By KENNY WALTER
Staff Writer
SEA BRIGHT — Borough residents have approved three referendums that will enable the borough to move forward with plans for a new community, beach pavillion and municipal complex.
During a Sept. 27 special election, residents supported the three referendum questions by more than double, which if rejected, would have invalidated nearly $13 million worth of bonds, leaving the borough to start from scratch on plans to rebuild the buildings damaged during superstorm Sandy.
The first bond authorized the issuance of $332,500 for the community center, with $1.4 million coming from other funding sources. The second bond authorized $3.9 million in bonding for the municipal complex, with a total of $7.9 million being appropriated for the project. The third authorized $1.5 million for the beach pavilion, with $3.6 million being appropriated.
The community center plan is for a two-story, 8,609-square-foot building that will also include storage space and the beach pavilion. It will be funded using $2.5 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (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.
