Direct From the Source

Sierra Club: Belmar Mayor Doesn't Get Importance of Sustainable Boardwalk Woods

Environmental group responds to Doherty's recent comments

Last week Belmar chose to forgo the use of Ipe for their boardwalk with Mayor Matt Doherty of Belmar being quoted stating: “It’s not an environmental reason that we’re not using Ipe, it was because we didn’t want to get tied up in court.” Jeff Tittel, Direct of the New Jersey Sierra Club issued the following response to the Mayor's quote: “The Mayor Doherty of Belmar doesn’t get it. If he actually cared about the environment and protecting his town from future storms or storm surges than he would have used recycle plastics and sustainable woods in the first place. It is not about whether or not he is going to get sued it is about what is right for Belmar and for our coast. Hundreds of people emailed the Mayor with concerns over the use of …

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CPOTom

9:12 pm on Monday, February 25, 2013

These same people will be vomiting on the boardwalk in August.   more ›

Hurricane Sandy

Kicking Off 2013, Belmar Plows Forward on Rebuilding Beachfront

Year ahead focuses on rebuilding Belmar

Between homes, businesses, infrastructure and public facilities such as the boardwalk, Belmar has an estimated $130 million in damage from Hurricane Sandy, officials said. The year ahead will be doing the hard work of rebuilding and perhaps the harder work determining what to do and how to fund it, said Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty in his 2013 address at Thursday's reorganization meeting. But some of the biggest milestones in rebuilding Belmar are here. Doherty said the first pilings for the new boardwalk will be erected Jan. 9. "This is a huge milestone," said the mayor, to audience applause. Contractor Epic Construction will build in three sections — north, middle and south. Doherty said 400 pilings a week will be driven into the Belmar …

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Belmar Mayor Says Donation Info Request Inappropriate, Councilman Wants Accountability

Debate over councilman's request for info on who gave and received gift cards after Hurricane Sandy

A records request from Councilman Jim Bean, asking for who gave and received gift cards as part of Hurricane Sandy relief in Belmar, was met with debate and disappointment from Mayor Matt Doherty. At the previous Belmar Council meeting, Doherty and Bean debated the merits of Bean's Open Public Records Act request to itemize who donated gift cards to the borough for distribution, in what amounts, and who received them. Bean also sought the criterion the borough used to distribute the gift cards, and wanted the addresses of the people who donated and received the gift cards. The gift cards ranged from local restaurants and home improvement stores to more all-purpose American Express or Mastercard gift cards, Doherty said. Tens of thousands …

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$231K Rolls In From Belmar's 'Buy a Board' Campaign

Borough looking for donors to pay for boardwalk rebuild

With less than a month of online donation forms, Belmar has already collected nearly a quarter million dollars as part of its "Buy a Board" campaign. Raising $231,000 in about a month, the campaign goes directly toward the costs of rebuilding Belmar's destroyed boardwalk, estimated at $6.6 million. Belmar's boardwalk was destroyed in the surge of Hurricane Sandy, and the borough is using grants, bonds, FEMA reimbursement, possibly increased beach fees and more to help offset the more than $6.6 million cost. The "Buy a Board" campaign is part of that effort, and the borough has set up donor levels ranging from $5,000 to $25. Six "Big Kahunas," the biggest donor level, have come forward, Mayor Matt Doherty said. Board level options are as …

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Belmar Hoping for 90 Percent Reimbursement from FEMA

Reimbursement budgeted at 75 percent, but outlook becoming more favorable

Ninety is better than 75, when you're talking about how much FEMA could reimburse you for multi-million dollar rebuild projects. And Belmar is tentatively hoping that FEMA will be able to up original estimates at reimbursement from 75 percent to 90 percent as the borough prepares to spend more than $6.59 million to rebuild its boardwalk after Hurricane Sandy. On top of the $6.59 million, there's also $3 million in debris clean-up, an unestimated cost to rebuild boardwalk pavilions, and a bond to rebuild a portion of the sewer system. These projects, eligible for FEMA reimbursement, were budgeted expecting that the federal agency would grant a 75 percent reimbursement back to Belmar, said Mayor Matt Doherty. However the conversations are …

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