UPPER TOWNSHIP PLANNING BOARD
STRATHMERE DEANNEXATION
AUGUST 18, 2008
A special meeting of the Upper Township Planning Board was held at the Township Hall, 2100 Tuckahoe Road, Petersburg, New Jersey at 6:00 p.m. for the purpose of holding a public hearing regarding the Petition filed by the Citizens of Strathmere and Whale Beach to deannex a portion of Upper Township commonly known as Strathmere and Whale Beach from Upper Township and annex same to Sea Isle City, New Jersey.
CALL TO ORDER
SUNSHINE ANNOUNCEMENT
SALUTE TO THE FLAG
Present: Chair Renee Scrocca, Mayor Richard Palombo, Curtis Corson, William Brown, Donald Kissling, Daniel Bready, Duane Terwilliger, Susan Ragan, James Schroder and James Kelly.
Absent: William Brown and Gary Riordan.
Also in attendance were Dean Marcolongo, Board Solicitor, Stuart Wiser, Professional Planner and Shelley Lea, Board Secretary.
The meeting began with further testimony by Michael Garcia, Auditor for the School Board. As directed he contacted the State to request that they calculate the state aid impact that would incur with the separation of Strathmere during the first 5 years. Their first calculation estimated there would be an increase in state aid in the amount of $13,499 in the first year.
After the meeting he contacted Gary Everson, the person that did the first calculation for him. He was informed that he would need to contact the County Business Administrator, Charlie Muller. The request would then be forwarded to director of the office of school funding. The request was made in writing. He supplied the Board with a handout that he prepared. The 4-page document was marked as Exhibit P-8.
Mr. Garcia stated that the request includes a 3 percent increase in the income values and the accuracy budget and that enrollment would stay the same and well as equalized values. Mr. Everson informed him that special education would also be included in the package along with security aid and transportation aid. There is another part of the
formula called PVR or the property value that changes every year. There is another component called the INR or income rate that also changes annually.
The email response that Mr. Garcia received indicates that Ms. Thomas, Director of the Office of School Funding, responded to Charlie Muller’s email on August 14th stating that there are too many unknown variables that prevent them from doing an impact assessment that looks 5 years into the future. The most important variables that could influence the apportionment of taxes among municipalities are enrollment and property values. If these 2 variables remain constant there would be little or no change in the tax apportionment. Three percent increases in budgets and income would most likely result in much the same relative positions of wealth for the districts and essentially the same amount of aid.
Ms. Bittner requested the Board invite Ms. Thomas to a meeting to allow her to pose the question totally different. She believes Ms. Thomas could answer the question if she asked her to assume everything were the same except Strathmere was no longer a part of Upper Township. She believes it is worth exploring whether Upper would receive more money if Strathmere left.
The Board agreed to allow Ms. Bittner to frame the question and submit it to Solicitor Marcolongo. He would then submit it to Ms. Thomas and ask in lieu of a subpoena to please answer the question.
Paul Dietrich, Township Engineer, was sworn. Mr. Dietrich testified that he remembers a couple phone calls in regards to the seaweed on the beach in 2007. Most of the calls were forwarded to the road supervisor. The supervisor didn’t assess the situation fully in regards to the tide and what equipment was needed. The seaweed was trapped in the sandbar and a gully and kept coming back. After he was made aware of the situation he had a crew go out at low tide on 2 consecutive days and most of it was cleaned up. He did not recall any other years when the seaweed was that heavy on shore.
Mr. Dietrich described the Township’s annual road paving program. He believes the overall condition of the roads in Strathmere is fairly good. There are 2 roads in Strathmere that are included in this year’s budget. The last time any roads were done in Strathmere was 2002 or 2003. He commented that other towns such as Sea Isle and Ocean City have potholes and cracks in their roads. The Township will be paving Prescott Road and raising it to improve drainage.
He believes the worst road is Bayview Drive from Prescott Road going south. There are 2 or 3 gravel roads in Strathmere that he cannot get DEP permits to pave. He spoke to DEP about paving Bayview Drive next to Taylor Road and the Whale Creek Marina but was told no due to the proximity to the wetlands.
Mr. Dietrich stated that the first speed humps in the Township were installed in Strathmere at the request of the residents.
