Beach Replenishment, Route 9 Among Issues Toms River Council Priorities

TOMS RIVER, NJ -- Councilman Maurice “Mo” Hill Jr. rattled off a list of coming developments, many of which are in the northwest section of town.

“Over a thousand units of housing are coming on infrastructure that can’t handle it,” he said. “The road structure can’t handle it.”

“We need to keep pushing the state to do something about Route 9,” he said.

The state highway, which is two lanes through most of the northwest section of town, is just one of the issues cited by Toms River Council members Monday during the council’s reorganization meeting.

Councilman Brian Kubiel, Hill and George Wittmann Jr. and Mayor Thomas Kelaher all were sworn in to new terms in office by Acting Gov. Kim Guadagno, and Kubiel was chosen by his fellow council members as president for 2016. Councilman Al Manforti, who was absent due to a personal issue, was selected as council vice president.

“It’s important that you all are here to witness the orderly transition of government,” Guadagno said in brief remarks after administering the oaths. “(In the oaths) we said we represent the people under the authority they give us. It is a gift.”

“This is democracy in action,” she said. “It doesn’t happen like this anywhere else in the world.”

The council has one vacancy, after Kubiel won election to an at-large seat. He had represented Ward 2 previously. The council must fill that seat by Jan. 31.

Kelaher, Hill and Councilwoman Maria Maruca said getting the dune replenishment completed is a top priority.

Kelaher said most of the easements allowing the Army Corps of Engineers access to properties on the beachfront have been signed in Toms River and that just a few remain unsigned. Where easements remain unsigned, the state Department of Environmental Protection has begun to move forward with eminent domain actions.

“To this minute I can’t understand why people who live along the beachfront won’t agree to let the Army Corps dump sand on their beach,” Kelaher said.

“There is no bigger challenge we face than getting those dunes rebuilt,” Maruca said. “Hopefully by this time next year we can see some progress.”

Hill said he would also like to see the issue of aid to owners of secondary homes addressed.

“Secondary homes don’t qualify for aid and that’s a problem,” he said, noting that many of the homes destroyed in Ortley Beach were family homes that had been passed down. “They pay the same taxes as primary homes,” he said.

Wittmann said the town needs to address the issues in the North Dover section of town.

“The actions of a few who are harassing our residents to sell their homes” are continuing to create conflict, he said.

Hill said township officials have to continue to pressure the state to address Route 9 and other state-level issues that are creating problems on the local level, regardless of how much pushback the town gets.

“Just because it’s hard doesn’t mean you don’t do it,” Hill said. With more than 250,000 residents combined in the towns closest to Route 9, the need to get the transportation issues addressed sooner rather than later is critical, as is the need to halt further developments, he said, alluding to ongoing wrangling over affordable housing issues.

“We should be the ones dictating and deciding what is going to be in our town,” he said.

(Photos: Credit Karen Wall 1. Acting Gov. Kim Guadagno administers the oath of office to Mayor Thomas Kelaher, who is joined by his son and his wife. 2. Maurice Hill takes the oath with his family joining him. 3. Brian Kubiel’s mother smiles with pride as her son takes the oath of office as councilman. George Wittmann Jr. accepts congratulations from Guagagno after taking his oath. Guadagno took time to address the Toms River Regional Schools’ chamber orchestra, which performed before the ceremony, and pose for a photo with the musicians.)