Stone Harbor Adopts Budget; Request Made for ‘Knox Boxes’

STONE HARBOR – No members of the public made comments during the hearing for Stone Harbor’s 2017 budget. Mayor Judith Davies-Dunhour then called for a vote on the budget at the April 18 council meeting. It was unanimously adopted.
The budget included a half-cent rise in the local use property tax levy, moving from $.239 to $.244 cents per $100 of assessed value. Driving that increase was the unexpected need for the borough to contribute $1.5 million to the beach replenishment project. 
Officials at U.S. Fish and Wildlife had invoked a regulation that they maintained, prevented federal funds from paying for any dredging and pumping of sand from Hereford Inlet. 
State and borough funds were used to cover that portion of Army Corps of Engineer’s project for most of the borough’s beachfront.
A portion of beaches from 80th to 105th Streets will receive additional sand from Townsend’s Inlet via a submerged pipe that will run from the Inlet to a staging area at 83rd Street.
That portion of the effort is linked to the beach replenishment in neighboring Avalon which is federally funded.
Added expenses for the recently completed back-bay dredging also contributed to the borough’s need to raise the tax levy. That project was plagued by two leaks at the dewatering site, temporary work stoppage due to environmental reviews, and an eventual change in strategy by the contractor.
Business Administrator Jill Gougher reported to the council that the dredging work was completed and efforts were underway to prepare the marina parking lot for the upcoming season.
The borough’s overall operating budget increased by $2.7 million from its 2016 level.
In an effort to minimize the tax rate increase, the borough used 57 percent of its budget surplus funds. The borough and its auditor are confident that the fund balance will be restored at the end of the budget cycle.
Even with this small increase, Stone Harbor has one of the lowest municipal use tax rates in the county.
The budget included a Water and Sewer Utility budget that called for $3.9 million in total appropriations.
The costs associated with the removal of pipes on the beachfront left the utility in need of a fee increase to fund debt associated with infrastructure projects.
A decision had previously been made to raise water and sewer fees in 2017, 2018, and 2021.
Require Knox Boxes?
Council heard a proposal from Fire Chief Roger Stanford for an ordinance requiring commercial business and certain multifamily residential properties to install and maintain security key boxes. These security boxes would allow emergency personnel access to the property’s keys when no one is present.
The proposal calls for all commercial businesses and all residential buildings containing three or more units and having one or more interior common areas to install and maintain the boxes.
A specific type of box, known as a “Knox Box” would be required.
Stanford asked the council to move swiftly on the proposed ordinance since he would like it adopted by June 1.
The ordinance would give property owners 60 days to comply. The push for quick passage is due to the chief’s desire to have boxes in place before many businesses and residential units begin to close in September after the summer.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.