Rain Date is May 5th, 2013

Final arrangements are being made with Long Beach Township for a clean-up of Holgate on May 4, 2013. The Township will be providing equipment and a trash container to collect the debris. We will be working with Bio Resources Solutions, Inc. in covering the community. A conference call will be convened next Wednesday, April 24th with Angela Andersen and Bio Resources and the Township Public Works and Police Departments to make final plans and to make sure the activities of each entity are properly coordinated to ensure a successful event. I am very excited about this opportunity to remove the unsightly debris from public areas that has not heretofore been cleaned up. Based on the previous input from all of you, eight areas have been identified for clean-up. Attached is a spreadsheet listing the eight areas. Each area will require a team leader and a list of volunteers who can work that area. Please send me an e-mail indicating which area you can work and whether you can be a team leader. The team leader will be responsible for coordinating the activities of the area that he/she is assigned to. It is anticipated that we will begin in the south parking lot at 8:30 am and be completed by noon. Arrangements are being made to provide a buffet lunch for volunteers at noon. All these details are in the process of being worked out and finalized. More detailed information will be forwarded next week. Safety is very important to us and we do not want to undermine a good thing by having someone get hurt. All participants need to wear good work type shoes, no bare feet, no sandals, no open toe shoes and no sneakers. Long sleeves and long pants must be worn. Volunteers should be aware to be careful of poison ivy as it is abundant in our area. I have gotten it already just from working in my yard. Volunteers should not overexert themselves and should get help when lifting heavier objects. Volunteers should get a tetanus shot prior to May 4th. Free shots are available from the Township Health Department by calling Anita Miller RN 609-492-1212. Please make an appointment with her. Bags and gloves will be supplied upon checking in. Tom Beaty will be the main coordinator for the day. I can’t express it enough but I feel this is a super opportunity to clean up the mess and improve the appearance of our community. It is also another opportunity to meet your neighbors and show our community spirit. We are Holgate! Together we will accomplish more. Also, to let you know, HTA is in the process of purchasing “Keep off the Dune Signs”, 25 Greenhead traps and is looking into the lack of street lighting on one particular street. We are determined to make a difference and we hope you can join us in this effort to do just that.

First, I want to thank everyone who attended Friday’s meeting. The response was outstanding as every seat in the hall was filled. It was great to meet some of you and I look forward to seeing you all again as we work together on future efforts to improve Holgate and restore our property values to pre-Sandy levels. Some of you came long distances to support Holgate and the Mayor and the other Commissioners certainly were impressed with the number of homeowners present. You asked very important questions also. Thanks again to all of you.

Yesterday morning, Saturday April 6th, 25 residents did some dune grass planting at the south end of Holgate. What a great day it was to be outside and do a little spring planting. We thank Tom Beaty for leading this very successful effort. Another initiative we would like to undertake is to have a Holgate Clean-up Day. There are several areas where trash has accumulated and it is very unsightly. These areas are not on private property but they seem to be public areas that no one is taking care of. Three areas that I have seen is the south parking lot, the south end of West Avenue and the west end of McKinley at the edge of the Bay. The idea is to compile a list of these areas and then assign volunteers to pick up and load the trash onto a Township truck. Please send me the location of any areas that you have seen that needs to be picked up. I would also like to know if you, and perhaps some of your family members, would be willing to volunteer to help clean-up. We can then make assignments and schedule the date. It would be good if we could get this done by the end of the month. Another date to put on your calendar is Saturday, June 1st at 10:00 am at the Town Hall. That is the day of our annual membership meeting with the Mayor and the Commissioners.

