Three-D-Chess

Recovery from Sandy continued. Grants were available for coastal communities in the wake of the storm. Sea Girt was awarded $2.1 million in FEMA money (although actual payment was delayed). The town quickly got the boardwalk repaired and opened for June. Dubbed "Operation Comeback, Paradise Restored", it involved community groups to pitch in and beautify and clean after the storm. There were no abandoned homes in Sea Girt, and most repairs were completed quickly.

DPW and the Beach Patrol recovered plaques from the boardwalk benches. They were given a place of respect on the pavilion wall. New benches were funded with donations from plaque purchasers.

By contrast, Manasquan, with no dunes and homes directly on the sand, had significant destruction. They complained about slow insurance payments and stated they needed another four years to get the town back to normal.

Bosom buddies from different parties (Wikimedia)

President Barack Obama helicoptered into the Guard Camp as he visited the storm recovery and impacted families. Chris Christie was waiting for him. There were no dramatic speeches or crowds like Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson or FDR. Just a safe handoff to the presidential motorcade before driving to Asbury Park for a photo op and press conference.

There was genuine goodwill between the Republican Governor and the Democrat President, but there was also some chess in the equation of the visit. Christie was looking to gain support from Democrats for his presidential aspirations. Obama wanted to gain some benefit from the generous FEMA benefits, but he also knew that Christie’s reputation would sink in the eyes of some republican loyalists as the two hugged and patted backs. Running to the middle works in a general election, but to win the Republican nomination, you need core of the party's support.

Mayor Farrell used the goodwill generated by Sea Girt's response to Sandy to advance his own agenda. Council got the county to take responsibility for the long-standing drainage problems on First Avenue, which would take another four years to complete. Storm drains and pipes needed significantly greater carrying capacity. More roofs and higher lot coverage in town meant faster runoff into storm drains and catch basins.

Cutting costs proved controversial. The mayor recommended that the Public Works superintendent job be eliminated, dismissing the 9-year veteran Kevin Thompson. There were many complaints, but his goal was to save money, streamline, and give more responsibility to line workers. A salaried manager, who would not get overtime, could cover the job. Councilman Paul Cerami was vocal in his dissent.

There was tension in the borough offices. Borough Administrator Col. Alan Bunting went on medical leave in August, and in December, the Coast Star reported on a complaint letter Bunting filed against the borough and Mayor Farrell, who denied the claims. Someone leaked details from the Executive Session settlement discussions to the press.

The Borough eventually settled with the five-year Administrator and he retired. CFO Lorriane Carafa who spent over 20 years in Loch Arbor before coming to Sea Girt, took the Administrator and Borough Clerk job. Lorraine would take the lead for Mayor Farrell in sourcing ideas to keep the budgets tight and to find grants where available.