BRICK – The governing body passed a new ordinance that amends an existing Flood Damage Prevention ordinance during the October 26 council meeting.
This was needed in order to meet new requirements for the Community Rating System (CRS), which is a voluntary incentive program for floodplain management that can save residents money on their flood insurance premiums.
“The township must revise its flood damage prevention ordinance to include language regarding mobile homes in flood areas,” said Councilman Paul Mummolo.
Township Planner Tara Paxton worked on the ordinance to ensure compliance and consistency with the flood prevention regulations, he said. The revisions include language requiring mobile homes and mobile home parks to meet a one-foot freeboard requirement and language prohibiting dumping and drainage systems.
“There is also a change in the appeals section,” Mummolo said. “Currently appeals are heard by the Ocean County Construction Board of Appeals because it’s an engineering function and not a construction function, so the CRS reviewers want the process to change to a function of the Township Planning Board. This ordinance includes that modification,” he said.
School Fines Questioned
In other news, during public comment, resident Joe Orth of Cleveland Avenue asked about the total amount of fines being levied against Lakewood developer David Gluck for running an illegal boarding house at 91 Hendrickson Avenue and an unauthorized boy’s high school at 200 Van Zile Road.
Orth was referring to the site of the former Beth Or Temple, which was sold in March to Gluck and Congregation Kehilos Yisroel who has been using the former temple as a school for boys without obtaining township permits or safety inspections. The group has also purchased several homes in the area which are allegedly being used as dorms for the students.
“The fines are to be set by the municipal court and/or the superior court, there’s two actions pending,” said township attorney Kevin Starkey. “Under our ordinances, it is a daily fine, but the enforcement of that is up to the courts, when it comes before them, and it hasn’t been there yet.”
Starkey said he didn’t know if there was an amount specified in the Notice of Violation that was filed by the township, but there are amounts in the ordinances of up to $2,000 a day.
“The Notice of Violation is the triggering event for the start of the fines to run, and the fines continue each day that the violation is not remedied,” the attorney said.
Then that goes before the municipal court where the judge has the discretion to set a fine within that range, he said.
There have been two court appearances so far, but there hasn’t been a hearing yet, Starkey added. A hearing is scheduled for superior court in early November, and the municipal court hearing is scheduled for November 8.
Recycling Upgrade
And finally, during elected officials comments, Councilman Vince Minichino said that recycling has become easier since there has been an upgrade to single-stream recycling in Ocean County.
“Now, more papers and metals are accepted,” he said.
Other items that can be recycled now include cereal and food boxes, tissue boxes, paper towel and tissue rolls, all shapes, all sizes, shapes and colors of glass bottles, and jars as long as the containers are empty and rinsed. Pizza boxes may be recycled if they are clean.
Some items that cannot be recycled include plastic bags, shredded paper, bulk items like garden hoses, furniture, file folders, telephone books, light bulbs and aerosol cans.
The next council meeting will be held on Tuesday November 9 at 7 p.m.