The following items were discussed at Friday’s meeting:

Proclamations were made for Earth Day – April 22nd, National Volunteer Week – April 21st to April 27th and National Donate Life Month – April 2013
Commissioner Lattanzi reported that the Township had ordered the trailer to be located in the Acme parking lot that will house the Township’s Health Department. He also commented that he submitted an article to the SandPaper rebutting an article entitled “LBTownship Using Sticks in Ongoing Easement Battle” that appeared in the March 29, 2013 SandPaper edition. Commissioner Bayard reported that the County has two recycling programs planned for 2013. The first is a residential document shredding day scheduled for Saturday, July 13th. Residents will be able to bring their documents to the Public Works Department located at 79 St. and LBI Blvd. The second event is a household hazardous waste clean-up day. Residents will be able to bring their hazardous waste materials to the Stafford Township Public Works area on Saturday, June 1st. He stated that more information can be found on the Township’s web site. He also stated that there would be no more dune grass available from the Township until the Fall. Mayor Mancini stated that the next meeting of the Board of Commissioners would be on Friday, April 19th at 4:00pm. He also stated the next meeting of the Land Use Board would be on Wednesday, April 10th at 7:00 pm. The Mayor then went on to review the status of outstanding easements by community. Beach Haven has one remaining, Ship Bottom has 21 left, North Beach has 15 and Loveladies has 32 unsigned easements. He reported that the Township’s Office of Emergency Management was working with the Department of Environmental Protection to clean up the bay. He stated that Operation Take Back would take place on April 27th. This is a program to collect unwanted prescription drugs. The Police Department is asking motorists to be extra attentive when driving on LBI due to the numerous construction projects underway. Finally, residents were reminded to report suspicious activities to the Police Department in light of the recent increase in burglaries in the Township.

The following questions were asked of the Mayor and the Commissioners and the answers are highlighted in red

Questions from Holgate Taxpayers Association (HTA) Members

• People are climbing over the fragile dunes that remain. What will be done to keep people off the dunes in Holgate this summer and also provide for beach access? Is the installation of dune fencing and “Keep off the Dunes” signs a possibility? Dune fencing is being installed and access ramps will be provided. Keep off the dune signs are available to residents and can picked up at the Town Hall
• When is it expected that the beach replenishment project will begin in Holgate? Is there anything planned to protect the fragile dunes in the meantime? The Mayor stated that the $51 Billion has not been released yet and as a result he does not known when beach replenishment will be done in Holgate. He is trying to get the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) to utilize two dredges so Holgate can be done simultaneously with Harvey Cedars, Surf City and Brant Beach.
• There are lots of potholes to be filled in Holgate. What are the plans to repair the streets? Is there a plan to resurface some of the streets and is Cleveland Avenue on the list? The County is responsible for LBI Blvd. He said that the County has been busy elsewhere working on damaged bridges etc. A call or a letter to the Ocean County Engineering Department or the Ocean County Road Department may help get Holgate put on the list. Frank S. Scarantino is the County Engineer and he can be reached at 732-929-2130 or OCEngineering@co.ocean.nj.us. J. Thomas Curcio is the Road Supervisor and he can be reached at 732-929-2133 or 129 Hooper Avenue, Second Floor, PO Box 2191 Toms River, NJ 08754-2191.
• There is still a lot of trash strewn around the community of Holgate. If the Township could provide the equipment, the HTA can plan a Holgate Clean-up Day and get some residents to help clean up. A thought would be to identify areas, such as the south parking lot and the end of McKinley Avenue at the Bay, where unsightly debris has accumulated. A list of all such areas would be made by the residents. We can then have volunteers ready to load the debris onto a truck. The Mayor seemed open to this idea.
• One resident wrote that they own a house at 14 Beck in Holgate and are wondering if the HTA has any idea whether Long Beach Township or anyone else has any thought of removing the large amount of sand that was blown in the wetland between Beck and Starr by Sandy. That wetland is privately owned, so Long Beach Township may feel no obligation or have any right to remove it. On the other hand, it was the ability of that wetland to absorb the storm surge that saved many houses in the area. This area is private property and the Township can’t do anything about it.
• It has been reported in some local news publications that any community who employed the Florida-based AshBritt to remove debris may be penalized by cutting reimbursement funds if FEMA finds the costs charged by AshBritt were out of step with the marketplace. Did Long Beach Township use “Ashbritt”, for Sandy related debris removal? If yes, will LBT be impacted? The Township did use AshBritt in order to get going on debris removal. However, he did not expect that this would negatively impact the Township.
• The County is doing a good job cleaning the sand off of S. Long Beach Blvd. in Holgate. It is suggested that the Township consider pushing the sand piles left by the County sweepers away from the road and towards the beach so they do not blow back onto the roadway so readily. The Commissioners seemed to be open to this suggestion.
• Residents are looking to donate clothing to victims of Sandy. Is there any organization that is handling donations of this sort? The Mayor suggested contacting St. Francis Church, Tuckerton Food Kitchen or Angela Andersen at the Township.

