Mayor News

The Mayor’s Student Advisory Committee (MSAC) is proud to present the Annual Brick Hero Awards, an inspiring event that honors residents and businesses in Brick Township for their outstanding efforts to make our community a better place, whether through small acts of kindness or significant contributions.

This year’s ceremony will take place on Friday, March 14 in the Brick Memorial High School Auditorium, 2001 Lanes Mill Road. The event begins at 7pm with doors opening at 6:30pm. Tickets are available at the door for $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. Proceeds will benefit the Mayor’s Student Advisory Committee and the Brick Teen Center.

The Mayor’s Student Advisory Committee is composed of students from both Brick Township and Brick Memorial High Schools and was established to give young people a stronger voice in local government and the community. MSAC’s mission is to empower Brick’s youth to be civic-minded and to lead with purpose and passion.

The Brick Hero Awards celebrate remarkable individuals and organizations, with recipients being recognized in the following categories:

• Business
• Community Stewardship
• Military/Veterans
• Non-Profit Organization
• Public Safety
• Public Service
• School Personnel
• Seniors
• Volunteerism
• Youth

To nominate a person, business or organization for a 2025 Brick Hero Award, please fill out a nomination form.

For more information about the Brick Hero Awards, please contact Brandi at 732-262-1053.

Brick Township’s Annual Rabies Vaccination Clinic will be held on Saturday, January 25 from 10am – 12pm at the Drum Point Sports Complex. There are four time slots available; 10am-10:30am, 10:30am-11am, 11am-11:30am, 11:30am-12pm. Time slots will be given on a first-come, first-served basis.

Register by filling out this online form or by visiting the Township Clerk’s Office, 401 Chambers Bridge Road, Monday through Friday, 9am-4pm.

Please have your pet on a leash and accompanied by an adult. Staff will be accepting checks made payable to “Township of Brick” at the clinic for licensing. Licenses and tags will be mailed in the week after the clinic.

If you are planning on receiving a 3-year rabies vaccination certificate at this clinic, you must show proof of previous rabies vaccination prior to the clinic. Please attach proof of previous vaccination to your registration.

PLEASE NOTE: Pet must be at least 16 weeks old to receive a rabies vaccine at this clinic.

The first phase of a dredging program at Brick Township’s Traders Cove Marina and Park is set to commence around November 1, 2024, and is expected to continue through December 31. This project, vital for maintaining safe and accessible waterways, involves removing accumulated sediment from the boat slips within the marina. The dredged material will then be repurposed for marsh restoration and ecological enhancement at the adjacent Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, making this effort both a practical and environmentally beneficial undertaking.

“Dredging Traders Cove has become necessary due to the shallow depths that have developed over time. This project will ensure that Traders Cove remains navigable and safe for residents and visitors that use the marina,” said Mayor Lisa Crate. “The project has the added benefit of restoring and enhancing the ecosystem of the Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.”

The project’s primary objective is to improve navigation by deepening the boat slips, achieving a dredging depth of approximately 3 feet below the channel surface, or 6 feet below the mean high-water mark. During the dredging process, material will be collected beneath the water’s surface and transferred through a pipeline to the refuge for eco-friendly repurposing.

Given the sensitive nature of the marine environment around Traders Cove, the contractor, Mobile Dredging of Chester, Pennsylvania, will use a turbidity curtain to minimize disruption and control sediment dispersal. These curtains are commonly used in marine construction projects to contain sediment and protect nearby water quality. They play a critical role in mitigating environmental impact by reducing sediment spread, ensuring the surrounding ecosystems are safeguarded.

The dredged materials, approved for use by both the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), will provide significant ecological benefits. Their placement on the marsh will not only help restore and enhance wetland areas but also improve habitats for threatened and endangered species like the Salt Marsh Sparrow and Black Rail. This habitat restoration will further bolster water quality and contribute to the resilience of the local ecosystem.

The marsh restoration component of the project is being funded through a DEP RGGI (Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative) grant and will have no cost to Brick Township’s taxpayers. The grants are funded by proceeds from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a cooperative effort among several states to cap and reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector.

ACT Engineers has been contracted to oversee this project, ensuring all operations adhere to environmental standards and best practices. This initiative underscores Brick Township’s commitment to both the functionality of its marina and the preservation of its natural surroundings, balancing recreational access with conservation efforts for long-term sustainability.

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Mayor Lisa Crate is pleased to announce that residents can discard of construction materials at the Public Works Recycling Center, 836 Ridge Road, on Saturday, May 11 from 7:30am until 3:30pm.

On May 11, residents can bring construction materials such as kitchen cabinets, sheetrock, plywood, wood trim, molding, wood floors, tile flooring, decking, ceiling tiles, paneling, doors, 2X4’s, roofing shingles and outdoor sheds to the Recycling Center.  Hazardous materials will not be accepted.