Mr. Dietrich reviewed the routine storm drain maintenance program. The Township is required to clean each basin and inspect them once a year. The basins are cleaned and inspected in the spring. The first ones done are in Strathmere. They are done twice a year and sometimes 3 times. There are over 700 inlets throughout the Township that are cleaned and inspected.
Mr. Dietrich stated that the prisoners are used in the spring to clean the wetlands and beach areas. The prisoners are in a crew of 20 and they are usually available 3 to 4 days in the spring and a full week or 5 days in the fall. In the fall all work is predominantly done in Strathmere. They work a full 8 hours a day. This is free labor. The Township is only responsible for paying for lunch and a break in the morning. The Township supplies the materials that are needed. The Township would not get the productivity of the work done with our existing workforce without having the assistance of the prisoners. There are other towns that utilize the prisoners.
Mr. Dietrich testified the trash corrals are handled by the Recreation Department although he knows that residents built some.
At this time Ms. Bittner asked questions of Mr. Dietrich. He stated that he was asked to attend the meeting to address issues that were brought up by the residents of Strathmere and how they were handled by the public works dept. He testified that he read the testimony given by Mr. Gaffney, Coastal Engineer and John Manganaro, the Director of Public Works from Sea Isle City.
Mr. Dietrich testified that he is a licensed professional planner and that allows him to practice engineering. He is currently head of Dept. of Public Works, which covers trash, street sweeping and maintenance of roads. He listed other functions that are part of his job responsibility. He agreed there is a problem with fires in the pits. He stated that the fires are as close to 100 ft. away from houses near the pits. The fires on the beach are about the same distance.
Mr. Dietrich commented that the Township has utilized the
services of Dr. Farrell for several years. He has done quarterly reports and an
annual summary since the mid 1980’s. He believes the problems on the beach are
no worse than it was in 2000. He stated that each of the roads in Strathmere
has a hierarchy of importance, the most important being the County road. He is
not responsible for maintaining this road although the Township has made
recommendations on occasion. He is not responsible for the structural integrity
or the safety of the Corson’s Inlet Bridge. He has tried to encourage the State
to issue the permits for the project on Ocean Drive.
Mr. Dietrich stated that it is his understanding that geotubes were not
continued south from the Sea Isle section of Whale Beach because the property
owners that still own some of the property along that portion would not agree to
have those geotubes installed. He has never recommended that geotubes be used
since there has not been a breach in our section of Whale Beach that would
necessitate them.
Ms. Bittner discussed emails between Mr. Dietrich and Dr. Farrell. She submitted a 2-page document containing a series of several emails between Mr. Dietrich and Dr. Farrell between May 19 and May 21. Mr. Dietrich indicated that the emails were in regards to the storm event that happened in May and how the beach fared.
Mr. Dietrich testified that he has not made a specific study as to whether or not geotubes would be the best course of action or if the federal beach fill would be better since a maintained beach that provides for storm reduction damage is the best course of action. In regards to the bridge, he commented that it’s the responsibility of the County engineer to maintain safe bridges throughout the county. He believes he inspected the Corson’s Inlet Bridge while he was a consultant with Gibson Associates. The weight limit on the bridge was reduced since there were several structural members that had deteriorated. A copy of Upper Township Resolution 133-2006 dated June 12, 2006 regarding concerns that the Township Committee had regarding the Corson’s Inlet Bridge was marked as Exhibit A-107.
Mr. Dietrich discussed the pipe referred to by Mr. Roland. This was an issue when he began working for the Township in 1999. He agreed the outfall pipe is related to the street flooding in Strathmere. He has a good feeling that the pump installed at Seacliff Avenue will work.
Mr. Dietrich discussed the federal project. He stated the Chief of Engineering report was signed in October 2006 and authorized in 2007. It usually takes 2 or 3 years to get through the funding cycles. He has been encouraging people to help lobby Congressman Lobiondo and the congressmen where they live. He knows the Township Committee has talked to congressmen about the issue.
