Borough of Harvey Cedars, Ocean County, NJ
October 2021 Hometown News
Department of Public Works & Public Property - Commissioner/Mayor Jonathan Oldham
Summer is over and Fall has begun. The nights are starting to have that crisp cool feel to them. You can even sleep with the AC off and the windows open. We enjoy the cool nights, but they are a sneak preview of a cold winter to come. The dock on 78th Street is finally completed. We just have a few finishing touches. It looks great. A tremendous improvement to the town.
We will be flushing hydrants throughout town in the next few weeks. This may cause a little discoloration to your water. If you let it run for a few minutes, the discoloration will quickly disappear. We are beginning the water main replacement on North Holly within the next two weeks. We are also in the process of improving the water flow on Bay Terrace. In the near future, you will see us paving 72nd Street and 84th Street. This should be completed before the paving plants close in December. We have just submitted the plans for funding approval for improved drainage and paving of North Holly and Essex Avenue.
As things wind down, we will be putting the beachfront to bed for the winter. You will see us rolling up the access mats, removing the lifeguard stands, securing benches, and bringing some of the trash cans off the beach. As we wrap things up, you will need to turn off your outside showers, blow out your sprinkler systems, and make sure your plumbing is ready for freezing weather. Freeze ups can cause a lot of damage, so take the necessary steps to get your house ready for winter. We could get a cold snap sooner than expected.
We still have a lot to accomplish before the end of the year.
Department of Revenue & Finance – Commissioner Paul Rice
As the weather cools down and we head into fall, it's time to start thinking about Holiday Beach Badges for 2022! The order forms with this year's holiday design and information will be emailed within the next couple of weeks.
The tax sale that was scheduled to take place on September 10th was canceled due to all delinquent payments being received prior to the sale.
As a friendly reminder, the 4th quarter tax payment of 2021 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.
For your convenience, we offer a FREE direct debit program for taxes and water/sewer bills. If you would like to sign up for this service click
here.
Department of Public Safety & Public Affairs – Commissioner/Deputy Mayor John M. Imperiale
The Summer season is over and I want to thank Police Chief Burnaford and the HCPD, and Lifeguard Chief Townsend and the HCBP for a terrific season. More people, bigger crowds, more rip currents, continuing roadwork, many other issues, and, with their leadership and professionalism, we had a safe, successful season.
Speaking of rip currents we are ordering explanatory rip current signage for each beach entrance. These signs are produced by the United States Lifesaving Association, and clearly demonstrate how to recognize a rip current and what to do if caught in one. They take some time to be delivered, and more time to install, but they will be installed before next season.
Please be aware of a new law in New Jersey: the “NJ Safe Passing Bill” which requires that all motorists must move over a lane when encountering a walker, bicyclist, or wheeler, if a lane is available and safe to do so; if not, they must pass no less than four feet from the walker, bicyclist, or wheeler. If neither moving over a lane or moving four feet away is possible, the motorist must reduce speed to 25 mph or lower than the posted speed while passing. The HCPD will enforce this new law as it does with all traffic regulations.
Traffic lights were turned off - earlier than I would have wanted. I know that some want the lights off this early, but, given the still crowded town, I would prefer they stay on longer. I spoke several times with the County Engineer’s office, as the County dictates turning the lights on and off. They agreed to check in with Harvey Cedars a month before any decision in the future, though noted that they must consult with all towns on the North end. Speed limits are due to rise sometime over the next few weeks. Bottom line: please drive safely, and watch for pedestrians and bikers.
Over the course of the year, we presented the background of our Chief and the members of the HCPD. You will get a chance to meet them, and learn about their respective areas of responsibility, at a series of HCPD Community Forums that are planned for next Spring.
Until then, each month we will add a “Did You Know?” section where we will present an interesting fact about the HCPD that you should be aware of.
So…Did you know…. the HCPD has been accredited since 2011 by the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police through its New Jersey Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission and has received re-accreditation every three years since then. Accredited status represents a significant professional achievement and acknowledges the implementation of policies and procedures that are conceptually sound and operationally effective.
Special Notice From The Harvey Cedars Taxpayers Association
Calling all taxpayers, residents, and friends of Harvey Cedars!
HC will receive its dune grass from the county on October 8th and with that, your HCTA has arranged a fun social event to help get everyone motivated and coordinated in our planting and dune protection efforts. Here's a quick event run down:
Saturday, Oct 9: 9am to 1pm (can’t make it on the 9th, read on for more options!)
For this event, we will focus on our community dune areas in greatest need of grass plantings:
-- Essex Ave though 68th Street
-- Burlington Ave through Atlantic Ave
9AM
Meet HCTA Trustees and other neighbors at the HC Department of Public Works (DPW) building -- that’s the white gate that faces the Blvd, near the water tower -- to get grass and tools for planting. The bundles of grass don’t weigh much and can be transported easily in the back of a car (yep, we have trash bags to keep the back of your car clean!). Some planting tools will be available to borrow from DPW and you’re also welcome to BYO trowels, gloves. etc. See the videos below for ordinary household tools to help with planting.
1PM
Meet back at the DPW building to return whatever you borrowed and head right over to Sunset Park to enjoy some refreshments and socializing with neighbors, friends, and the HCTA trustees.
Here’s some additional info to help make your dune grass experience richer and more meaningful…
Learn more about planting techniques and the importance of dune grass: https://youtu.be/9LuaKu-n3yA
Here’s a link to an instructional video on how to plant dune grass: https://youtu.be/kDRuaF1H7XU
Can’t Make it on Oct 9th? You can still help protect our dunes!
Dune Grass is available to taxpayers at no charge with a simple call to the Public Works office at 609-494-6905. The grass delivered to HC on October 8th will be viable for planting for up to three weeks. If you can make it out to do some dune grass planting on another October date, please call and let them know, the Folks at Public Works are eager to help. The more dune grass we can get planted in the fall, the better our dunes and our island will be protected for years to come.
Thanks, in advance, for your help in protecting our beautiful Harvey Cedars!