This is for residents only; contractors or commercial vehicles will not be permitted.  Proof of residency in the form of a tax bill and driver’s license is required to gain access to the Center.  Materials must be brought to the site; there will be no curbside collection offered.

The Mayor has also authorized a second drop-off day for the autumn. That drop-off day is Saturday, October 12 for construction material collection.

The Township stopped collecting and accepting most construction materials in 2009 in response to escalating tipping fees and abuse by contractors.

For more information, please call Public Works at 732-451-4060.

The Township Council will introduce bond ordinances totaling $10 million at their April 23, 2024 meeting. The bonds will be used to fund Mayor Lisa Crate’s 2024 capital budget. The budget includes appropriations for road improvement projects, drainage projects, police vehicles and equipment, sanitation vehicles, recreation improvements and more.

“The capital budget funds necessary infrastructure improvement projects, vehicle purchases, equipment purchases and upgrades and more,” said Mayor Crate. “They are necessary to maintain our community and keep it clean, healthy and safe.”

The largest expenditure in the capital budget is $2.627 million earmarked for a dredge project that includes marshland restoration at the Forsythe Wildlife Refuge. The project is being done to provide protection from future storms and sea level rise.

The budget includes $2,585,010 in roadway improvement projects. Areas and roads slated for improvements in 2024 include Bay Harbor, Baywood, Lakewood Gardens, Laurel Manor, Lions Head North (Courtshire Drive), Greenbriar, Cherie Manor, Normandy Beach, Herbertsville and Cherry Quay.

“Brick Township has more than 1,700 residential streets that we are responsible for maintaining. Every year, we fund improvement projects for streets that are in most need of repair,” said Mayor Crate.

The capital budget includes $1,277,000 in expenditures for Public Works. This includes $420,000 for a side arm garbage truck, $350,000 for a rear loading garbage truck and $400,000 for the Public Works facility at 836 Ridge Road.

$734,011 in the capital budget has been earmarked for the Police Department, including a high water vehicle and other police equipment. The budget also includes $28,000 for radar equipment and $6,509 for solar powered speed signs.

The capital budget provides $334,000 to remount two ambulances for the Brick Township EMS. By remounting the two bodies onto new chassis, the township is saving a significant amount of money. The estimated cost for two new ambulances is over $500,000.

$75,000 has been included for the design costs for a new public safety building that will be built on the Barrier Island section of the township. The building will house police, EMS and fire department personnel as well as summer crossing guards.

“It is necessary to support our Police and EMS and provide them with the tools, resources and equipment they need to keep our residents safe and this capital program does just that,” said Mayor Crate.

$335,000 has been appropriated for improvements to the Brick Beach 3 concession building. These improvements will focus on the open-air portion of the building and the columns that support the roof. The township will be replacing the columns in the near future with the expectation that the facility will be operational for the upcoming beach season.

Other significant appropriations in the 2024 capital budget include: $541,100 for Information Technology equipment; $60,000 for a new floor in the Civic Plaza Activity Center; $50,000 for new bleachers, $152,760 and for the replacement of the safety surface at Frede Park.

The Council will consider introduce four bond ordinances to fund the 2024 capital budget at the April 23 meeting. The bond ordinances will be up for a second reading and approval at their May 14 meeting.

Mayor Lisa Crate would like to inform high school juniors and seniors in Brick Township who are planning to continue their education after high school about a scholarship opportunity offered by the New Jersey State League of Municipalities.  The League is offering three $1,000 scholarships through the Louis Bay 2^nd Future Municipal Leaders Scholarship Competition.

“I encourage any student from Brick Township who plans on going to college or otherwise continuing their education to apply for this grant,” said Mayor Crate. “With the cost of attending college still rising, the chance to earn some money to help pay for it is worth the time it will take to fill out the application and draft a thoughtful essay.”

Applicants will be required to write an essay of approximately 500 words with the “What My Municipal Government Does Best.” Judging is based solely on the essay including originality, technical composition and appropriateness and effective articulation of theme.

“I am excited to read the application essays and learn what our young people think about how we are doing in Brick Township,” said Mayor Crate.

Students wishing to apply for the scholarship competition can download an application packet.  If you would like to request an application by email, please send an email to emoroney@bricktownship.net.

The scholarship is open to all high school juniors and seniors.  Residents who live in Brick but attend schools in other communities should return their application to Mayor Crate’s office.

A committee will select one essay from Brick Township as a semi-finalist.  That application will be forwarded and reviewed by the NJSLOM Scholarship Committee.  That committee will select 15 finalists and 3 winners.  The winners will each receive a $1,000 scholarship and their essay will be featured in New Jersey Municipalities Magazine.

All applications must be returned to Mayor Crate’s office by Friday, March 15, 2024.  Completed applications should be mailed to Mayor Lisa Crate, Attention: NJSLOM Scholarship, 401 Chambers Bridge Road, Brick, NJ, 08723.