"We've been pushing on beach replenishment and frankly, the Army Corps -- they are an amazing organization that do it right -- we've had meetings on the Shoreline a couple months ago, a couple months before that, couple months before that -- constantly trying to get more work done," Congressman Smith told Townsquare Media News in January. "We were running into a funding crisis with beach replenishment for the Manasquan Inlet to the Barnegat Inlet. They (the Army Corps of Engineers) were claiming that there was no money. I asked them, on January 5, by way of letter and correspondents and conversations to look at the infrastructure bill that had just passed that had a whole resiliency component to it, that that would be a great source of funding to do beach replenishment -- a five-year re-nourishment is what we're asking for."

Congressman Smith said that through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act­­ there was $30.2-million secured for beach replenishment work to be done here in Ocean County and the Jersey Shore.

 

 

So, after years and years of pushing for solutions to address beach erosion, dunes, and the sea life, municipalities in New Jersey, including here in Ocean County, will be getting beach replenishment work done.

The next challenge is paying for the rest of what is owed, and it's a hefty, hefty bill being doled out to the state and municipalities.

 

 

Commissioner Kelly said that Ocean County will foot about $4-million of that bill for the municipalities here along the northern barrier island -- Berkeley Township, Seaside Park, Seaside Heights, Toms River, Lavallette, Brick, Mantoloking, Bay Head, and Point Pleasant Beach -- that are getting work done starting next year.

 

 

The issue was the focal point of a meeting between the County Commissioners and the aforementioned towns plus Point Pleasant Borough -- there for moral support, Commissioner Kelly explained.

It's not just Superstorm Sandy that left damage, there have been several storms of much less magnitude that have snarled Ocean County beaches in recent years as well.

“The beaches and dunes are vital to the protection of our towns and our residents,” Ocean County Commissioner Deputy Director Virginia E. “Ginny” Haines said in a written statement. “The Board of Commissioners felt it was right to step in and help our communities bare this cost.”

 

In this major beach replenishment project work will be done in the aforementioned towns in different allotments of funds:

· Bay Head: $714,000.00.

· Berkeley Township: $159,000.00.

· Brick Township: $450,000.00.

· Lavallette: $336,500.00.

· Mantoloking: $645,000.00.

· Point Pleasant Beach: $135,500.00.

· Toms River Township: $975,000.00.

· Seaside Heights: $375,000.00.

· Seaside Park: $191,000.00.