The Toms River Township Council approved a resolution rescinding a boardwalk expansion contract from one firm and awarding it to another.
What happened
At its March 25, 2026 meeting, the council approved a resolution rescinding the contract previously awarded to Ashland Contractors LLC for the Boardwalk Expansion, Parking and Pedestrian Access Improvement Project (Bid No. CONST-205-216A). The council simultaneously awarded the contract to Black Rock Enterprises LLC for a total not to exceed $4,321,500.
According to the resolution, Black Rock was described as “the next lowest responsible bidder meeting all the bid specifications.”
The resolution does not state why the contract with Ashland Contractors was rescinded. No explanation appears in the publicly available agenda or agenda packet for the meeting.
How it was approved
The resolution was listed as item 10.s on the meeting’s consent agenda. As the agenda states, consent items “will be enacted by one motion” with “no separate discussion” unless a council member requests it. The same consent agenda included several other expenditures: $750,076 for police upfit equipment, $801,242 for fifteen 4-wheel-drive vehicles, and $59,374 for fifteen police upfit laptops.
The meeting also featured a first reading of an ordinance renewing the township’s kayak launch lease with Docksider Marina, and a resolution authorizing pedestrian rapid-flashing beacons at two Route 35 South intersections.
What happens next
The resolution authorizes Black Rock Enterprises to proceed with the boardwalk expansion and pedestrian access improvements. No public timeline for construction has been released.