Mayors to Jointly Announce Barrier Island Repopulation Friday

The mayors of Brick Township, Toms River and Seaside Heights will jointly announce plans to permanently repopulate their barrier island communities Friday.

The North Beach area of Toms River, all of Brick Township and single-family homes in Seaside Heights will be included in the formal joint request to repopulate their towns on the same day. The request will be submitted to Gov. Chris Christie for approval.

Seaside Heights Mayor William Akers said Wednesday the repopulation date will be Jan. 7.

The hard-hit neighborhood of Ortley Beach will not be included in the plan, officials said, however a statement will be made Friday regarding its eventual repopulation.

"Based on what we're seeing from the utility companies, we expect [Gov. Christie] to look favorably upon the request to repopulate," Brick Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis said in a statement.

Toms River Mayor Tom Kelaher said he, as well as Acropolis and Akers, have been in "constant contact" with utilities in the run-up to repopulation.

"We are putting public safety first to make sure that the gas, electric, water and sewer companies are doing their due diligence to make sure their services are safe and reliable," Kelaher said.