Avalon Home and Land Owners Presentation from Mayor Martin Pagliughi - SEPTEMBER, 2020
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Avalon Home and Land Owners
Presentation from Mayor Martin
Pagliughi
SEPTEMBER, 2020
Avalon 2020 Coronavirus Response Initiative • The pandemic created unique challenges for the Borough which resulted in public buildings being closed, events being cancelled, and safety practices enhanced • Avalon was the only community to deploy its own Social Distancing Ambassadors as property owners/visitors returned. Signs were erected on beach entrances, boardwalk, downtown district; duplicitous safety messaging enacted • Various municipal executive orders enacted that created safe outside dining/shopping opportunities; closed gathering areas for young adults including beaches/boardwalk in the evening which greatly dispersed crowds • Municipal executive order remains in place that prohibits most special events until New Jersey relaxes outdoor gathering limitations • Success of prohibition of large gatherings on public spaces/outdoor dining program to be evaluated for consideration of any permanent consideration
Avalon Covid-19 Financial Impact/Financial Matters
Biggest impact will be to the Beach Utility Fund as beach
tags were not required until July 3rd due to safety of our
guests/employees and uncertainty about beach season
2020 tax collection rate through August 11th: 95.84%;
Borough remains on trajectory to meet last year’s collection
rate of 99.25%
New construction starts are expected to be very strong in the
fall/winter 2020-’21
In August, 2020 Avalon received its independent financial
audit which showed no areas of improvement necessary
Avalon’s 5-Star Library is returning $387,847 to the
Borough. Because Avalon has its own library, this money is
returned to Avalon taxpayers
Your Typical Avalon Municipal Tax Bill
• Your municipal tax bill has five components:
Municipal, County, Open Space, Library, and School
• Avalon Mayor and Borough Council are responsible
only for the Municipal tax portion of your tax bill
• Open Space taxes go to the County for the
preservation of open space; over $3 million has
been granted to Avalon to preserve key facilities
including Surfside Park, 39th Street Park, Butterfly
Garden habitat, and other areas which will remain
open space forever
• Avalon’s library tax has saved property owners
millions since we transitioned out of the County
library system. We are proud of our 5-star rated
library!
Avalon Municipal/Collective Bargaining
Contracts
Avalon has settled employment contracts with the
Department of Public Works, Avalon Rescue Squad, and
Avalon Police Department
2020: Avalon’s landscaping contract will be put out to bid
with a three-year contract (currently held by Bayshore
Landscaping)
2021: Avalon will go out to bid on the management of its
water/sewer/wastewater system (currently held by Middlesex
Water Company, expires June, 2022)
Public Safety—Beach/Boardwalk Closed at Night
On July 11th, Avalon beaches were closed at
9:00pm, boardwalk closed at 11:00pm, both until
4:00am daily, by municipal executive order
Issues were disorderly conduct, noise, vandalism,
underage drinking, trespassing, etc.
Hundreds of youths/young adults were gathering
with no masks, no social distancing
No complaints have been issued to police after
this EO took effect
Numerous arrests were made for underage
drinking and crowd dispersion
Public Safety—Bicycles and Bridges • Continuance of enforcement efforts for best safety practices regarding bicycling. In 2019, Avalon Police made 1,836 bicycle contacts; as of August 26, 2020, 1,856 contacts were effectuated • A police juvenile unit was created this summer to help disperse crowds of bikes on weekends • Bridge jumping was an increased problem earlier this summer. When available, officers were stationed at the bridges to discourage jumping • At the Borough’s request, the County confirmed it will repair/replace fencing to discourage jumping (they are County- maintained bridges)
Public Safety—Speeding Vehicles
• All patrol vehicles are equipped with speed
radar devices
• Speeding remains, by far, the number one
reason for a motor vehicle stop in Avalon
• Police purchased two mobile speed trailer
signs and have been deployed to areas of
concern/community complaints
• Signs track every vehicle for speed so trends
can be addressed by Police
• Due to Covid-19, all municipal police
departments at the beaches were short staffed,
including Avalon (police academy was closed
by Covid), resulting in only two Class II
officers
Avalon Water Meter Installation Program
Avalon is going out to bid on the replacement of all
water meters in the Borough
The meters date back to the mid 1990s and through
the years become less efficient
The meters will be “instant read” and save the
Borough the expense of having them manually read
These new meters will help save on Avalon’s
water/sewer management contract which goes out
to bid in 2021
Avalon’s New Zoning Enforcement Program
Avalon enacted a new Zoning Enforcement Program that forces
developers to strictly comply with Zoning regulations
Through July 31st, there have been 834 zoning inspections, 15
zoning enforcement violations, 4 summons, and 5 re-
inspections
Certificates of Occupancy are not issued until both the
Construction Official and Zoning Enforcement Officer sign off
that the property is compliant
After the CO is issued, there are four separate inspections for
the next year and a half to make sure the property is still
compliant with zoning regulationsConstruction Rules and Regulations
Avalon’s revisions to the construction rules and regulations have
generated overwhelmingly positive results
Each month, the monthly report from Code Enforcement is
posted online. To the right is the violation report for July, 2020.
