Avalon Shifts Council Work Meetings; Announces Bridge Reopening June 26

AVALON – Despite two individuals who voiced disagreement during public comment, Borough Council approved a change to its meeting schedule. The work session for the first meeting of the month, which occurs on the second Wednesday, will move from the traditional time of 7 p.m. to 4 p.m. Council business meetings immediately follow the work sessions.
The second meeting of the month, on the fourth Wednesday, will not change. With this move, Avalon joins other municipalities, like Cape May, which alternate afternoon and evening meetings each month.
The change is effective immediately with the next regular council meeting July 8 moving to 4 p.m.
Reorganization of borough council is scheduled for July 1 at noon. This meeting is in addition to the two regular meetings for the month of July.
Resident Martha Wright raised the concern that people who work will be unable to attend the afternoon meeting, but her argument may have carried little weight with a council already used to very sparse attendance, even in the evening.
Neighboring Stone Harbor holds both monthly council meetings in the afternoon. A new meeting schedule for the remainder of the year will be posted on the borough’s website.
Traffic “Calming” Study
Council discussed plans to have the borough engineer involve a traffic engineer in a study of traffic and pedestrian patterns at the 80th Street intersection with Dune Drive. The intersection is shared with Stone Harbor and Business Administrator Scott Wahl reported that the neighboring borough was supportive of the effort. Any recommendations later enacted would be done in a partnership between the two municipalities.
The intersection raises concerns in terms of traffic and pedestrian use. Wahl reported that “the hotel at the corner witnesses cars not observing the stop sign” at the busy intersections and pedestrians cutting across the intersection inappropriately.
Emergency Generator
With another engineering issue, council took up the need for a new emergency generator at the public works complex to support emergency response. The present generator has been in place since 1967 and while it has responded most of the time it was needed, it failed during Hurricane Sandy. Council was told that failure to replace the generator is “putting the borough’s capability to respond to an emergency at risk.” The discussion was part of the council work session and no resolution on the matter was yet on the agenda.
Beach Fill and Bridge
Wahl announced that almost 100,000 cubic yards of sand has already been placed on Avalon beaches in the north end of the island. Actual pumping began on June 20.
The complete project, with the borough having already announced its intent to use the options in the vendor’s contract, will ultimately pump 700,000 cubic yards, moving from the north down to 26th Street. Wahl said there was a running tally and daily updates published on the borough website along with information on temporary beach closings.
Repeating something he has done at almost all council meetings for the last two months, Wahl reported yet another date for the proposed opening of the bridge between the borough and Sea Isle City. The contractor at work on the bridge, which was initially reported as opening before the Memorial Day weekend, has not been able to meet any of the previously scheduled dates.
Wahl told council that the borough had received a copy of a letter to the Coast Guard stating that the bridge would be open to traffic at 3 p.m. June 26. Avalon has no control over whether or not this latest deadline is met.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.