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Continued From Page 1 were unexpected when Murphy put forward the state’s budget.

During a recent meeting of the Board of Commissioners, members unanimously passed a resolution criticizing the cuts to districts in Ocean County and the state as a whole by the New Jersey Department of Education for the 2023-24 school year.

The resolution raised questions about the fairness and transparency of the state formula that determines how much aid each district receives.

It also noted that 16 districts will see state aid cuts, including drastic cuts to Toms River and Jackson, which will lose $14.4 million and $6.3 million respectively.

It was noted in the resolution that the cuts would negatively impact both the education of students and the amount of money local taxpayers will be asked to pay to fund education in the coming year and that the school districts may be forced to cut important educational and extracurricular programs due to lack of funds.

The state is enjoying a $10 billion budget

BRICK – Interested in joining the Brick Township Police Department as a police officer or as one of the many integral civilian positions for the department?

The New Jersey Civil Service Commission administers the Law Enforcement Entry Exam periodically. The resultant list of candidates gain eligibility for surplus at the current time and most schools in urban counties and the state’s largest cities are benefitting from increased state aid. 10th District Senator James Holzapfel and Assemblymen Gregory McGuckin and John Catalano are asking Governor Murphy to fund all the state’s public school districts fairly and equitably.

Copies of the of the resolution were sent to Governor Murphy’s office as well as the 9th, 10th, 12th and 30th Legislative District offices and the 16 impacted school districts.

Director of the Board of Commissioners Joseph Vicari spoke to Jersey Shore Online.com prior to the start of the meeting noting his prior years as a teacher, principal and superintendent. He served in Brick and Toms River for many years and later Berkeley Township.

Vicari said, “we did so many good things in Berkeley, full day kindergarten programs and in Brick where I started in 1969, we did a lot,” Vicari said. He had been a middle school teacher teaching history and English and later a supervisor and a principal of an elementary school. He served as superintendent of the Berkeley School District

Vicari feared that such progress in programs might now be reversed. He noted that while other school superintendents were unable to make the meeting, “they all speak with the same voice about this subject.”

Brick School Superintendent Dr. Thomas Farrell provided that voice during the meeting having compiled a white paper report that he said shows the current state aid formula is inadequate and flawed. It is called “The Paradox of the Current State of School Funding in New Jersey.”

“I want to thank the Board of Commissioners for this resolution and your support in urging the governor and the state to relook at the state funding formula. Each year around this time we wait for the state budget and legislators determine what our funding priorities should be. Inevitably there are winners and losers unfortunately especially in education and many of the losers are right here in Ocean County,” Dr. Farrell said.

He added, “There are five districts right here in Ocean County, Toms River, Jackson, Brick, Lacey and Stafford K-8 that look to now cut over 400 positions in our schools due to the continuation of the perfect storm fiscally. The state aid has affected us absorbing an exorbitant rate to what we can replenish annually and put back.”

“These are dire times and Ocean County School districts are bleeding budgetarily. They are simply running out of funds. I hope that is time for all of

Brick Police Now Hiring

consideration to be hired as a police officer. Details on that exam and the hiring process can be found here: state. nj.us/csc/authorities/faq/safety/lee.html.

They also staff Crossing Guards to ensure the safety of our children as they go to and from school every day, as well as assist the beachgoers on the barrier island during the summer. If you’re interested in a job as a Crossing Guard, that application can be found at townshipofbrick.seamlessdocs.com/f/ EmploymentApplication.

Another position important to achieving their mission to serve the residents of Brick Township is the Class I Special us in Ocean County to come together and advocate for many efficient and effective school districts right here,” Farrell said.

He said he presented his white paper report to local legislators and local media and “details how the state should pay for the local fair share for each community.” Farrell called the current funding formula a complicated and unfair process and inequitable for many school districts “down this way.”

Vicari said Farrell’s information was shared with each commissioner. “These cuts will not only be devastating to Brick but all the districts included. The test grades for these districts are high, they aren’t failing. The students are graduating. They are doing a good job in not only providing a quality education. People move to Ocean County because of educational programs of our schools. We have excellent school systems. I worked in Brick for many years. I have faith in the system. The state has a $10 billion surplus and with the stroke of a pen, the governor of New Jersey could make a difference and make a change.”

The director said, “we want fairness. Why should someone who lives in north Jersey gets two or three times as much. It’s just not fair and it’s not reasonable. We want equity stated by the New Jersey State Constitution.”

Law Enforcement Officer. If you are looking to get into a career in law enforcement, the Class I Special Officer is the perfect position for an introduction into police work. Applications for Class I Officers can be found here: townshipofbrick.seamlessdocs.com/f/EmploymentApplication.

Stores:

Continued From Page 1 the building layout, said architect Daniel Governale of Barlo, Governale and Associates.

“Previously, we were here with two buildings, so we have one building that we are proposing at this time, approximately 68 feet deep and 166 feet wide,” he said. 30 percent lot coverage is allowed while 17 percent would be utilized, he said.

Coverage has to do with what portion of the land is taken up by structures, asphalt, or something else that rain can’t get through.

The building is a “downtown, Main Street-type building that fits in with other, newer Village Zone buildings in the area,” Governale said.

The plan was tweaked when the applicant got feedback from Board members after the first meeting. The original two-building plan needed a number of variances (exceptions to the rules of what you can do with the property), including for impervious lot coverage and smaller than required parking spaces.

The applicant’s engineer Jeffrey Carr said the new plan addresses additional Board member concerns, so more amenities have been added, including enhanced landscaping, an outdoor promenade area, bike racks, tables, benches and even a fenced-in dog run, measuring 53 feet by 31 feet. There are also im - provements for pedestrian circulation, he said.

The 64 parking spaces now measure 10 feet by eight feet, as required, the engineer added.

Assigned parking spaces for retail and residential is not part of the plan because that reduces flexibility, Carr said.

“Peak demand is different, so if you assign parking, that takes that benefit away,” he said. “It’s better dictated by the business owners and residents, not the town.”

In the revised application, residential entryways, including two staircases and an elevator, would be located in the back.

Pasquale Mennella, owner of Baywood Plaza, just across Sky Manor Boulevard from the proposed development, hired attorney Ronald Gasiorowski to object to the proposed complex.

“It’s an attractive building, but it’s not fully compliant with zoning,” Gasiorowski said. “Two residential units are permitted in the Village Zone, but you have quadrupled that…you could have designed a building that is fully compliant.”

Carr said that the size of the site makes it suitable for more than two residential units. In the Village Zone, the lot size must be a minimum of 7,500 square feet. This parcel is 1.59 acres, or 69,260 square feet.

“It is significantly larger than the lot size that allows for two units,” the engineer said. “This site equates to nine lots, so in theory, you could divide the land into nine lots, each with two dwelling units per lot for 18 units,” Carr said. “It’s more important to look at the square footage, or density.”

“Two units [only] would look out of character and wouldn’t be aesthetically pleasing,” he said. “The number of apartments for this site is appropriate.”

If there were only two residential units, each would measure more than 4,000 square feet, the engineer added.

Board of Adjustment meetings run until about 10 p.m. At that time, board chair David Chadwick noted that at least 90 minutes would be needed for attorney Gasiorowski to cross-examine witnesses, and for public comment for about 20 residents who attended the meeting. A special meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 29 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall at which time the Board is likely to vote on the application.