out and look at it and they weren't sure it's right on the corner of of if you're if you're on 13th Avenue and you're right to the corner across the street is's a windmill there's a house on the right there's some land on the left it's right smack next to you on the corner right smack it's right there and you're trying to make a right it's on the left trying to make a right both a 13th on to 71 if no if you're on 13th and you got 71 look to your left it's that house right there and the bushes go so far out iest it's on the North no it's on the Southeast corner I don't know what the address is but the bushes are sticking way out and even if they trimmed them back some just because you can't you can't you can't get send them there see you can't see traffic coming down now you have people crossing the street so now you've got a chance now you're in the walk way so whoever's trying to walk across can't get there so I'm just looking out for safety things safety things safety things um and you answered one of my questions when that young lady spoke about the water tower it really is ugly looking it's so things are have to take time to get done I think that's about it thank you thank you again for last night's use we need to get some more chairs I think because the well theand alone took 40 chairs so many people show up the band was like 26 and then it was 30 and then 35 and now they're up to 40 they're the victim of our own success were people standing and people bringing beach chairs and but it was thank you Kyle I have to say from the last time I heard them to the last night I thought they sounded wonderful different conductor they they really they really improved so a lot more rehearsals they do really good of course my husband couldn't play so but that's all right but thank you again for the use of the tailor thank you and thank you for showing up thank you yes I like the Philip sus some Watchers myself [Music] but CL H 18 to be I'm totally positive don't the like KO the walking path looks fantastic the handicap curbs look fantastic or the ADA Compliant curbs look fantastic as well as all the painting of the lines on the Belmore side not the lake K side but the Belmore side look fantastic so thank you thank you anyone else okay and I have a motion to close the public session and adjourn the meeting motion second all in favor hi