Council finds temporary trash solution

Council finds
temporary
trash solution
Recycling, garbage
hauling pact with Highlands to expire

SEA BRIGHT — As a stop-gap measure, the Borough Council awarded a short-term contract to Bridge Disposal, Inc., of Matawan to collect garbage and recyclables for a two-month period from Jan. 1 to Feb. 29, 2004.

The council has been scrambling to find a new garbage hauler since Highlands notified the borough that it no longer wanted the contract.

Sea Bright’s agreement with Highlands to pick up its garbage and recyclables expires on Dec. 31. After receiving no response the first time it solicited bids for a replacement hauler, the township arranged for an emergency extension with Highlands to continue the pickups until Jan. 16.

However, at the council’s Dec. 16 meeting, it awarded an interim contract for the first two months of the new year to Bridge, based on a quote obtained from the company for the short-term. Bridge will be paid $8,000 to pick up garbage twice a week and recyclables once a week for the two-month period.

The borough, meanwhile, has readvertised for bids for a long-term contract.

Bidders were given 60 days and must submit their bids by Feb. 17.

In other action, Councilman William J. Keeler reported that the revaluation that has gone on this year should be completed by Dec. 31.

Councilwoman Dina Long reported that the Police Department continued to receive a higher than average number of calls in November.

Mayor Gregory W. Harquail reported that the replacement of the Highlands bridge is back on track for construction in 2005 and 2006, with completion expected in 2007. He said the estimated cost of the construction is $71 million.

The mayor said, as currently planned, there will be no condemnation of property on the Sea Bright side of the bridge and only a very small parcel under the bridge, from a park, will be taken on the Highlands side.

When the meeting was opened to the public for comment, Fred Barsuglia, of 318 Ocean Ave., whose wife Diane sat in the audience, asked the mayor and council for help in obtaining a CAFRA (Coastal Area Facilities Review Act) permit without having to open his property to the public.

Barsuglia explained that he had obtained approval from the borough Planning/Zoning Board to subdivide his property into two 50-foot lots on which plans to build two homes -— one for himself and his wife and the other for Mike Dalton. But the state Department of Environmental Protection will not grant him the CAFRA permit needed to build unless he provides both access to the river across his property, and parking by the sea wall, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

As an alternative, he could get the borough to provide more public access at another location.

He said he’s now in arbitration with the DEP. Asked by Keeler if he were applying to build one house instead of two, would the DEP have required such access for CAFRA approval, he said no.

The application of St. Peter’s Preparatory School in Jersey City and the Jesuits community at St. Peter’s for a CAFRA permit to replace the Jesuit vacation home and the St. Peter’s retreat facility on their property on Ocean Avenue at the south end of town was also denied recently.

The DEP said that St. Peter’s must provide parking on its property for the public’s beach access. St. Peter’s is appealing the denial.

Harquail, while sympathetic to Barsuglia’s predicament, told the council that the borough had to be careful about setting a precedent because others denied CAFRA permits may ask them to do whatever they do for Barsuglia.

Councilman Charles Galloway noted that the town has been toying with creating a small park with some parking by the river at the end of River Street.

Harquail suggested, and the council readily agreed, that a council committee of three be formed to look into the situation and make a recommendation.

— Sherry Conohan