LAKEHURST – The cost of ensuring the borough’s cyber security, an increase in this year’s Fourth of July fireworks display and sand erosion at Horicon Lake were discussed during a recent council meeting.
Councilman Brian DiMeo talked about the need for the borough to step up concerning its cyber security precautions. “We’ve pursuing a recommendation from our IT vendor who outsources all our IT support and the recommendation was made that anyone accessing information and potentially confidential files – it should be done on a borough supplied computer.”
“You shouldn’t be able to access information outside a licensed borough computer. We are looking at about $7,000 or so to buy a computer for everyone (mayor and council). That does a few things for us. It brings us more tightly in alignment with a lot of what the state recommends and it also gives the ability to implement even more new security policies on the borough infrastructure,” the councilman added.
DiMeo added that this would, “better protect us from any cyber risk. Cyber is huge and costs continue to go up on the insurance side. Plus, this will assure that we stay in compliance.”
“I believe the cost that we have to pay as a town outweighs what the cost may be if we are left vulnerable and left exposed to a cyber-attack, which could cost in the millions of dollars. It is not just the financial side of it but the time it would take as the town would go down,” Councilman DiMeo said.
Council President Steven Oglesby added, “they used to say with computers it is not a case of ‘if’ but ‘when’ a computer would crash. Now it is the question of not ‘if’ but ‘when’ we can be hacked. Everything is now online.”
DiMeo said the price quote provided three different options. “I’ll get this revised and I’ll get with the CFO (Chief Financial Officer) to see and if that is all good I will see what we’ll do next.”
The cost of everything is going up and that includes the price for fireworks displays. The fee for pyrotechnics this year was noted.
“Our fireworks company has raised their fee by 4%,” Oglesby said. “We pay $13,000 and if we want to have fireworks in 2024 it will be $13,520. The July 3 date has been set for it if we want it.”
Oglesby said he spoke with the borough’s chief financial officer about the increase in price. The council favored moving ahead with the Independence Day weekend display but also noted that they would be seeking contributions from the public and area businesses who might be interested in supplementing the cost.
Councilwoman Patricia Hodges said, “Public Works has been working on the bulkheading along the lake.” The work was extended from the original plan. Other concerns include “stopping the erosion at the lake.” She noted that the borough’s lake needed to be refilled by February 19 and that required other work that needed to be done, performed prior to that date.
She also noted that the borough was in compliance of the State Department of Environmental Protection agency’s storm water management requirements.
Councilwoman Bernadette Dugan said the finance committee met along with the mayor “to discuss the preliminary 2024 budget as well as the utility rates and maybe a proposed increase that is still being worked on. The CFO said we are looking to introduce (the budget) as early as April but is contingent upon some of the new businesses in town and what revenue will be impacting our budget.”
“I also attended a Board of Education meeting on January 23 and regarding the referendum money that passed in November they are going to put in a three-, six- or nine-month CD. They met with architects and they should approve the specs by mid-March and award a contract in April for the (new) roof and kitchen but it is still preliminary,” Dugan added.
Councilman James Davis reported Buildings and Grounds hadn’t met yet while Councilman Robert McCarthy noted the borough was not impacted by a recent recall of Explorer model vehicles.
Also discussed was property that the borough owns in Manchester that may be designated for Green Acres and that currently costs the borough very little. That subject would be discussed further.
The council approved Jaiden Z.Barber for membership in the Lakehurst First Aid Squad, Theresa Davis for membership to the borough Fire Department and Jennifer Hubiak was hired as a Crossing Guard.
A resolution passed authorizing the borough to enter into a cooperative pricing agreement while another resolution called for a memorandum of understanding with Bright Harbor Healthcare and the borough’s police department for the “On Point” program.
A shared service agreement for construction code services between Manchester and the borough was also approved.
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