The Mayor introduced Gene Keller, NJ DEP, and Keith Watson, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, to give an overview of the seawall project.

They stated there was one authorization to cover the seawall and the beach renourishment. This enabled the projects to take advantage of the fact that they were projects in process and therefore got around the Congress "No Start" policy.

The projects involve the cooperation of federal and state agencies. Keith Watson was involved in the project when it started in 1988/1989 and it has taken this time to bring everything to fruition.

The seawall project has been put out to bid and the bids were due on August 25. A panel will review the bids, and the contract will be awarded in September. The project must be awarded this fiscal year. The residents play an important role.

Construction will start in October/November and will take one year. The contractor will decide where to start, however, with some of the environmental restrictions it is likely that work will start at the 8th Street jetty and work west. Only a limited amount of wall can be worked on at one time so that only a few homes at a time will be disrupted. Construction in the Avalon environment is very difficult.

The borough solicitor has distributed papers outlining temporary easements to allow contractors to get onto property. These easements will be for two years - the year the project will take and a year thereafter. All property owners have granted an easement, otherwise the project would not occur. The Corps wants to have the least impact on the properties.

A question was asked whether the temporary easement document would include restoration of any damage to dunes and personal property to the way it was before the project started, and who would be responsible to make sure the damage is taken care of? The document provides that any damage will be repaired at the expense of the contractor. It will be enforced by a bond. A formal complaint should be made to the field office local to the project or through the mayor's office. Final payment will not be made until the Corps and DEP is satisfied that any damage to property has been taken care of. Photographic evidence will be taken before and after the project to ensure there is no damage. The easement will not permit for heavy equipment traffic. It will be for foot traffic and to rest stones until they are used, and for clearance of the crane. Construction will take place from the ocean.

The funding and permits are in place for the project. President Bush has included $9 million in his budget for a 4500-foot sea wall in the inlet at the north end of the island. The state will pay the balance of the $13 million cost.

The existing sea wall will be torn down and stone that meets specifications will be used in the new wall. The bulkhead will remain. It is not normal practice for any sea wall projects carried out by the Corps of Engineers to be capped. A rough rock surface is usually left.