Residents urge faster repair and a backup for Belmar’s Lake Como outflow valve after repeated failures

Residents at Belmar’s borough meeting pressed officials to speed repairs and buy a backup for a Lake Como outflow valve they say has failed three times in recent years.

"This is 10 months from discovery to repair," said a resident who identified herself as Martha 102, saying the valve problem was discovered between May and June and that a replacement part learned to be fabricated on Oct. 15 was not expected to be delivered until March. She asked the borough to "prioritize keeping the outflow system operational at all times and to consider ordering a backup part to prevent this recurring issue." The resident said town staff reported a roughly $50,000 price tag for a spare.

At public comment, Rich Sidell, of Surf Avenue, said a prior $6.2 million grant raised questions about who is responsible for managing and funding the pipe between neighboring towns. "Is there an agreement?" he asked, adding that the borough should verify insurance and liability if Belmar is the designated manager.

Several speakers and officials described the technical constraints. A staff speaker said the part is not yet manufactured and that the replacement involves custom work. "It is a 60inch pipe and the parts are not on the shelf," the staff speaker said, explaining fabrication lead times. Council discussion noted that manual gate-valve operations have been used in the meantime and that employees manually open and close a valve at the head of the lake to manage tide cycles, which can place workers in exposed positions during storms.

Residents and council members pressed for both near-term contingency planning and longer-term technical fixes. "Even with a new part, nothing guarantees it won't fail in a major storm," one official said, and the council discussed Plan B options — including pumps and other drainage measures — to protect property and reduce the need to send workers into dangerous conditions.

Council members also reported that the new valve comes with a two-year warranty. One commenter urged the borough to investigate whether prior replacements were covered by warranty and to explore design alternatives so the town is not locked into repeated $50,000 repairs.

Council members said they would research the original intermunicipal agreement cited by residents, refer legal-liability questions to borough counsel, and follow up with the community. The town also agreed to look into whether neighboring municipalities could share replacement costs or responsibilities.

The council did not take formal action on the valve during the meeting; officials said they would report back after reviewing the agreement, warranty status and possible contingency plans.