Sea Bright Inches $1M Closer to Sandy Recovery with Essential Services Grant

With the dawn of the summer season and businesses starting to bounce back from Hurricane Sandy's decimation, Sea Bright is about $1 million closer to recovery.

The small peninsula borough left nearly flattened by the October 2012 storm was one of three municipalities and one county in the state to receive a total of $31 million in Essential Services Grants through the federal $1.8 billion Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster Recovery funding administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Gov. Chris Christie's administration announced.

The grants are designed to aid local officials in the maintenance of basic services that could otherwise be compromised and Community Disaster Loan money does not completely cover in the Sandy recovery process.

“We recognize that some local governments hit hard by Sandy have been financially impacted by the storm," Gov. Chris Christie said in a release. "As a result, they are having difficulties providing  public safety, public works and education and other basic services that are critical to their residents."

In addition to Sea Bright, Atlantic City, Toms River and Ocean County received the grants, with Toms River getting the lion's share of the funding, or more than $15 million. Sea Bright got the lowest amount, or exactly $937,926, proportionate to its smaller 1.3-square-mile size.

In order to be eligible for the grant, the release said, Sea Bright need to: apply for and use insurance payments and all available federal assistance programs, including FEMA's Public Assistance and Community Disaster Loan program; Demonstrate cost restraints to minimize the need for assistance; agree to allocate Essential Service Grant funds only to essential services, such as public safety and public works; ensure updated emergency management plans; demonstrate a commitment to rebuilding public property; facilitate the reconstruction of ratables in a manner designed to minimize recurring damage; and pursue efficiencies through shared services or consolidation as deemed appropriate by local officials to address changed populations or service models.

So far in Sea Bright, the following businesses are back in operation: Dunkin' Donuts, Woody's Ocean Grille, Yumi (sushi), Bain's Hardware, The Mad Hatter, Giglio's Bait and Tackle, Ama Ristorante at Driftwood, Sea Bright Market (formerly Andy K's), Angler's Marina, Northshore, Super Golden Chinese and, not to be excluded, Mrs. Rooney's Hot Dog Stand.

Others are still reconstructing, like Angelica's and DIVE. Some have relocated due to insurmountable damage. Some have been demolished, like the iconic Donovan's Reef.

The public beach is back, though, and some private beach clubs opened as of Memorial Day weekend.

And, as of Thursday, Sea Bright Rising reported that there are new trash bins and planters in the business district. "The planters will get soil and plants on Saturday and the mulching of the beds will be completed as well......Sea Bright is STILL Rising !!!!" a Facebook post said. 

More business and beach coverage will follow next week on Rumson-Fair Haven Patch.