Mitigation May Make Wetlands Road Million-dollar Proposition for Avalon

AVALON – Avalon Borough Council heard a request from the Army Corps of Engineers March 9 to keep open the temporary road, constructed to access its contained disposal facility (CDF) during the dredging project. They ask it become a permanent road.
Borough Engineer Thomas Thornton said that the permit obtained from the Corps for the temporary construction, and use of the road, was from a different “side of the building” from the Corps group that wishes the road kept in place. 
The Corps is running an experimental project that uses dredge material for a thin-layer cover on wetlands to see if it can become a beneficial use of the material in a way that strengthens the wetlands’ ability to withstand storm damage.
The problem is, to accede to the Corps’ request will require the borough to mitigate the loss of about two acres of wetlands where the road is located at a cost of around $500,000 an acre.
Council members were told that having a permanent road to the CDF would be a long-term benefit to the borough as well, but they clearly did not like the idea that the municipality should shoulder the full expense of the wetlands mitigation.
Thornton was instructed to work with the Corps on options that would lead to some form of shared expense.
Beach Replenishment
Damage to north-end beaches by Winter Storm Jonas has placed the borough in a position of needing to replenish those beaches, at least in part, prior to the start of summer.
One plan is to take sand from a portion of the southern beaches and truck it for placement on the north end. Thornton said that about 75,000 cubic yards of sand were lost due to storm activity, but sand which naturally moves south, is available for a partial replenishment if permitting, a bid process, and actual replenishment can be accomplished in the short time prior to Memorial Day.
One option being examined is to have the borough Public Works Department do the work saving the time needed to prepare, evaluate, and award bids. The department is looking hard at whether it has, or can obtain, the necessary equipment and resources to commit to the aggressive schedule.
Southern Pine Beetle
An attack by southern pine beetles is damaging a number of trees in the high dunes. The trees, once killed by the infestation, also become a fire hazard.
The grant application, approved by council, will help defray some of the cost associated with removing infected trees. Council was assured that the grant will in no way give the state authority to intercede and decide which trees need to be removed. The decision remains solely with the borough and every attempt will be made to be as “surgical” as possible and remove only infected trees.
Library Report
Council heard from Avalon Free Public Library Director Norman Gluckman who made his annual State of the Library presentation. 
The library has been serving the borough for 10 years and has maintained, again this past year, its five-star status, a measure of outside professional evaluation of its efforts.
Gluckman once again pointed to impressive numbers on the library’s use and positive response to its programming efforts. Total summer program attendance was up 17 percent, the library-by-mail program, used by many nonresident homeowners, continued to be popular, and the past year saw a 75 percent increase in the access to and use of the library’s eContent.
There is some concern about declining patrons’ levels, but Gluckman pointed out that the way the library calculates its patrons’ data has changed this year in the hopes of improving the quality of the information.
There was a 4 percent decrease in the use of the traditional physical collection. Gluckman acknowledged that improvements in the County Library system, as well as the prospect of a new county branch in nearby Stone Harbor, were issues to follow closely in the coming year.
A report on the Avalon History Center demonstrated improvements in more professional management of usage data, cataloging of items, and collections management. 
Oral history interviews were a highlight of 2015 and council was told that the summer exhibit this year would focus on “Avalon in the 1940s.”
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.