Borough Rejects Bids for Police Building; Utility Rate Increase Introduced

STONE HARBOR – The new police building continues to present challenges in Stone Harbor. The design presented to the public in June has now been out for construction bids twice and both times the result was bids that exceeded the authorized budget allocation. The 2016 budget estimated total costs for the building at $2.8 million.
Following a projected period of discussion and planning for the new building, a site was designated in the parking lot adjacent to the current public safety building on 95th Street. The design called for a connector between the new building and the old to allow parts of the existing building to serve as extra space for storage. After rejecting the first set of bids in late July, the borough hoped to get a winning bid from the second round. Plans had called for an award as early as Dec. 4.
No plans were articulated for going forward. Two unsuccessful bid solicitations may mean that the borough needs to revisit the design to see if compromises exist that would bring the construction costs in line with the authorized amount. Another option is to increase the capital budget for the project.
Water and Sewer Rates
Removal of the pipes from the beach along with needed capital improvements to the water and sewer infrastructure have placed the borough in a position of “playing catch-up,” according to Council President Karen Lane. Lane has been discussing the need for a rate increase for weeks and the council introduced an ordinance for rate increases, passing it on first reading. In December, the ordinance will have to come up for a second reading where a public hearing on the proposed changes will take place.
The ordinance calls for rate increases for 2017 and 2018 with the third round of increases projected for 2021. The water rates show the 2017 quarterly minimum charge increased by $2.50 with a corresponding decrease in the quarterly gallon allowance. Increases in quarterly minimum charges for 2018 and 2021 are $5 and $6.25 respectively with the lower 10,000-gallon allowance holding steady.
Sewer charges will also rise in the same three years with increases in the quarterly installments going up between 18 percent and 19 percent depending on the year. The agenda for the Nov. 14 meeting is available on the borough website and contains copies of the two ordinances for water and sewer rates.
Bond Issue
The borough passed on first reading an ordinance authorizing $1.5 million for purposes of beach replenishment and bay dredging. 
The beach replenishment project has been delayed by an action of the Fish and Wildlife Service which maintains that the federally-funded beach project may not use federal dollars for dredging Hereford Inlet as a source of sand for Stone Harbor beaches.
A one-time solution to the problem was made possible when the state Department of Environmental Protection contributed funds for dredging the Hereford Inlet borrow area. The borough will also be making a contribution to that effort. The proscription on dredging the borrow area only pertained to the use of federal dollars, so the combination of state and municipal funding allows the project to go forward. Both Avalon and Stone Harbor were impacted by the unexpected position taken by Fish and Wildlife. Both boroughs are seeking a long-term solution that will remove the restriction for future federally-funded beach fills.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.