Lavallette life boat. (Photo: Daniel Nee)
Lavallette’s beach badge prices will remain steady for the 2021 summer season, however one policy created in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic will continue on after receiving positive feedback from beachgoers.
Lavallette will continue to offer daily beach badges for sale at a shack at the municipal baseball field this summer. Last year, the outdoor sales office was established so beachgoers would not have to enter a closed office space at town hall or engage in transactions with beach badge checkers.
“We’re just looking to start the season where we ended it last year,” said Councilman Michael Stogdill. “People didn’t seem inconvenienced, actually they thought it was a great idea. Once the season starts this year, we will be accepting cash at the ball field.”
Lavallette will continue to operate a tenth guarded beach this season when needed. The expanded guard stand was added to swimmers could be more socially distanced and avoid crowding around a particular stand. It also allowed the borough to direct beachgoers to less crowded areas of town on a few particularly busy days, such as July 4.
Mayor Walter LaCicero asked beach officials to look into the feasibility of adding extra room for surfing this year at one or more of the borough’s unguarded beaches. The current beaches where surfing is allowed, he said, are often populated by surf schools, camps and other people providing lessons, making it difficult for individual surfers to catch a wave.
“We really might try to open up more surfing beaches this year,” LaCicero said.
Beach badges will remain priced at $50 pre-season and $60 in-season for the season. Weekly badges will remain priced at $35 and $12 for daily badges. There is no charge for all disabled veterans of any military service and all military service personnel on active duty status. Senior badges cost $20 per season for anyone age 65 or above.
Future seasons will likely bring higher prices, officials said.
“I do anticipate an increase in the price for 2022,” said Stogdill. “We have the state-mandated minimum wage [increase] and we’ll see what the federal government does.”
