By JOANNE PAPAIANNI
Asbury Park City Manager Michael Capabianco had welcome news regarding snow removal and street openings in the city.
He said he is reviewing snow removal procedures to set in place specific guidelines for snow storms.
Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn agreed that procedures need to be in place.
“As far as snow removal we are reactionary…we are not pre-planning,” she said.
Quinn said in her 16 years of living in the city snow removal has not been consistent.
“We need to get the word out,” she said and suggested putting information and emergency phone numbers on APTV.
“The seniors watch TV,” she said. “We never get this right and it irritates me.”
Capabianco said the ordinance governing snow removal is outdated and with new means of communication changes are needed.
“There’s Nixle, cell phones, texts now. We need to make adjustments,” he said.
He also said the city has purchased a new frontend loader, which arrived in August and a new dump truck which should be delivered in November. Both will be used for snow removal.
The city manager is also reviewing guidelines for street openings by utility companies in the city.
He said street opening standards are needed to give the ordinance more teeth, make the end project look better and protect the environment.
He suggested adding a stipulation that if an opening is 50 feet or longer the utility company must repave the area.
Capabianco also said he has been speaking with the Wesley Lake Commission regarding fixing the two footbridges that span the lake. Inter-community approval is needed for the project as the lake borders the city, Neptune and the underlying ground is owned by the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association.
Wesley Lake Commission member Doug McQueen spoke as well explaining the grant process the commission is pursuing for funding the project.
He said two approvals will be needed, one from the city and one that includes all the communities involved.
Both bridges need to be resurfaced. The last time repairs were made was in 2004.
The grant funding is federally funded through the Department of Environmental Protection.
McQueen said the average grant is about $400,000 to $500,000, but he said depending on the amount received, one or both of the bridges will be refurbished.
Capabianco outlined how the city meets many criteria for the grant, including experience reconstructing the footbridge over Sunset Lake, the fact that the lake commission qualifies as a public agency, both the city and Ocean Grove hold historic designations and the city has an award winning planner in Michele Alonso.
Capabianco said getting the project done now will avoid major costs later.
“When it’s done, it will be fantastic,” he said.
During council reports Councilwoman Yvonne Clayton said Good News Radio, 414 Asbury Avenue in the city is collecting money for Haitian victims of Hurricane Matthew.
Clayton said money and building materials are needed.
Councilman Jesse Kendle said the recreation committee is planning new winter programs including indoor soccer and basketball for adults.
