Borough of Harvey Cedars, Ocean County, NJ

October 2022 Hometown News

Department of Public Works & Public Property - Commissioner/Mayor Jonathan Oldham

We are in the middle of another hurricane. As I write this, Ian is passing through New Jersey. The beaches have already suffered a significant amount of erosion and the rain continues to come down. The flooding on some of the typical streets has been difficult. You really must watch the tides as you navigate your way on and off the island. Columbus Day weekend is this upcoming weekend, and a lot of people will be on the island for the holiday. Public works will be working to restore the beach entrances as soon as the surf subsides. I am not sure we will be able to repair all the accesses, but we will do our best. We will focus on the street ends first and will target the area between Essex Avenue and Salem Avenue. This is where we are the most vulnerable.

We are expecting to have our application approved to install the new monitoring well at the Borough Hall. This will be a costly project, but the cost will be shared by Harvey Cedars, the State of New Jersey, and Long Beach Township. The State is mandating us to install an additional well because we continue to exceed the amount of water we are permitted to draw out of the ground. More information will follow as things progress.

We are working with the Taxpayers Association on the brick project at Sunset Park. The area around the existing flagpole will have a paved area with a short wall for sitting along with benches. Landscaping will also be added. Brick pavers may be purchased and engraved with messages in honor of or in memory of a loved one, event, pet, etc. Good progress has been made with this improvement at the park. Here is a link to become a part of the project: https://www.bricksrus.com/donorsite/harveycedars

The Harvey Cedars Taxpayers Association (HCTA) is operated by a group of dedicated volunteers focused on enhancing the quality of life for residents, businesses, taxpayers, and guests of our town. It also facilitates communication among taxpayers and between the taxpayers and the government. Membership is just $35 per household, the cost of a seasonal beach badge. Becoming an HCTA member is the first step in having more involvement in what happens in our Borough and across the Island. Please check out their website (www.harveycedarstax.org) and feel free to contact any of the current trustees for more information about how to get involved. 

Department of Revenue & Finance – Commissioner Paul Rice

Happy October!

As a friendly reminder, the 4th quarter tax payment of 2022 is due on November 1st. Added/omitted bills will be sent out in the next few days for those property owners that have additional assessments.

The Harvey Cedars Activity Committee is excited to announce the return of the fall wine tasting! The event will take place on November 5th from 5:30pm-7:30pm at the High Point firehouse. There will be 35+ national brand wines to sample and hors d'oeuvres. Tickets for the wine tasting will be $45 per person and you must be 21+ to enter. To purchase tickets visit Borough Hall or mail payment with attendee names to: Harvey Cedars Activity Committee, PO Box 3185, Harvey Cedars, NJ 08008.

If you missed out on our new 2022 t-shirt design, visit our online shop by clicking here. Available in a t-shirt and sweatshirt!

Stay dry.

Department of Public Safety & Public Affairs – Commissioner/Deputy Mayor John M. Imperiale

The HCPD Community Forums resumed in September with Sergeant Steve Frazee and Officer Dan Grundtisch presenting “Firearms, SWAT, and Officer Training. I want to thank Sergeant Frazee and Officer Grundtisch for a great job, as they were extremely informative and their dedication and professionalism were clearly demonstrated. Chief Burnaford also went over the department’s Organization Chart again and led a spirited question and answer session. Thanks to everyone who attended, and to those who sent myself and the Chief some extremely positive notes and emails afterward.

I would like to remind everyone that the next HCPD Community Forum will be on Wednesday, October 26th at 5:00 pm with Detective Tim Butler presenting: Protecting Our Citizens: Crime Prevention, Scams, and Investigations. Mark your calendar for another excellent HCPD Community Forum.

Chief Burnaford and I want to thank our Seasonal Officer, Danielle Bialecki, for her valuable service to Harvey Cedars this summer. Her patrol of the boulevard and streets, mostly on a bicycle, and her patrol of the beach, greatly improved our efficiency and coverage. We look forward to Officer Bialecki returning next year. And I am happy to report that two local LBI residents have donated two Electric Bikes to the Harvey Cedars Police Department. These electric bikes will only make patrolling our town even more efficient next year. I want to thank Chief Burnaford for maintaining the excellent community relations that make donations such as this happen.

Last year we requested additional crosswalks on the Boulevard and the County added 7 Crosswalks to our streets - almost all we requested. I am happy to note that this month they came back and did the rest, adding crosswalks on Union, 72nd, 84th, and 85th streets. Please remember to be safe when walking, and stop for pedestrians when driving.

Many of us have dealt with the “unpleasantness” of the fish kills in Kinsey and Harvest Cove this summer. The Chief has been working with the LBI Health Department, NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and NJ State Police since the original occurrence. For those interested, we have asked a representative of the DEP and a representative of the LBI Health Department to attend the first Borough meeting in October (Friday, Oct. 7th ; 2 P.M. NOTE the earlier time than usual) to discuss the causes and any concerns the community has.

Another reminder: It is not too early to think about registering for the HCPD Winter House Registration Program. Property owners can register online (www.hcpolice.org) or fill out this form and email it to dtilton@hcpolice.org