"I think of the last line of the Gettysburg Address, 'of the people, for the people and by the people.' This is a direct contradiction of that," he said.

The Press of Atlantic City was also asked to leave the meeting, which lasted for a little longer than an hour.

After the meeting, Oldham referred to it as a "work session," and said there was nothing secret about the gathering of officials.

"We've had multiple meetings. We had one eight months ago in Philadelphia with the Army Corps and we had one in March in Long Beach Township. This was a follow-up meeting," Oldham said.

Oldham said one of the reasons the meeting was called was to find out the status of the borrow site that was used to replenish beaches in Surf City. In the winter of 2006, 500,000 cubic yards of sand and more than 1,100 World War I-era military munitions were pumped ashore from the borrow site.

Beaches were closed for a cleanup last spring before the season began and reopened Memorial Day weekend. Since then, 31 additional fuzes were located in the surf, including four that were turned in last month, according to corps spokesman Khaalid Walls.

David Rosenblatt, an administrator with the DEP, said after the meeting on Friday that last month the state gave the corps permission to use the same borrow site. The site was approved after it was decided that certain protocols would be put in place, specifically using a smaller screen when pumping in sand, he said. This protocol has been instituted statewide in all beach replenishment projects, according to Rosenblatt.

So even if a smaller screen is used in future portions of the LBI project, why would the corps, state and local municipality take a chance using the same borrow site?

"That's the approved borrow site. If we didn't use it we would have to go out and research a new area," said Keith Watson, corps project manager. "And there's no guarantee that other areas don't have munitions."

It was also decided at the meeting that Harvey Cedars would be the next municipality to receive sand. Officials representing the five other municipalities agreed that Harvey Cedars is in the most need of the next leg of the project, Rosenblatt said.

Ship Bottom Mayor William Huelsenbeck wants the project to come to his town, but says he does not want to delay the project.

"I fish out in the ocean, and it's easy to see at sea level that (Harvey Cedars is) in trouble," Huelsenbeck said.

A review of the borough's compliance with the state's public access regulations will also have to be conducted before the project would begin in Harvey Cedars, Rosenblatt said.

"We will be preparing other towns in the event more money becomes available for the project, or it doesn't happen in Harvey Cedars," said Rosenblatt.

Right now $4.9 million is available for beach construction in the fiscal year 2008 budget. An additional $11.7 million is pending approval for the fiscal year 2009. Congress is also expected to allocate yet another $11.7 million for the completion of munitions cleanup in Surf City.

But money, a borrow site and meetings aside, the borough is still waiting on 15 easements from oceanfront homeowners who are refusing the corps and DEP access to their property to complete the project.

Earlier this week, the Board of Commissioners passed an ordinance that would allow the borough to obtain oceanfront property through eminent domain.

Oldham said after the meeting that he would like to have a dredge in the borough by November.

"But Harvey Cedars has to supply all easements before an area here is selected for the project to begin," Oldham said.

E-mail Donna Weaver:

DWeaver@pressofac.com

Main points from the
Harvey Cedars meeting

n The next portion of the beach replenishment project will be done in Harvey Cedars. Officials agreed the borough needs it the most.

n The DEP will have to review Harvey Cedars' compliance with the state public access
regulations before the project can start.

n $4.9 million is available for the beach project; another $11.7 million is pending approval.

n Sand for the project will continue to be pumped from the same site as before. Screens with a smaller grid will be used to filter the sand and block munitions.