The LBI Thank You Fest is scheduled for June 14th, 15th, and 16th (Fathers Day Weekend). This event is an effort to formally thank the 195 NJ Air National Guardsmen (NG) and their families and the 15 Louisiana State Police (SP) and their families for protecting our beloved Island for more than a month after Sandy. These men and women were away from their families and slept on floors and endured other less than stellar conditions to ensure the security of our communities. Compared to some of the stories we all read in the newspapers or watched on the television of other areas where there was looting, these people did a fine job for us. All the activities will be at no cost to these men and women and their families. Below is a preliminary schedule of events:

Volunteers willing to help with the activities or help with housing should call Mr. Ominski at 609-361-6635 or ominski@longbeachtownship.com

There were approximately 20 people at yesterday’s Township meeting. All of our easements are in, and YES we are getting replenishment. No date has been set, but hints are for the fall. All one needs is a mile stretch and we certainly have that. North Beach (17) and Loveladies (36) still need a large number of people to sign on (it won’t affect us) so if you know of anyone in those areas, why not try and push them towards signing. The DEP is actively removing debris from the bay. If you know of any significant debris, contact the township so that the information can be passed on. If you “remove” debris from the bay, and put it on land for the DEP to get it – it won’t. Just leave it where it is and contact them. Again people were asked to be pro-active with their homes and secure them. If you have any question about someone in the area, contact the police at 609-494-3322. All 52 beaches on LBI will have lifeguards just like any other year. The township’s health dept. will be moving into a modular building just north of the old movie theater (near Acme) within a few weeks. The “Thank You volunteer Fest” is well into the planning and they are looking for accommodations for the”35+” families who are returning from Louisiana to celebrate with us. Homes that are definitely being torn down will be receiving letters from the township to get them down within 10 days, and the township will take them down if necessary and be reimbursed by the homeowners. The new taxes look good and I must say if everything goes as planned we will have a small increase as compared to the stories that were circulating. A lot of hope for the Island, especially Holgate, and I hope to see that same hope expressed in our updates.

Marianne Hurley

Press Release
March 8, 2013

The Mayor and Commissioners of Long Beach Township are pleased to announce the grant of the Kaufman easement. With this final easement in place, the Township can now move forward with an application for the Storm Damage Reduction Project through the Army Corps of Engineers for the Holgate section. We thank the Kaufman Family, along with all the oceanfront owners in Holgate for signing their easements and thereby allowing this vital project to move forward. As with all the other easements which the Township has received, this easement was granted without the payment of any money on the part of the Township. The Kaufmans and all other oceanfront owners who granted easements will be permitted to build a dune walkover to access the beach without disrupting the new dune.

The Kaufmans recently engaged a new attorney who communicated that his clients never intended to obtain compensation for the granting of the easement. Apparently, there was a misunderstanding of the Kaufmans’ previous position. The Kaufmans sought only to be allowed to construct a dune overwalk structure at their own expense. This misunderstanding resulted in personal attacks on the Kaufmans. The Township is saddened that the Kaufmans suffered personally as a result of this misunderstanding. The Township in no way condones personal attacks of any sort.

