By Paul Goldfinger, editor @Blogfinger
Long Branch boardwalk post-Sandy (Long Branch Patch)
Long Branch not only hasn’t rebuilt its Sandy-damaged boardwalk, it hasn’t even designed the new one. Although it expects to receive money from FEMA, it has no idea how much money it will get. As a result, the city council there has not given their engineers the go ahead to plan the project. Mayor Adam Schneider is quoted by the Link News (latest October edition) as saying, “A $10 million boardwalk would be designed differently than a $14 million boardwalk.” He said that he hoped the amount will be disclosed sooner than later.
As in Ocean Grove’s situation, the goal is to build a new boardwalk that is designed to withstand the ravages of another super storm. There is one cautionary note: FEMA will pay to rebuild boardwalks as they were before the storm. They do not pay for newly designed structural enhancements such as bulkheads.
Interestingly, the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association has gone ahead with planning for its project so that work can be begun as soon as financing is achieved.
A citizen questioned the Long Branch mayor as to why they are still waiting while Seaside Heights and other towns have already rebuilt. He said that Long Branch’s situation is technically different because of the loss of sand and “bluffs.” Long Branch took out a note for $5 million shortly after Sandy, but, as noted, no FEMA funds have arrived.
Unfortunately, 42 shore towns have sold nearly $400 million in short-term debt at a relatively high interest rate in order to get their recovery projects going after Sandy, expecting to be paid back by FEMA, but now some of those towns are sweating because FEMA has been slow to pay, even though Congress approved over $800 million for Jersey in January 2013.
Belmar is one of those towns that took on debt to begin a project that was estimated to cost $20 million. The town borrowed multiple millions of dollars. This summer, Belmar did receive $9.2 million from the feds (Belmar Manasquan Patch July 13, 2013). Manasquan borrowed over $3 million in August, and they are desperate to get the promised federal help
Long Beach Island borrowed $8 million in March and has only received 9% back from FEMA. Mayor Mancini of Long Beach Township said, “It’s an absolute disgrace that we’re going to have to go out and bond nine months after the money’s been appropriated by Congress. We can’t self-fund any more. Our pockets aren’t that deep.” (Bloomberg )
Asbury Park approved an emergency appropriation of $7.1 million that will be allocated over five years. Their project was initially estimated at $12 million. We don’t know if they received any FEMA checks.
As for Neptune, the Manasquan Patch reported on August 23, “Neptune Township, which includes hard hit areas of Ocean Grove and Shark River Hills, received …… just more than $1.9 million, according to the figures.
“Lynn Servon, secretary of the Neptune Township Economic Development Corporation, said FEMA estimated the township’s damages at around $7.2 million.”
This is the first we have heard about FEMA payments to Neptune. For more information about the Neptune payments, see comments.
FEMA paid $3 million to Seaside Heights for their boardwalk after Sandy, but the final bill will be much higher. Now, after the fire, the two Seasides expect to get $1.4 million more to re-do their boardwalks. Reuters reported that there will be help for [at least 30] privately owned businesses at the Seasides including Bubba’s Dog House, Kupper’s French Fries, and Marruca’s Tomato Pies.”
This is from Philly.com (Sept 19): “The state chapter of Americans for Prosperity, which is affiliated with the tea party, believes the state should not cover fire losses that cannot definitively be tied to Sandy. And left-leaning housing advocacy groups say funds should not be diverted to unrelated needs as long as displaced New Jerseyans are still on waiting lists for housing aid.” In addition, they asked, “So why is Sandy relief money being earmarked to rebuild burned structures – including, according to Christie, businesses unaffected by the storm?”
- Sept. 13, 2013
In May, the Point Pleasant Beach had received no money from FEMA for their boardwalk. They complained loudly and got a check for $2.1 million. (Point Pleasant.Patch.com)
When Spring Lake did not get its money, Rep Chris Smith (Monmouth County 4th district-replacing Rep. Pallone for OG) went to bat, and FEMA awarded Spring Lake over $4 million in federal funding in June toward the $5.5 million cost to replace their boardwalk. Rep Smith said, “Boardwalks are the economic lifeline of beach towns, which would not fully recover unless their boardwalks are rebuilt and open for tourism. I will continue to work to help Spring Lake and other towns recover and rebuild.” Rep Smith also announced $2.3 million for Avon-By-the-Sea.
Rep. Chris Smith (r) in Avon.
However, the people of Ocean Grove have never seen our Rep (Smith) in town. Most of us don’t even know he exists. We are told that he is working on our behalf, but he really should show his face down by our grassy/sandy middle beach strip and say something to the people of Ocean Grove.
