Five municipalities apply for FEMA grant together

By Neil Schulman
Sea Bright — Several local towns are joining together to apply for a FEMA grant for firefighter equipment.

At the Jan. 16 Borough Council meeting, Sea Bright voted to apply for the Fema 2017-2018 Assistance to Firefighters grant, which would provide radio equipment for its trucks  and handheld units for individual members.

Borough Administrator Joseph Verruni said that Sea Bright was applying together with Long Branch, West Long Branch, Oceanport and Monmouth Beach in the hopes FEMA will be more interested in funding a larger project.

There is a 10 percent match, he said, which means Sea Bright could be responsible for up to $20,000 if the borough receives $200,000. Sea Bright needs to make sure the funding is in place for this grant, and Verruni said he was meeting with fire officials later this week.

Sea Bright applied, unsuccessfully, for this grant last year.

SeaBreeze returning
The borough is once again planning to publish the borough newsletter The SeaBreeze.

Council authorized printing four issues a year, one each quarter, for 2018.

The purpose is to communicate with borough residents. It will be mailed to every home in Sea Bright, and additional copies will be kept at borough hall.

The SeaBreeze has been an on-again off-again publication in recent years. The goal is to reach residents who do not pay attention to social media.

Shovel or pay
Residents have been required to remove snow from sidewalk in a timely fashion for a while. A new ordinance introduced will allow the borough to do the work and charge homeowners who don’t comply.

According to the ordinance, if snow and ice aren’t removed in a specific time, the borough can perform the work itself, and add the cost onto the residents’ next tax bill. Furthermore, residents can be fined for failure to shovel. The first offense can carry a fine of up to $100, with it increasing to up to $1,250 and up to 90 days of community service by the fourth offense.

There will be other considerations. In the event of heavy snows, the mayor is allowed to extend the time required. And people may not be responsible for clearing large piles left by plows.