The Mayor and Commissioners hope this press release helps to set the record straight and begin the healing process In our southern-most neighborhood. The Board of Commissioners shall continue the task of securing all of the necessary beachfront easements and do everything within their power to secure necessary funding for the beach replenishment and storm reduction project.

Also, the Hike to Holgate Event that is being sponsored by the LBI Business Alliance to help raise the spirits of Holgate residents that was scheduled for March 30th has been postponed. Due to the current road condition in Holgate, it has been determined that it would be safer to hold this event at a later date when the road is in better condition. When the new date is announced, we will let you all know. The HTA Trustees are still scheduled to meet at 9:30 am on March 30th.

Another date to keep in mind is June 14th. Instead of LBI Fest in June, we are having a “LBI Thank You” for all of the volunteers who helped us back on our feet. They have all been invited back. More to come on this, but keep the weekend of June 14th open.

I understand that the Township has sea grass available for planting. When we know what the plans are in this regard, we will let you all know.

Finally, please plan on attending the regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Commissioners on Friday, April 5th at 4:00 PM. It is very important that we express our collective concern for getting Holgate back to normal and assist the Township in any way we can to make it happen.

Below is the link to an article in today’s SandPaper entitled “Last Holgate Holdout Agrees to Sign Easement”. The story was written by Juliet Kaszas-Hoch. This is great news for Holgate and the news we have been wanting to hear for some time. We want to thank everyone for their efforts in bringing this result to fruition and now look forward to working together as a community to continue the rebuilding process. There is strength in numbers, so please consider joining the Holgate Taxpayers Association if you have not already done so.

Last Holdout Agrees to Signs (Sandpaper, March 4, 2013)

On the negative side of the ledger, I have seen several e-mails today about thieves working in our community. Here is one such e-mail below:

The copper pipe shower thieves are back. So keep an aye open for anything strange. Many times these thieves show up in our area dressed as workmen and with so much construction going on, how do you know. If you feel suspicious about anyone, please contact the police. A neighbor spotted two men looking over property on our street, and she kept an eye on them only to see them removing sculptures from their bay front property. i.e., one cost $2500.00. A quick call to the police got these thieves up at the pizza place and they were arrested and the material confiscated. This situation is only going to get worse as the good weather comes and more people are working on their properties

HTA Trustee Marianne Hurley coordinates a Neighborhood Crime Watch and is looking for volunteers to help keep watch over our neighborhoods. She could use your help. Please contact her if you can assist especially during this time of vulnerability. This topic will be on the agenda at the March 30th Trustees meeting.

Please remember these important dates below. If you can make the extra effort to attend, it would be appreciated.

LBI Business Alliance is sponsoring an event to help raise the spirits of Holgate residents on March 30th at 1:00 PM. The 5K bike, walk, run and bring the dog and family event will begin in Beach Haven and end in the south parking lot in Holgate. There will be a $20 donation to enter the event. Please reserve the day and join your neighbors, old friends, new friends and family in helping each other get our community back to normal.

The regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Commissioners convenes at 4:00 PM on April 5th at the Town Hall. It is critical that we show in a “big way” that the residents of Holgate are concerned and engaged with the Township in rebuilding and protecting our community. We need to show the Mayor and the Commissioners that we appreciate their efforts for what they have done to restore the infrastructure in Holgate.

Good evening all, there is an update in today’s SandPaper entitled “Final Holgate Holdout Could Sign Easement Soon Long Beach Twp. Mayor Says”. Go to the sandpaper.net. Click on News – Surf City, NJ The SandPaper and scroll down to the first article. This article by Michael Molinaro provides a complete update of today’s meeting with the Township and Bunny Kaufman’s new attorney.

In addition, the LBI Business Alliance is sponsoring an event to help raise the spirits of Holgate residents on March 30th at 1:00 PM. The 5K bike, walk, run and bring the dog and family event will begin in Beach Haven and end in the south parking lot in Holgate. There will be a $20 donation to enter the event. Please reserve the day and join your neighbors, old friends, new friends and family in helping each other get our community back to normal. The trustees of the Holgate Taxpayers Association will meet in the morning to plan and organize its agenda and meetings for 2013. I hope that all of you will complete your membership forms this year and join the HTA if you have not already done so.