This does not represent site visits/warnings
Stop Word Order has been an extremely effective tool with
getting a builder’s attention. Most frequently it is used for no
safety fence around a hole dug for a swimming pool
Contractors are also contacted to secure their job sites before a
wind-driven storm event in Avalon
Landscape construction on new or existing homes is regulated by
Avalon’s comprehensive revision of construction ordinancesAvalon Maintains Class 3 Rating in CRS
Program
Avalon maintains a Class 3 rating in the Community Rating
System Program/FEMA
New rates went into effect in May, 2020; in 2021, property
owners will save $1.6 million in premiums
Annually Avalon updates its Flood Mitigation Plan, and this
year is leading the county-wide municipal effort in the
County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan
Avalon will be reviewed in two years, instead of four, on its
Class 3 CRS rating
Additional bulkhead projects are going out to bid
(26th/Ocean is next); sand backpassing likely in Spring,
2021; additional pump station at 78th and OceanAvalon 8th Street Jetty Project • Avalon’s 8th Street Jetty project concluded in August, 2020 • The Borough received over $4 million from FEMA on this project to rebuild the Jetty following Winter Storm Jonas • Jetty is expected to provide flood protection/resiliency in the north end • Jetty will slow the rate of erosion, to some degree, of north end beaches from storms
Avalon Open Space Program Application Concept Plan
Avalon’s 2020 application totals approximately $1.1 millionDetails Regarding Avalon’s 2020 Open Space Application -Improvements address public access to waterways, environmental stewardship, and resiliency -Application would finance construction of a new handicapped- accessible kayak launch from the northerly finger pier; beautification of the Marina entrance; educational signage regarding our environmental habitat -Borough intends to replace the municipal boat ramp and bulkhead; install a sidewalk along Ocean Drive; slightly elevate the parking lot to mitigate lunar and minor tidal flooding -Borough will replace plastic turtle nesting barrier with no-sight permanent turtle barrier; enhance the natural habitat; explore living shoreline opportunities for additional resiliency
Avalon Police and Fire Updates • Avalon plans on transitioning its dispatch services to County dispatch in Fall, 2020 • Move will improve services with multiple dispatchers available to handle all police, fire, and rescue calls, and save money • In August, Avalon modified the fire alarm system due to multiple redundancies in technological upgrades for volunteers • Number of audible fire alarms have been reduced by at least 70 percent; still audible for structure fires and other emergent matters
Avalon Pursuing Shared Court With Stone
Harbor
Avalon is pursuing a Shared Services Agreement with Stone
Harbor. This agreement would transfer all court operations to
Avalon starting in January, 2021
Avalon would retain appointments of key positions including
Court Administrator, Deputy Court Administrator, Municipal
Judge, and Municipal Prosecutor
Stone Harbor would pay Avalon to host this shared court,
reducing the tax burden on Avalon resident. Both municipalities
will save up to $90,000 annually with this agreementUpdate on County Projects in Avalon -Reconstruction of Ingram’s Thorofare Bridge in Avalon will begin again the week of September 14th, 2020. The final lane will be reconstructed, and both lanes will receive a final top coat for an improved driving surface. Traffic control device will again be placed at the bridge -At the Borough’s request, the County is in the design of improved drainage/new road surface between 62nd and 80th Streets, on Ocean Drive. This would continue the County’s project to improve drainage/driving surface from 28th-60th streets completed two years ago.
Thank You for AHLOA’s Support in 2020!
We remain grateful for the support, guidance, and suggestions from the Avalon Home and Land Owners
Association. As a team, we pledge to work together to make Avalon a premiere beach community in the United
States. If there is anything you need, please call my office at (609) 967-8333 or email
mpagliughi@avalonboro.orgYou can also read
