By KENNY WALTER
Staff Writer
SEA BRIGHT — The rebuilding of Sea Bright took another step forward last week when the council began the funding process for the future municipal complex.
During the May 17 meeting, the council introduced three bond ordinances that would fund the borough’s community center, beach pavilion and municipal complex, which would all be constructed east of Ocean Avenue.
“We all have to go in and understand it is a big undertaking, and it is a lot of money even though we are receiving a great deal of money from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and insurance,” Business Administrator Joseph Verruni said. “You still have time to massage the program.
“This is the rebuilding of your town and the infrastructure. The residents are coming back and the residents are here.”
Each of the three ordinance votes ended in a 3-3 tie, with Mayor Dina Long breaking the tie to vote in favor of the ordinances. Councilmen William Keeler and John Lamia and Councilwoman Peggy Bills voted against the ordinances.
If adopted, the first bond would authorize the issuance of $332,500 for the community center, with $1.4 million coming from other funding sources. The second bond introduced authorized $3.9 million in bonding for the municipal complex, with a total of $7.9 million being appropriated for the project. The third ordinance introduced $1.5 million for the beach pavilion, with $3.6 million being appropriated.
Verruni said by authorizing the bond it allows the architecture and engineering work to begin and does not necessarily set a price for the borough. He also said he doesn’t expect to go out for permanent financing until 2018, and revenue streams like renting a portion of the borough parking lot for a cell tower and paid parking in the summer may offset some of the costs.
According to Verruni, the community center plan is for a two-story, 8,609-square-foot building that will also include storage space and the beach pavilion. He said it will be funded using $2.5 million from FEMA, $1.8 million from the beach utility fund and the remainder from insurance.
FEMA will also kick in $2.75 million, and insurance will fund $1.32 million for the municipal complex, with the remaining $3.9 million coming from the taxpayers. Verruni said the bond will result in an extra $250 per year on the average taxpayer.
Councilman Charles Rooney III said it is important for the council to move forward with these projects.
“It’s our responsibility to move forward, these buildings will take us 50 years down the road,” he said. “If we’re short-sighted we are doing the town an injustice.”
