Times
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS, INC.
THE BRICK
Vol. 14 - No. 38
–Photo by Judy Smestad-Nunn John Lamela, center, takes the oath of office as a school board member at the reorganization meeting January 7. Lamela was also selected board president. special education counsel, bond counsel, labor and negotiation counsel, worker’s compensation counsel, the engineer, architect, financial adviser and school physician, among others. The 30-day termination notices were added to the agenda during the meeting at the request of four new board members sworn in that evening to start their terms. While
the new members said the moves were part of their campaign promises, several other board members said they were concerned they had not seen the termination notices and that this was a “scorched earth” approach. Lamela and the three other new board members – Victoria Pakala, Stephanie Wohlrab and George (School Board - See Page 4)
Amid Uncertainty, Ocean County Freeholders Reorganize
By Daniel Nee OCEAN COUNTY – Absent James Lacey who resigned his seat on the Ocean County freeholder board December 31, the remaining board members met for the annual reorganization meeting January 6 as the potential of a second opening on the five-member board loomed.
WWW.MICROMEDIAPUBS.COM
Your FREE Weekly Hometown Newspaper | Serving Brick and Lakewood Townships
New School Board Members Push For Contract Terminations
By Judy Smestad-Nunn BRICK – Newly-elected Board of Education President John Lamela wasted no time in following through on his team’s “Clean Slate” campaign promises by issuing 30-day termination notices of professional contracts during the annual reorganization meeting. Receiving termination notices: the school board general counsel,
Inside This Week’s Edition
Business Directory............................ 19 Classifieds......................................... 18 Community News.......................... 8-11 Dr. Izzy’s Sound News...................... 14 Fun Page .......................................... 20 Government ....................................... 7 Inside The Law ................................. 16 Letters to the Editor ............................ 6 Wolfgang ......................................... 23
Freeholder Director John C. Bartlett and Gerry P. Little, both Republican incumbents, were sworn into office for new, threeyear terms by county counsel John C. Sahradnik, who retained his appointment as county attorney. Despite the annual fanfare of the reorganization, which drew public officials from across the
county to attend, most of the attention at the meeting was paid to Lacey’s recent resignation as well as the pending appointment of Freeholder Jack Kelly to the state parole board, which would create an additional vacancy among the freeholders. Ocean Cou nt y Republican (Reorganize - See Page 12)
January 16, 2016
Engineer: Half Of Brick’s Roads Need Repairs
By Judy Smestad-Nunn BRICK ‑‑ About half the township’s 319 miles of roads are in need of repair since the in-house paving crew was dissolved during a township-wide layoff plan in 2008, said Township Engineer Elissa Commins. Every five years, a roadway inventory list is updated and every municipal road is rated on their condition. The township hired consultants Boswell Engineering for a 2008 survey, and that template was updated by township interns in 2013, she said. During the inventory, every road gets a data sheet that logs information about cracks, potholes, drainage, rutting, shoving or pushing, excess asphalt, raveling, corrugations, polished aggregate
and overall riding quality. “We tend to concentrate on neighborhoods that have multiple streets in poor condition; in the past few years we have done roads in Lake Riviera, Birchwood Park and Lakewood Gardens,” Commins said from her office in Town Hall last Friday. Part of the township’s focus this year is to repair “The Dirty Dozen,” or individual roads in bad condition that are scattered throughout the town. Eight of these are funded; one is in a park and would be part of park improvements; and the remainder is funded for design but not construction, she said. The Department of Public Works does routine road maintenance, (Roads - See Page 12)
A MOVE TO “BUY IN” TO TAXPAYER REBATE PROGRAMS
By Bob Vosseller OCEAN COUNTY – With the aims to help taxpayers save money and to give support to local mom and pop businesses, the concept of “Buy Into” programs are gaining popularity as local towns adopt or debate their merits. The program calls for local businesses to sign up, and residents who shop there can get a portion of their receipt translated into savings on their property tax bill. Reward cards are given to interested residents to use at designated stores, to help track purchases. Local businesses receive some added exposure as part of the program. For example, if a family of four dines out to a restaurant participat-
ing in the program, they receive a designated percentage program rebate when paying the bill (either cash or credit card.) Participants present their card, which is then swiped. When the participating town issues its next property tax bill, the cumulative transactions show up as a tax credit, resulting in a tax bill deduction. The program is open to all property owners in the participating township. Buy In Brick The program was adopted more than a year ago in Brick, which provides notices on its website prominently about new businesses in the program. Participating businesses display the “Buy In Brick” sticker (Buy In - See Page 17)
Free Transportation • In-Home & Outpatient PT Physical Therapy Center
1-(855)-3ALLCARE • www.AllCarePTC.com
Jackson • Barnegat • Brick • Toms River Whiting • Manchester • Forked River
Come experience the All-Care difference for yourself!