As a courtesy to our SHPOA Members, we’re bringing you a summary of the Stone Harbor Work Session and Council Meeting on February 15, 2022.

As a courtesy to our SHPOA Members, we’re bringing you a summary of each Stone Harbor Work Session and Council Meeting. Intended as summaries, these intentionally don’t have a lot of details and are not a substitute for the official Borough minutes.

Work Session

Yes, Summer is coming
Borough departments are gearing up for summer 2022 and currently assessing staffing needs. Fire Chief Roger Stanford expects to add 3 additional part-time firefighters. Police Chief Thomas Schutta plans to add part-time staff as well. Both anticipate being able to fill the spots easily. However, Sandy Bosaco, Beach Patrol Captain, said he is concerned that he will have a harder time hiring lifeguards for summer 2022. He noted that affordable summer rentals are rare and currently, a significant number of guards typically live on the island with their families and tend to be legacies. Bosaco plans to use the Borough’s new LinkedIn page, and other Social Media to recruit more lifeguards.

Additionally, the Beach Patrol captain said the new lifeguard building’s construction is going smoothly and is on schedule for Memorial Day. Council discussed colors for the building’s exterior and decided on Pearl Gray siding, white trim at the Crow’s Nest, a Pewter Gray roof, and red brick at the base of the building.

Fire Chief Stanford reported that fire calls were up during January due to extreme cold weather which tends to have heating units running overtime.
Tourism Director, Jenny Olson discussed upcoming Borough events which include the Stone Harbor Shiver sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. Council asked Olson to prepare a pro forma of Stone Harbor resources needed for the event to guide decisions going forward.

Alert System
The Office of Emergency Management reported the Borough is getting bids to install a sign for a message alert system that will be installed on the firehouse. Also, working with Borough officials, protocols are being put in place for deployment of the aqua fence at the 83rd St. boat ramp with a notification system to alert boat owners in that basin when the fence is activated.

Irrigation Rules Under Revision
Councilmember Bunny Parzych and the Utilities Committee are working on a proposal to save water by changing irrigation rules. They plan to eliminate some exemptions from the current schedule and allow owners with an installed irrigation system to water on even or odd days depending on where they live. The current proposal would not allow watering between the curb and sidewalk.

Dune Grasses are Healthy
Aaron Baker, from Lomax Consulting, had good news to share on dune management. The dunes grasses that have been planted over the years are very healthy and thriving.

Villa Maria
Mayor Judith Davies-Dunhour and Council discussed options regarding the Borough-owned, beachfront property at 112th Street as it relates to Villa Maria convent development. The Mayor indicated that there are 3 choices: 1) leave the 40×110 lot unimproved, 2) Sell the lot through a bidding process, or 3) develop the lot into public space with facilities for restrooms and/or parking which would need state approval. Much discussion was held on the options and during the regular Council meeting. Bob Smith, Borough Administrator, was tasked with investigating the public space option.

Council Meeting
Councilmember Charles Krafczek presented the Salary Ordinance which stipulates a new range of salaries for Borough employees. The ordinance was passed unanimously.

A number of resolutions were moved including:
Borough to hire Triad Associates to assist with rehabilitation of Borough-owned affordable housing property at 10206 Third Ave.
Approval for a proposal for an engineering and environmental services contract for $668,000 for improvements to 83rd Street bulkhead.
Approval of a change order for the Beach Patrol building to allow for lockers and accessories.
Approval of a proposal for $708,000 to replace ADA ramps and for pavilion repairs at 88th and 101st Streets.
Approval of change order for 94th St. pumping station
Approval of proposal for Princeton Hydro for Bird Sanctuary habitat restoration
Approval of Rigis entertainment license
Approval of refunds to 2 property owners
Authorization for Borough Administrator Bob Smith to explore public access for the Borough owned parcel at 112th Street
For documents discussed at this meeting, please follow this link: https://stoneharbornj.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/February-15-2022.pdf

To watch a video of the meeting, please click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2c35unfTFE
To read past Stone Harbor Council Meeting summaries, please click here: https://www.stoneharborpoa.org/news/.