Minutes of the Spring Membership Meeting - June 12, 2011
The spring meeting of the Association was held on Sunday, June 12, 2011, at the Foundation of the Arts and Sciences in Loveladies. In the absence of President Roger Smith, Secretary Eldon Hickerson called the meeting to order at 11:12 AM.
Hickerson opened the meeting by welcoming members and guests to the 60th annual spring meeting. The actual 60th anniversary will be August 2011. He welcomed dignitaries (Mayor Joe Mancini, Commissioner Bill Knarre and Guest Speaker Timothy Hart), introduced the officers and trustees of the LPOA Board, and thanked the hostesses for greeting members at the welcome table. He recognized Ken Busch for his efforts with our database and systems. Secretary Hickerson called for a motion to dispense with the reading of the minutes of the last meeting. The motion was made, seconded and carried.
John Nichols, LBIF President and Lynn Billingham, Membership Co-Chair were introduced and spoke for a few minutes on what the LBIF offers our community and LBI and the need for financial support and membership at the Foundation.
LPOA Membership Report: Barbara Nemroff, Treasurer and Membership Chair reported that 574 families have joined the Association to date. This includes 14 new households, 34 households who rejoined and 526 who were members last year and have rejoined. With 951 total households in Loveladies this equates to 60.4%.
Treasury Report: Barbara Nemroff reported a checking account balance of $16,405, a CD balance of $20,000 and a second CD balance of $10,023 for a total of $46,428. This does not include the cost of the food for today’s meeting.
Mayor Joe Mancini mentioned issues with snow removal this winter, especially after the Boxing Day storm, blaming the County for not removing snow from the boulevard as quickly as they should have. He thanked Harvey Cedars for the sand that has migrated to Loveladies. The beaches on the north end of LBT are in pretty good shape. He brought up the recently passed wind turbine ordinance that requires Land Use Board approval and neighbor notification before a small wind turbine can be installed in LBT. He said he has formed a wind energy committee which resident John Petralia has joined and hopes to have 3 prototype wind turbines installed at Bay View Park, Brant Beach, for 6-9 months to see how they hold up in our environment and how much energy they produce. John Petralia said the Foundation would like to put up a demonstration unit and compare the output to solar panels that are in place there.
The Mayor then entertained questions from the audience.
Q: How many residents would have to approve a swap if residents wanted to allow access thru lane 125/127 rather than Station Avenue? A: All of the residents would have to agree.
Q: What is planned for Station Avenue? A: An 8 foot wide walking path meandering through the property avoiding as many trees as possible.
Q: What is our plan for non-hurricane evacuations? Why isn’t the Township working with Yacht Clubs and Marinas to provide evacuations by boat? A: There is no place to go once you get to the mainland. The best form of evacuation is vehicular.
Q: Will all the trees be removed from Station Avenue? A: It is only an 8 foot wide walking path that will meander around trees wherever possible.
Q: What material will be used for the path? A: Sand and other material that is currently on the property.
Q: Will you restrict the deed on Station Avenue to prevent anything other than an 8 foot walking path? A: No, it is municipal property owned by the taxpayers and, as such, cannot be deed restricted. The Township can pass an ordinance saying only an 8 foot path but the deed cannot be restricted to an 8 foot path. He will check with counsel.
Q: Further question about the swap idea and approving residents? A: The neighbors on one side of the lane can allow and easement without approval from the other side. In other words 125 can agree to an easement on their side without approval from 127 because both sides have a 10 or 15 foot easement. (Mayor Mancini verified this week there is only one easement at 125/127, therefore, both sides must agree to a swap.)
Q: Why can’t I vote in Loveladies where I own property but am not a “resident”. A: State law requires that you only vote where you have your primary residence. Q: How can we change that? A: Contact the Governor, your Assemblyman and/or Senator.
Commissioner Bill Knarre, told the audience it was a tough budget year given the 2% cap imposed by the State but they were able to come in below the cap with no layoffs and no reduction in services. The Township operates on 22.3 cents per $100, far below most municipalities in the NJ. The LBT police department has been reduced by 10% which was a campaign pledge by Mayor Mancini. The Township has chosen a new phone vendor at a savings of over $70K per year. Tuesday concerts will begin on July 5 and will be held at Bay View Park. Bill thanked resident Trish Monaco for finding new bands during the winter. National night out for crime will be August 4th.
Bill talked about the LBI Health Dept. which is funded by all 6 municipalities on the island prorated by population. The Township pays 50% of the total and is responsible for managing the department. The Health Dept. has focused on neglected properties that cause a health risk and have been successful in remediation. June 25th from 10:00 – 2:00 the H.D will conduct a free cancer screening at 20th street in Ship Bottom.
Hickerson thanked the Mayor and Commissioner Knarre for attending and the audience was reminded about the Meet the Mayor Meeting on Saturday, July 9, 10:00 to 11:00 AM where residents could come back and meet with Mayor Mancini one-on-one.
Guest Speaker Timothy Hart, Division Director, Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Commission gave a slide presentation on the history of life saving on LBI and the causeway and causeway shack.
Closing Remarks: Hickerson talked about the directories, beach badges, the August 27 annual meeting and asked for a motion to adjourn which was made, seconded and approved at 12:15 PM.
After the business meeting, attending members and guests were treated to a lunch catered by Neptune Market, Harvey Cedars.
Respectfully submitted, Eldon Hickerson, Secretary