Brant Beach Bulletin
February 8th, 2025
This issue covers the BBTA Winter Speaker Series, the February Township Commissioners’ Public Meeting, and includes an interview with the owners of Hutchison Pools, a longstanding Brant Beach business.
❖ All Aboard for the next BBTA Speaker! Please join us for “Railroads: The First Bridge to LBI“, presented by the Long Beach Island Historical Museum at 10am on Saturday, February 15 at the Brant Beach Yacht Club Sailing Center at 6106 Bayview Avenue. The first thirty minutes will feature refreshments and socializing with your neighbors, followed by a one-hour presentation. This free event is open only to BBTA and BBYC members. No registration is required. Families are welcome.
COMMISSIONERS’ MEETING
Representatives from the Brant Beach Taxpayers Association including Pete Potochney, Mike Fahner, Donn O’Brien and Ben Tonti attended the February 3 Long Beach Township Commissioners’ Meeting.
❖ Wind Turbines: The Mayor announced that the Atlantic Shores project appears to be “dead.” In its Feb 3rd press release, the NJ Board of Public Utilities stated it “will not proceed with an award in New Jersey’s fourth offshore wind solicitation.” We expect subsequent media coverage concerning this decision.
❖ Beach Volleyball: The Township has been working with the Great American Volleyball company to conduct a tournament. It is currently scheduled for Sunday, July 13th along with weekly age-specific clinics that will run from July 9th through August 6th. Great American is well known for the events it holds along the Jersey Shore. Watch for further announcements.
❖ Storm Drains: The ongoing storm drain work on the Boulevard will be completed by Memorial Day. Work completed to date has made important improvements in preventing the “nuisance” flooding that often occurs at some locations. Work at additional locations will resume after the summer, and the entire effort should be completed within two years.
❖ Sewer Maintenance: The Township approved the purchase of two trucks, a “camera” truck and a sewer cleaning truck, in its ongoing effort to maintain our sewer system.
❖ Municipal building improvements: You may have noticed the new siding applied to the 68th street building. The final phase will be the replacement of the old railings and doors at the entrance to the courtroom on the building’s west side. This work is being accomplished by the Township’s in-house personnel.
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.
25-02: NJ law requires municipalities to limit their annual budget increase to 2.5% unless the municipality passes an ordinance to increase the limit to 3.5%. Every year, LBT passes this ordinance as a precaution and so far, it has not been needed.
25-03C: Changes the regulations for new pilings. Pilings must be placed under a load bearing wall. Pilings more than eight feet apart are now allowed. The piling depth of ten feet below sea level remains unchanged, but clarifications were added.
25-04C: The Township plans to allow advertising on its properties in order to generate revenue. This ordinance establishes the allowable types of advertisements. There will be an application process and an approval process. Possible locations, prices, and durations were not specified.
25-05: Authorizes the Township to hire entry-level police officers who have not completed the Basic Course for Police Officers, provided they complete the training within nine months. A paid leave of absence is provided for the training.
❖ Passed On Second Reading:
25-01: This annual ordinance is titled “An Ordinance Fixing and Determining the Annual Salaries, Designating Holidays and Providing for Overtime Compensation for Certain Officers and Employees of the Township of Long Beach, County of Ocean, New Jersey.”
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: HUTCHISON POOLS
Brant Beach is fortunate to have a number of longstanding, family-owned businesses, and this month we are highlighting the story behind Hutchison Pools.
It’s a three-generation company founded in 2001 by Joe Hutchison Sr, and nowadays owned jointly with his son Joe Hutchison Jr. The participation of the family’s grandfather Al Vero makes it a three-generation venture. Al is retired but keeps busy as a company driver.
Daughter Nicole runs the installation department, while mom Laura runs the office along with daughter Alyssa. Olivia, a close friend of the family, runs the service department.
Joe Hutchison Sr. started the company when he wanted a pool in his own yard. He saw that it was a growing business opportunity and dove in.
What’s it like to run a pool business? Joe Hutchison Jr. pointed to a huge whiteboard listing perhaps 70 jobs underway, with columns of dates and checkboxes for the steps completed. “Having my parents and sisters in the business, people you love and trust, makes things much easier,” he explained.
One of his favorite parts of the job is to watch an enormous fiberglass pool or even an excavator being lifted by crane high over a rooftop to reach a back yard. It’s always interesting when the service department gets a call to rescue and relocate sea turtles and other critters that have gone for a swim. Recently, a pool cleaning crew got quite an ego boost when they entered a back yard and were mistaken for male dancers who’d been hired for a bachelorette party.
What’s unique about swimming pools on our island? Joe explained that our high ground water levels limit the pool depth to 5 or 6 feet, and pools here average 4 to 5 feet deep. They must be anchored properly with 8-to-10-foot pilings underneath.
Joe described upcoming pool trends, including fountains, waterfalls, light shows, bubblers and “firebowls”, which are lighted bowls spilling water. Ninety-five percent of the pools they install are heated, but more and more also have coolers to lower the water temperature when needed.
Hutchison Pools is located on the Boulevard at 31st Street. We thank them as well as Duck Cove Marina for allowing the “Welcome to Brant Beach” sign to stand on their property and use their electricity for lighting the sign.
Thank You For Your Continued Support
