By PETE WALTON
Despite bad weather on several key weekends, Bradley Beach nearly met its beach revenue goal for the summer.
Mayor Larry Fox said the borough took in $1.888 million, just $12,000 short of projections.
He cited occasional unfavorable conditions as a main factor, particularly on Memorial Day weekend. Bad weather and dangerous surf along the coast are predicted tomorrow and Saturday, Sept. 10 and 11.
Councilman Randy Bonnell noted that he and fellow surfer, Councilman John Weber, might find something favorable in the forecast, but he urged residents to exercise caution.
Also at this week’s meeting of the Borough Council, a decision was made to reject all bids in connection with the drainage and sump pump improvement project at Monmouth and Burlington avenues. The action was taken in an attempt to secure better pricing.
The council authorized Municipal Clerk Erica Kostyz to advertise a request for proposals for real property data collection amd verification services.
The borough’s most recent contract with Realty Data Systems of Lincroft has expired. In accordance with state law, the governing body certified the 2020 municipal audit.
The mayor and council will consider at their Sept. 21 meeting a corrective action plan for the handful of action items identified in the report. Auditor Steven A. Wielkotz of Wielkotz & Company in Pompton Lakes will be present at the meeting to answer questions. As of Tuesday night’s meeting, the audit is not scheduled to be released to the public until after the corrective action plan is approved.
Kostyz said she will research the issue to find out if the audit can be made available for public review prior to the auditor’s appearance.
Borough Administrator Kim Humphrey said she is meeting with Jersey Central Power & Light officials regarding issues of interest including the unsightly appearance of loose wires on utility poles.
Humphrey said she would also discuss the wayward wires with Verizon and Altice, the other entities using the poles.
The administrator also addressed concerns about the latest version of the borough website, which was planned as an improvement but has drawn less than rave reviews from some.
Humphrey said she has experienced difficulties finding various pieces of information on the site. She has asked for changes to be made, though she noted that some of the requested adjustments are outside the scope of the borough employee tasked with updating the site. Humphrey said certain issues need to be handled by the private contractor which designed the main framework of the site.
The company, CivicPlus of Manhattan, Kan., also provided the basic website structure for neighboring Neptune City and Asbury Park.
