BRADLEY BEACH — A series of changes to the borough’s summer beach-locker-rental program — including switching to online registration, raising the rates and installing 33 handicap accessible lockers — is in the works.
Mayor Larry Fox announced the changes at the Feb. 22 borough council meeting.
The mayor said that locker renters who already have a locker from last season will receive an email on April 1 requesting they register for a locker through CommunityPass, which is an online software used by municipalities for residents to register for programs and activities within their community.
Locker renters will then have from April 1 to May 1 to register and pay their annual fee. For people who struggle with technology, an in-person registration will still be provided at borough hall, located at 719 Main St.
People who no longer wish to rent a summer locker, or who do not complete registration in time, will have their locker space given to someone on the locker rental waitlist, which has been closed off from accepting new people, according to Mayor Fox, “due to low turnover and capacity issues.”
At the meeting, plans were also announced to introduce, in the near future, an ordinance seeking to raise the initial cost of a locker rental from $535 to $575, and the annual fee from $165 to $180 for the 2023 summer season.
According to Mayor Fox, the choice to raise the annual fees is the result of research conducted by the borough in which it was discovered that Bradley Beach’s rates are lower than nearby beach towns. Mayor Fox cited Asbury Park, which has an annual locker fee of $225 a year, and Avon, which has a $500 upfront fee and a $250 renewal fee.
Mayor Fox concluded the presentation by saying that the borough plans to provide 33 handicap accessible lockers for this upcoming summer, which will be available for use by people with disabilities.
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