Councilman: Spring Happenings in Toms River

The following Council Corner column was submitted by Ward 3 Councilman Jeffrey Carr.

It hardly seems it but, spring has arrived. Along with it comes yard work, Little League baseball and the Toms River Food Fest. The Toms River Little League season got underway on April 6th. It was a chilly Saturday morning but, much better than the rain filled event of last year. Mayor Kelaher and I were on hand at the TRLL fields to throw in the first pitch. Councilman Whittmann, Councilman Manforti and Councilwoman Maruca attended opening day at the TRELL complex.

This year’s Food Fest was held on Saturday, May 4. The weather was nothing short of perfect. The event officially began at 12 noon but, the streets were already getting crowed by 11:30 a.m. The event was kicked off by the Toms River High School North Marching Band parading down Washington Street. That was followed by an invocation by Father Scott Schaeffer of St. Joseph’s Church and the singing of the National Anthem by Lisa Evans, a Toms River South aluminous. There were 78 vendors in attendance and an abundance of food and drink. There was a dunk tank sponsored by the fire department and lots of games and amusement rides for the kids. Four different bands played throughout the day and into the evening. There was literally dancing in the streets. Township Administrative Staff, Recreation Department, Department of Public Works (recycling), Parks Buildings and Grounds, Mayors ADA Advisory Committee, Mayors Council for The developmental Disabled, Police Department and Safety and Fire Districts Bureau of Fire Prevention  were there to assist and answer any questions for our Township residents. It was estimated that over 25,000 people were in attendance.

Toms River prides itself in our efforts to be environmentally responsible and to promote recycling within the Township. In 2012 we received a recycling grant in the amount of $177,138.44. We were the fifth highest grant behind Newark ($299,903.76), Jersey City ($278,748.03), Paterson ($238,701.00), and Clifton ($222,103.44). Based on our increased recycling tonnage (40,000 tons) we anticipate a higher grant for this year.

As far as the Clean Communities grant, the amount estimated to be received this year for Toms River is $168,296.83. This puts us first in the County and third highest in the state behind Newark ($322,905.58) and Jersey City ($297,747.90).

Our Senior Center is always filled with some great activities available to our senior residents. I recently had the opportunity to attend an art show and tea party held at the senior center. Some wonderful art exhibits created by our senior residents were on display. Friday May 24th is our Health Fair and Picnic, free to all seniors. The time is 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Friday, May 31st is the Grand Opening of the Nutrition Site at the Toms River Senior Center. The festivities begin at 11:00 am.    

On Saturday, June 1, Toms River Youth Services will be holding a Kids' Spring Cleaning Flea Market from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Our Youth Summer Camp will begin on June 24th. Family Carnival Day will be held on July 12th. There will be food, fun, game trailers and rides.

Our rebuilding process continues to receive our utmost attention. The Land Use Committee continues to meet regularly to review our ordinances to ease the building process and to help rebuild using sound planning. The Council recently introduced new ordinances to better define and regulate setbacks and the construction of decks. The footings at the Lord House Lifeguard Station are complete and underground utilities are being installed. The 3rd Avenue parking lot is scheduled to be completed on or about May 24th. It will include new pavement, light poles and temporary restroom trailers. The number of parking spaces has been increased from 132 spaces to 150 spaces. This cost of this work will be reimbursed by FEMA. The boardwalk reconstruction continues to progress with pile driving being over 75 percent complete. Other work underway or in the bidding process include repair of Township bulkheads and the first phase of Ortley roads.

Changes have also been instituted in our Building Department to ease the process of obtaining building permits. The department now opens at 7:30 a.m. That is one hour earlier than usual. they are also open until 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Normal weekday closing time is 4:30 p.m. Inspections are performed Monday through Saturday. The Building Department staff has also worked some Sundays when the demand requires it. Clerical staffing has been supplemented by hiring three additional permit clerks and one phone clerk. This equates to a 60 percent increase in clerical staff. The clerical staff also works overtime and on Saturdays to keep up with the volume. Other Township departments have also lent personnel during peak volume periods. The finance and tax offices have helped out with processing permits and certificates. The clerk's office has handled all OPRA requests for permit documents. Administration has provided personnel to handle periods of high phone call volume, as well as unwavering support. This help was offered by other departments in the spirit of a true team effort.

Inspection and plan review staff has been increased with one full time inspector. We have also supplemented our inspection crew with personnel provided by the NJ DCA. This program, put in place immediately after the storm by the DCA, has been extremely beneficial to our residents. We had as many as 15 DCA inspectors helping us out immediately after the storm. As the demand fluctuates,  personnel is adjusted as necessary.

The department has issued 5,746 permits since 11/01/2012. That is an increase of 218 percent (2,634 permits) for the same period a year ago. To assist residents and their contractors, permit forms are now available for pick up at the Township's Ortley Beach annex.

As summer approaches, we will continue our efforts to rebuild our Community. While these continue to be difficult times for many, we must also continue to serve all of our residents. I encourage everyone to take advantage of the many wonderful things our Township has to offer. There are many youth activities and sports programs available to our children. The senior center provides daily activities to our senior residents. And whether it’s a picnic, reading a book or a walk along a trail, our parks are a wonderful way to spend some time with family and friends. I wish everyone a safe and fun filled summer.  As always, I encourage you to send me your thoughts and comments to JCarr@TomsRiverTownship.com. And don’t forget to visit our website at www.tomsrivertownship.com for more information about your town.