Brant Beach Bulletin
December 6th, 2024
This issue covers our upcoming ReClam the Bay presentation, burst-pipe water alerts, and the proposed NJ REAL climate change rules.
❖ Please join us as ReClam the Bay speaks to BBTA and BBYC members at 10am on Saturday, December 14 at the Brant Beach Yacht Club Sailing Center at 6106 Bayview Avenue. Our speaker will be the organization’s president, Bill Walsh, of North Beach.
The first thirty minutes will feature refreshments and socializing with your neighbors, followed by a one-hour presentation. Attendees may view the clam upweller hosted by the Brant Beach Yacht Club. This event is open only to BBTA and BBYC members. No registration is required. Families are welcome.
❖ Frozen pipes and the WaterSmart App: The Township’s free WaterSmart app will alert you if your home’s water consumption spikes, perhaps due to a frozen and burst pipe. With the app you can monitor water usage in nearly real-time and sign up for usage alerts.
To get started, go to longbeachtwpnj.watersmart.com. You’ll need your water/sewer account number to complete the sign-up. Not sure what it is? You can find your account information here under Utilities.
COMMISSIONERS’ MEETING
Representatives from the Brant Beach Taxpayers Association including Pete Potochney, Donn O’Brien and Ben Tonti attended the December 2 Long Beach Township Commissioners’ Meeting.
The primary topic was proposed State climate change regulations that would impact LBI.
NJ PACT, or the New Jersey Protecting Against Climate Threats initiative, has been in effect since January 2020. It was established by Governor Murphy’s Executive Order 100 issued at that time.
Recently, a set of rule amendments called REAL (Resilient Environments and Landscapes) has been proposed. Go to dep.nj.gov/njreal/overview for a summary provided by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection.
Per the NJ DEP, these amendments will modernize New Jersey’s environmental land use rules to prepare for future risks associated with climate change and will facilitate climate resilience by supporting green infrastructure and renewable energy. The proposed rules document is very lengthy and is available at dep.nj.gov/rules/proposal.pdf
REAL focuses on these six initiatives.
1. Adjust coastal flood hazard areas
2. Create an Inundation Risk Zone
3. Improve water quality and reduce flooding
4. Encourage nature-based solutions
5. Support renewable energy
6. Improve NJ’s alignment with FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program.
In a letter to the NJ DEP, Mayor Mancini expressed his concerns regarding the economic consequences, the reliance on projections for the year 2100, the new Inundation Risk Zone, and insufficient funding. The link to Mayor Mancini’s letter is at www.longbeachtownship.com.
Mayor Mancini’s proposals for a more gradual approach for adapting to climate change are to:
· Incrementally address the issue of rising sea levels, increased precipitation and extreme storm events
· Apply a lower Inundation Risk Zone (IRZ) to Long Beach Township, based on a 25-30 year useful lifespan for our homes and other buildings
· Update the rules again in 25 or 50 years rather than basing rules on projections for the year 2100
· Eliminate the proposed requirement to increase the required elevation of new and significantly renovated homes by 5 feet
· Adopt a more favorable shared funding approach between municipalities and the State
The public comment period about these proposed amendments has ended, but you should feel free to contact your state representatives. Upcoming BBTA bulletins will follow these developments.
Ordinances
❖ Proposed On First Reading:
None
❖ Passed On Second Reading:
24-29C: Amends the false alarm regulations and penalties by establishing the first offense as a warning. Penalties for subsequent false alarms will commence with the first occurrence after the initial warning.
The trustees of the Brant Beach Taxpayers Association
wish you and your loved ones very happy holidays.