Mr. Dietrich testified that he helps to coordinate the program with the prisoners. They continue to use the same posts as before. He has removed some of the posts that were sheared off during the storms. Ms. Bittner submitted a photo that was marked as S-108. Additional photos showing fencing and posts on the beach were marked as S-110, S-111 and S-112. A close up photo of a beach post in the state park in Ocean City was marked as S-113. Another photo showing the carry in/carry out sign for trash was marked as S-114. The Township supplies trashcans so that people can carry their trash off the beach and into the cans when they exit.
There was a short break at this time.
Ms. Bittner showed the Board different types of posts that she brought including steel posts used by Sea Isle and a wood post from Strathmere. Mr. Dietrich stated that the wood post had been underneath 8 ft. of sand one year ago. For this reason he believes the posts have done their job by collecting sand in a dry beach condition. He also commented that the fence collected sand and built a dune to provide storm protection. Some of the sand was removed and some of the fence and poles were destroyed in a storm surge condition. He does not believe the steel posts would hold the fence more
securely. Ms. Bittner tore apart the fencing to try and make a point. Mr. Dietrich informed her that the fence was through a storm and the plastic fastener was still holding on the slat attached to the post. The plastic tie was not the weakest link.
Mr. Dietrich testified that he has assisted the Township in coordinating the most recent request for beach nourishment through the fall and for this fall project. The preliminary plan was sent to the NJDEP in the spring. The plan mirrors the 2001 plan. After the 2001 project was complete the beaches were much wider and the dunes growing. Since 2002 the beaches have gone through a process of sand loss. An application was sent to DEP in 2008 because that was when there was a rapid advance of sand loss that was more accelerated than what the trend had showed in the prior year.
Mr. Dietrich stated that he has been asked by the emergency management director to assist him in filling out applications for reimbursement for declared storms. It would be Mr. Deuter’s purview to determine what plans and operations he has for emergency response. Township Committee has requested that he work with Dr. Farrell in preparing an engineered beach management plan.
Mr. Dietrich agreed the beach fills in 2001 and 2008 were reactionary but that there was monitoring in-between. There was exponential acceleration of the erosion rate that brought that situation faster than what they thought.
When asked about the problem last year with the seaweed on the beach he agreed there is a prohibition on raking the beach. Part of the problem was that in prior years the road supervisor was not as proactive in responding to certain situations. One of the reasons he was made supervisor of public works was to be more proactive in some instances. The seaweed problem had nothing to do with raking.
Mr. Dietrich commented that the Township worked for a period of time trying to get some experimental solutions on the beach. They have stopped since DEP at various times has essentially said that they cannot do anything on the Strathmere and Whale Beach section. The Army Corps of Engineers permit from the 2001 beach fill is still valid so the Township can still dredge without reapplying for another permit. Ms. Bittner read from an Atlantic City Press article dated November 9, 2007, which quoted Mr. Dietrich in saying the Township could harvest sand at low tide to build up the beaches. The article also says that the Township employees could do the work but probably would not be asked to. The article was marked as S-115. Mr. Dietrich stated the reason he made this comment was that it is difficult sometimes to work around a tide cycle as opposed to a normal work cycle. It also depends on whether or not it is better to utilize the Township’s equipment in a salt water environment and advance deterioration or would it be better to rent equipment. Another option is to contract the work out. It also depends on whether more harm would be done by harvesting the sand from the beach. He doesn’t believe it would be advantageous to harvest the sand at this time due to the narrowness of the beach. He does not have a permit to dredge sand from the bay side.
Mr. Dietrich agreed that a beach fill provides 5 years of protection. When asked why he didn’t begin the permitting process in 2003, since permits take 2 years to obtain, he commented that the beach was still not accelerating in loss of sand to the extent that it needed to be filled. He did not include Whale Beach in the current proposal since DEP told the Township not to.
Ms. Bittner discussed obtaining a permit east of the bulkhead and the lifeguard station. Mr. Dietrich commented that the Army Corps has been trying to get the DEP permit for 3 or 4 years.
Ms. Bittner referred to Exhibit S-116 taken at the Beesleys Point Beach. Mr. Dietrich stated there is a boat ramp attendant at the Beesleys Point Beach to collect fees, however fees are not collected at the 2 boat ramps in Strathmere. He does not believe that having a boat attendant enhances safety once the watercraft enters the water.
The next meeting was scheduled for September 15, 2008 from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Submitted by,
Shelley Lea