The summer of 2024 has come to a close, but officials in Seaside Park are already moving to make improvements for next season.
The borough council approved the purchase of new flagpoles for bathing areas for the 2025 season, selecting a proposal by East Coast Flag and Flagpole Inc. to provide 18 heavy-duty poles at a cost of $1,626 each.
Officials said the borough has opted to purchase aluminum poles for its beach flags since they will ultimately hold up better than the consumer-grade fiberglass poles that have been used on some beaches.
“We don’t want fiberglass because they splinter,” said Borough Administrator Karen Kroon, explaining that those types of poles become “sand blasted” and are then subject to white paint chipping and deterioration in the coastal environment. “The sand blasting takes the white right off.”
The total contract for the new poles is $29,250. The council approved the purchase at its Oct. 3 meeting.