Our Senator Menendez is quoted as saying, when discussing Pt. Pleasant, “I will continue fighting for the federal resources we need to help all New Jersey communities rebuild even better and stronger than before the storm.” (Pt. Pleasant Patch) Where is he on Ocean Grove’s unique situation where our citizens are being treated unfairly?
The Governor said that part of the reimbursement slowdown is because some of the towns did not do their paperwork properly. (Ouch!)
As a result of the borrowing, Moody’s gave negative credit ratings to Belmar, Lavallette, Sea Bright and Long Beach Twp. Seaside Heights was significantly downgraded.
In June, FEMA said that it would reimburse these towns 90% of their expenses.
We may not have all the numbers right , but clearly only a small amount of approved FEMA money has actually been received by the towns around here. This is worrisome and requires our attention along with our chronic concern about the citizens of Ocean Grove’s status at the bottom of the heap.
October 10: Some more information regarding FEMA payments so far to Neptune Township (source Manasquan-Belmar Patch):
Total received is $1,990,579.89 (most of it probably for clean up expenses)
Allocation below:
–Board of Ed: $60,315.05
–Board of Ed: $3,2678.45
–Board of Ed: $25,703. 69
–Neptune Township: $30,052.50
–Housing Authority: $25,143.23
–Fire District 1: $34,744.20
–Board of Ed: $151.77
–Housing Authority: $7,575.00
–Board of Ed: 916.95
–Fire District 1: $836.16
—Neptune Twp: 1,800,004.13
–Housing Authority: $1,869.76
I agree with Ken. A full detailed analysis must be done. With the facts and data, we then can debate the pros and cons of secession otherwise, it is all just opinion.
I would like to see a responsible financial analysis of the costs a seceded Ocean Grove would bear for the many services OG receives from Neptune compared to the tax receipts from OG property owners. It may or may not be to our advantage.
OhGee. We need to stick to reality. The CMA has shown no interest in selling the beachfront to the town, and Neptune officials have already said that they do not want that nor could they afford to pay for it even if they were interested.
Secede from Neptune? I doubt it. We’d be much better off if Neptune owned the boardwalk and beach. We certainly wouldn’t be in this mess w/FEMA. But I bet the OGCMA will never ever allow that either.
Mayor Houghtaling contacted us to say that Neptune had borrowed money to deal with Sandy damage and that it has received FEMA funds to reimburse the Township.
He said, “Any money we received from FEMA was reimbursement for what the twp has already spent on Sandy. The money goes to pay down our debt on what we borrowed.”
So the Township spends borrowed money to fix Sandy related damages to municipal properties as well as private properties (eg damage in SRH–at least cleanup), but none can go to help the OG beachfront. Our cleanup was provided by volunteers and the CMA. Neptune’s FEMA money is not to be used for the OG beachfront, as if we were another town.
On the other hand, Ocean Grove property taxes will help pay for expenses not compensated by FEMA which may include servicing some of the Sandy related debt.
This peculiar arrangement between Neptune and Ocean Grove has resulted over the years in an imbalance because Ocean Grove’s expenses were often picked up by the CMA, including multiple times since the founding where the CMA rebuilt the boardwalk and pier, and paid for jetties and bulkheads.
But since 1970, when Neptune took over governance the relationship became more awkward. For example Neptune is responsible for the streets, but not the curbs. Neptune is responsible for some parks, but others are managed by the CMA. The beachfront management by the CMA is sustained by income from badges, but what is fair when the boardwalk that everyone uses gets destroyed?
Now we have FEMA money going to Neptune, but it can’t be used for the beachfront. Caught in the squeeze are the OG citizens who pay their share of property taxes to Neptune, but can’t get help from the town with the boardwalk.
This strange relationship is stressed now. Do any of you know of a similar relationship elsewhere? The best cure for it would be for OG to secede from Neptune, but that has been tried in the past on a number of occasions and was not successful. One reason is that Neptune has to give permission for that to occur.
Am I wrong? Let’s hear from you.
Neptune Township received money for the Township-owned marina that was destroyed, along with other Township owned properties that were damaged, like the sewer pumping stations.
It’s interesting that one reason we still do not have a boardwalk is that the CMA cannot float a bond like municipalities can. It is a mechanism for citizens of towns to enjoy improvements.
But we, the citizens of Ocean Grove, are deprived of that advantage as well as being subject to FEMA rules that are more stringent than other towns because the CMA (a non profit) owns the boardwalk.
So because of these technicalities, we, who are also tax paying Americans, are being treated as different, compared to our neighbors whose boardwalks provide the same services as ours. The CMA may own it, but it is a public thoroughfare. We should get the same help as other towns to rebuild that boardwalk. At least, the CMA is nonprofit and doing good for the citizens of Ocean Grove, while for-profit businesses routinely get FEMA help post-Sandy.
The focus is wrong; this is discrimination, and somebody in government needs to cut us some slack.