News
Apr 23 2008
Next town may break agreement
BARNEGAT LIGHT — The borough is still reviewing all of the facts when it comes to joining other municipalities in an interlocal agreement for a beach lobbying service for the much talked about beach replenishment project.
The Borough Council decided to hold off on approving a resolution that would have cleared the way for them to be part of the Long Beach Island-wide agreement with lobbyist group Winning Strategies during its April 16 meeting.
Mayor Kirk O. Larson said the borough has to review the cost of the agreement.
"Our costs just went up and our budget's pretty much done. We don't have any more in the budget," Larson said. "Nobody's signing easements (for the federal beach replenishment project). Nothing's getting done."
The council is expected to reconsider the agreement during its May 21 meeting.
Barnegat Light is not the first Island municipality to rethink its position on the lobbying service. In February, the Beach Haven Borough Council decided to withdraw from the agreement for beach lobbying services. Beach Haven cited ongoing issues with the project including federal funding and the failure to get easements from property owners.
"We need to have a united front," said Long Beach Township Mayor DiAnne C. Gove. "People in Washington need to know that we are all in this together."
Gove said she thought that earlier this year all of the other municipalities were still committed to lobbying service
"All of the mayors met back in December and all of them said that they were committed to doing this again," Gove said. "In the long run I hope this does not affect us."
Larson said everyone is trying to be united when it comes to issues regarding beaches.
"We're all trying to be Island-wide and strong," Larson said. "We had it in there but Beach Haven is backing out.
"We all wanted to be united. This is Long Beach Island," Larson added.
Councilman James Morrison agrees.
"We don't want to be the ones who break the chain on the Island but somebody's already done it," Morrison said.
According to its Web site, Winning Strategies works on behalf of several municipalities to help secure construction funding for the LBI beach replenishment project, which is one of the nation's largest storm damage reduction projects. It extends along nearly 20 miles of the Atlantic Coast, an area that regularly suffers damages from coastal storms, hurricanes and northeasters.
The municipalities would pay a total of $60,000 to Winning Strategies for its services, according to the contract. Each municipality would pay a share based on its population, according to the contract. The cost for each municipality increased after Beach Haven decided not to take part in the agreement.
"In the end I'm hoping that everyone is on board," Gove said.
The Borough Council decided to hold off on approving a resolution that would have cleared the way for them to be part of the Long Beach Island-wide agreement with lobbyist group Winning Strategies during its April 16 meeting.
Mayor Kirk O. Larson said the borough has to review the cost of the agreement.
"Our costs just went up and our budget's pretty much done. We don't have any more in the budget," Larson said. "Nobody's signing easements (for the federal beach replenishment project). Nothing's getting done."
The council is expected to reconsider the agreement during its May 21 meeting.
Barnegat Light is not the first Island municipality to rethink its position on the lobbying service. In February, the Beach Haven Borough Council decided to withdraw from the agreement for beach lobbying services. Beach Haven cited ongoing issues with the project including federal funding and the failure to get easements from property owners.
"We need to have a united front," said Long Beach Township Mayor DiAnne C. Gove. "People in Washington need to know that we are all in this together."
Gove said she thought that earlier this year all of the other municipalities were still committed to lobbying service
"All of the mayors met back in December and all of them said that they were committed to doing this again," Gove said. "In the long run I hope this does not affect us."
Larson said everyone is trying to be united when it comes to issues regarding beaches.
"We're all trying to be Island-wide and strong," Larson said. "We had it in there but Beach Haven is backing out.
"We all wanted to be united. This is Long Beach Island," Larson added.
Councilman James Morrison agrees.
"We don't want to be the ones who break the chain on the Island but somebody's already done it," Morrison said.
According to its Web site, Winning Strategies works on behalf of several municipalities to help secure construction funding for the LBI beach replenishment project, which is one of the nation's largest storm damage reduction projects. It extends along nearly 20 miles of the Atlantic Coast, an area that regularly suffers damages from coastal storms, hurricanes and northeasters.
The municipalities would pay a total of $60,000 to Winning Strategies for its services, according to the contract. Each municipality would pay a share based on its population, according to the contract. The cost for each municipality increased after Beach Haven decided not to take part in the agreement.
"In the end I'm hoping that everyone is on board," Gove said.
