Mayor: Beach fees will still increase next season
Petition forces vote on $2.7M bond issue for pavilion renovations

MONMOUTH BEACH - An increase in beach fees will still go through next summer despite a petition that blocked a proposal to issue bonds to pay for renovations to the borough's beach pavilion, according to Mayor Susan Howard.

The petition circulated by residents means the proposal to issue bonds to pay for the estimated $2.7 million in renovations at the beach pavilion must now be approved by borough voters.

Speaking after the monthly meeting of the Two River Council of Mayors in Little Silver last Saturday, Howard said the fee increase, including doubling fees for out-of-town members except for seniors, and sharply raising the cost of lockers for all members, will be enacted for the 2007 beach season.

She said the funds raised by the increases will be set aside for work on the pavilion once the ballot question concerning the bond issue is determined.

Before the petition blocked the bond, the borough planned to start work on the pavilion next fall.

Last month, a group of residents presented a petition to the borough Board of Commissioners asking that the bond issue for the pavilion be put on the ballot for public approval before the commissioners took action on it.`

The commissioners were asked to put the proposal to a vote at several meetings concerning the pavilion but declined to bring the bonds to a public vote.

Borough Attorney Dennis Collins said in December that the borough clerk had certified that the petition had been signed by the required number of residents to make it valid.

Collins said that the law required that the petition be signed by 15 percent of registered voters who had voted in the last election in which state Assembly candidates were on the ballot.

Collins said that the commissioners would set the date for a vote on the bond issue. He said the state provided several dates on which a vote could be held or it could be done at the November election.

Howard said Saturday that the commissioners had not yet discussed a date for a vote. The commissioners will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 9.

At a meeting several months ago, Commissioner James Cunniff presented a plan for the club renovations that would have the increase in beach fees, primarily the doubling of fees for out-of-town members, pay the $3.6 million in principal and interest for the bonds for the pavilion improvements over 15 years.

But some residents questioned the cost of the renovations and said they were too extensive. Residents also expressed concern that beach erosion might cause a drop in club membership and result in taxpayers having to pay the costs rather than the increased beach fees.

Those in favor of the club improvements said that repairs are needed at the pavilion and it is better and more economical to do all the work at one time instead of piecemeal.

- Liz Sheehan