Another date to keep in mind is April 5th. The regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Commissioners convenes at 4:00 PM at the Town Hall. It is critical that we show in a “big way” that the residents of Holgate are concerned and engaged with the Township in rebuilding and protecting our community. We need to show the Mayor and the Commissioners that we appreciate their efforts for what they have done to restore the infrastructure in Holgate.

The name says it all. We are still here and will come back stronger than ever. To stay up to date on our return check out the new LBI is Alive website. Great info and resources about our rebuilding.

Good afternoon, in case some of you are not aware, I wanted to share with you some information which was placed on the Holgate Update Facebook page by HTA Trustee, Marianne Hurley. The information was provided at the regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Commissioners convened on Friday, February 1st. I hesitated a bit in getting this information out to the members as some were telling me to quell my enthusiasm as the signed easements were not in hand. However, the Mayor stated at Friday’s meeting that there was only one remaining holdout, 4303 S. Long Beach Blvd. She also made some other very important comments that may be crucial for some Holgate homeowners. Below are Marianne’s comments:

The biThe bi-monthly township meeting was held today and there were about 35 people in attendance. The great news is that we are down to ONE HOLDOUT —- BUNNY (MARILYN) KAUFMAN. See my separate post on this please. Holgate will be the first to get beach replenishment when we get her on board, and Mayor Mancini and Commissioner Lattanzi are heading to D. C. this month to seek funds for the Island. He is asking for 135 million, and with the replenishment he also hopes to have two dredgers working. He has also spoken with the head man in Harry Reid’s office regarding FEMA and our insurance, and received a call from FEMA this morning, but he didn’t divulge what was said. They also hope to have the parking lot built by late Spring, but it might not be cement yet. They are also reminding people that house tear down trash is the home owner’s responsibility, and if they have to get it after 10 days, you will be fined and a tax lien put on your house in the amount of 18%. They also want all houses that are going to be demolished down by March 1st. If you are having problems getting your funds from insurance the township will “lend” you the money on a 75- 25% basis until the money arrives. Call his office for more details.

This past week my wife, Kathy, has been on the phone with Bunny Kaufman on several occasions. We were working with her and the Mayor to try to get them to speak with each other directly on the phone. The effort came to a screeching halt at the end of the week as Bunny would not make the call to the Mayor and insisted that we talk to her attorney, Ken Porro. As you may know Ken Porro, dubbed “Dune Buster”, was recently successful in persuading the Superior Court to dismiss a NJDEP lawsuit which sought the taking of private property without compensation in Surf City. Prior to that he won an Ocean City, New Jersey case which mandates that loss of ocean view and access is an “unconstitutional taking” unless the property owner is compensated. In our conversations with Bunny, she said she favored beach replenishment and it wasn’t about the money but she just wanted to make sure she had direct private access to the beach and she could see over the dunes. We had also spoken to Ken Porro on one occasion and basically he told us that the Township should do the “right thing” and condemn the property. The stated goal of the client and the client’s attorney do not appear to be the same. Nonetheless, even if we had 100% signed easements today, we have another Hurricane season to endure, which begins in only four months. Let us all pray that Mother Nature spares Holgate of another near direct hit as we will be hard pressed to withstand even a glancing blow in our current condition. You would think Bunny would have understood this as she viewed her house perched atop pilings with no sand under, in front of, behind and next to her house. Sandy demonstrated that the need to protect Holgate from a major storm was no longer a theoretical exercise.

Daniel Macone

Long Beach Township is participating in two separate house raising programs. The first program is referred to as Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) and information can be obtained by contacting 609-361-6679. The second program is the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and information can be obtained by contacting Andersen@longbeachtownship.com. General information is found on Long Beach Township’s websites. longbeachtownship.com