Avalon Adopts 2016 Budget, Levy Level; Paving Part of Fourth Avenue Debated

AVALON – Avalon Borough Council adopted a $26.9-million municipal budget at its meeting March 23. The spending plan represents an increase of $1.5 million over the 2015 budget but maintains the local tax level at the existing level of 22.6 cents per $100 of assessed value, or $226 per $100,000 of valuation.
The Water and Sewer Utility budget was set at $6.1 million, and the Beach Utility came in at $1.5 million. Such utilities are normally fully self-funding, but Council Vice President Nancy Hudanich acknowledged in her presentation that “they just aren’t.”
Both utilities budgets contain deficit funding in the form of funds provided by the Current Fund budget. For 2016 the water and sewer budget contains $280,000 in subsidy and the beach utility $260,000.
Other business pushed the budget agenda item so late that well-crafted presentations by Hudanich and Council Member Charles Covington were delivered to a largely empty room.
Avalon’s $7.8-million surplus balance allowed council to use $4.1 million in the 2016 budget and still retain a surplus balance higher than last year’s at $3.7 million.
The flexibility provided by the high surplus and the growth in borough ratables by over $50 million allowed the borough to budget extra funds for debt service in an effort to pay down municipal debt faster. Debt service expense increased by $1.5 million over 2015.
Major capital projects discussed included continuation of the back bay dredging project, Inlet Drive stone removal, 30th Street beach improvements, new public works equipment, and improvements to Community Hall and the Eighth Street tennis courts.
Estimated at almost $900,000, these capital improvements were presented as ones for which no new debt will need to be issued. Planned road improvements projected to cost $550,000 will involve new capital debt.
Fourth Avenue Unimproved Section
The agenda item which pushed the budget discussions so late into the evening was a proposed resolution for council to approve construction, at a developer’s expense, of a narrow road on an unimproved portion of Fourth Avenue where it intersects with 24th Street.
The developer making this request, Ken’s Shore Thing, has been pursuing the effort for almost four years. The narrow road way proposed is meant to meet borough construction requirements for frontage on an improved street in order to permit the further construction of a single-family home at the 24th Street intersection and a duplex multi-family home down the to-be constructed road on Fourth Avenue.
The project has been plagued by delays because the area borders wetlands and contains endangered species. Both circumstances have involved a protracted process to gain permits from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). 
Those permits in hand, according to representatives of the developer, final permission needed is for contraction of the improved road which was narrowed to only 25 feet in width by DEP constraints.
The discussion took numerous turns as Fire Chief R. Edward Dean explained to council that the access road in question would not meet the requirements of the 2006 code still used by New Jersey, but would be allowed under a 2015 version of the code that has not been adopted by the state.
In short, a local variation would be granted allowing compliance with the 2015 version even though the state fire code has not incorporated that version.
If that were not complex enough, issues were raised with the accuracy of the resolution’s wording which did not explicitly state that the home on this proposed improved road would be multi-family. 
Also two sets of neighbors attended the meeting pointing out that notice for it did not give time for others to potentially be present. 
The neighbors pointed to drainage problems in the area and feared that construction involving a paved road would exacerbate the problem.
Council ended the discussion by requesting that the borough engineer look at the drainage issue, that the wording of the resolution be corrected, and scheduling further consideration of the issue at its April 27 meeting.  The later April meeting was chosen to give neighbors and other interested parties an opportunity to attend.
Other Business
Avalon added a full-time police officer as Mayor Martin Pagliughi swore in Patrolman Andrew Peahota.
With family in attendance, Peahota accepted his badge from Chief William McCormick initiating his probationary period.
Pagliughi said “It is always a pleasure to see a young man who wants to start a career as a police officer.” Peahota gained experience as a Class I and II officer in Stone Harbor and served as a Class II officer in Avalon. He holds an associate degree in Criminal Justice from Camden County Community College.
Council also heard from Engineer Thomas Thornton on several projects including the fact that the 8th Street jetty has had more damage from the winter storm and subsequent wave action than initially thought. The cost of what could be expensive repairs has been added to the FEMA list for federal funding.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.