Brant Beach Bulletin
August 8th, 2025
The BBTA Fall Membership Meeting will be held in the courtroom at 10am on Saturday, September 20 with Commissioner Meehan as our guest speaker.
This issue covers the extended property tax due date, new rules about setting up and leaving beach chairs unattended, penalties for e-bike recklessness, driveway size restrictions, and more.
We mourn the passing of BBTA Past President John Fiore. Among John’s many achievements was re-establishing the Brant Beach Homeowners Organization as the Brant Beach Taxpayers Association. John also documented our Association as a tax-deductible 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and recruited a full slate of Trustees to further the Association’s mission to “improve the experience and protect the interests of homeowners within the Brant Beach section of Long Beach Township.” John’s leadership and hard work will be sorely missed. We send our sincere condolences to John’s wife Noel and their family.
❖ The property tax due date has been extended to September 15. To check what you will owe, click here and enter your last name.
❖ Two homeowners lodged complaints about the legality of a neighboring house with a finished ground floor that enables excess capacity as a rental unit. Mayor Joe Mancini requested they email him the particulars at Mayor@longbeachtownship.com.
❖ Disaster re-entry passes for 2026-2031 will be mailed soon. Make sure the Township has your correct primary mailing address. To check, click here and enter your last name. To correct it, use the form here.
❖ The endangered Piping Plovers had a strong breeding season. Certain areas in Holgate are restricted to protect the fledglings.
❖ Ship Bottom Volunteer Fire Department Captain Duane Watlington reported their successful recruitment efforts, recent call statistics, and a new GoFundMe effort to reduce fire truck exhaust fumes inside the firehouse. This is the primary fire company that protects Brant Beach.
❖ The Public Works Department was complimented for its prompt response to issues such as oversanded, overgrown, or restricted beach ramps. The Adopt-A-Beach-Path volunteers are led by BBTA Trustee Mike Fahner.
❖ The problem of bicycles chained to beach ramp handrails seems to be resolved, thanks to more bike racks and new signage. If a bike rack is full, the suggestion is to chain the front and rear wheels together to make the bike unrideable. The handrail is required for handicapped beachgoers, hence the prohibition on chaining bikes to the rail.
❖ Brant Beach baseball caps are still available. BBTA sells them at cost – $10 – to boost our community pride. Email Mike at adoptabeachpathbbta@gmail.com, or buy one at the September 20 meeting.
❖ Components of your property tax bill are listed below. It is notable that Long Beach Township (LBT) taxes are lower than County taxes and regional school taxes. To view your own property’s tax breakdown, click here, enter your last name, and select “view current bill.”
County taxes – 42.2%
Regional school – 23.2%
LBT municipal – 23.0%
Local school – 4.5%
County library – 4.3%
County open space – 1.8%
Municipal open space – 1.1%
COMMISSIONERS’ MEETING
Representatives from the Brant Beach Taxpayers Association including Pete Potochney, Mike Fahner, Janis Metz, and Donn O’Brien attended the August 4 Long Beach Township Commissioners’ Meeting. Note that the next Commissioners’ meeting will be delayed a week to Monday, September 8, due to Labor Day.
Ordinances
❖ Proposed on First Reading. First reading ordinances are available by visiting, emailing or telephoning the Township. They are no longer available on the LBT website.
25-11C: Under the heading “peace and good order”, this ordinance would lower the Township curfew for those age 17 and younger to 10pm on the streets and 9pm on the beaches, with exceptions for employment, emergencies, etc. This aligns with the Beach Haven curfew.
This ordinance would also prohibit setting up unattended beach equipment such as chairs and umbrellas before 9am. You may use the beach before 9am, provided you remain with your belongings. This allows the Township to rake the beaches and remove trash.
❖ Passed on Second Reading
25-11C: Establishes 28 feet as the width of the curb cut allowed on a property, or two curb cuts 14 feet wide with at least 18 feet of curb between. A curb cut is essentially the property’s driveway, paved or not, on the border of the street and the property. This ordinance does not apply to private easements in which multiple homeowners have deeded ownership.
25-12C: For bicycles and e-bikes, reaffirms specific safety rules and establishes the new penalties for riders of e-bikes in violation of the rules of the road. The ordinance is here.
The penalties for e-bike violations are harsher than those for bicycles, and both are harsher for adults than for juveniles. The consequences escalate with subsequent violations. For example, there may be mandatory meetings with the Chief of Police, fines, court appearances, and privilege suspensions. For offenders under age 18, a complaint against the parents may go to Family Court. To summarize, the Township is taking reckless riding very seriously and has greatly heightened its enforcement efforts.
Thank you for your continued support of the Brant Beach Taxpayers Association.
