CREST HAVEN – A resident asked the county commissioners on Tuesday to provide more information on resolutions, particularly those dealing with county projects, before they vote on them.
Mike Garrett of Wildwood Crest said he thought it would be helpful if the public had more information or a description of what a resolution was about. On the agenda was a resolution to authorize $1.74 million for reconstruction and landscaping of the two entrances to the Cape May County Park and Zoo, one on Route 9 at Crest Haven Boulevard and the other on Court House-Dennisville Road, across from Atlantic Cape Community College.
Resolutions up for a vote are now listed on the commissioners’ agenda, but without details.
Earlier at the Tuesday, Sept. 9, commissioners meeting, the board tabled a resolution awarding a contract to R. Maxwell Construction Co. Inc. for $1.74 million for the zoo improvements, which are to include a new information booth at each entrance and landscaping.
Commissioner Bobby Barr asked for the tabling after he and Commissioner Will Morey said they wanted to learn more about the project before voting on it. The vote on the resolution will be delayed for two weeks.
Garrett said that in a similar manner, the county had proposed a $28 million sports/recreation project at Cape May County Park East, but little was known about the project. He said that at the last meeting Morey asked how the scale of the facility was decided, but there were no answers.
“A little back and forth with the public would be a good idea,” he said.
Commission Director Leonard Desiderio said what was proposed two weeks ago was a concept, and the dollar figure was an estimate from MBC Landscape Architects and did not represent a final number.
Garrett also asked, as he has in previous meetings, about Cape May Airport and the county’s terminating its relationship with the Delaware River and Bay Authority.
He raised the matter of the county needing to reimburse the DRBA for capital improvements made to the airport, which have been estimated at $30 million plus. Desiderio said the number has not been determined.
Garrett also asked if the county’s request for bids for operation of the airport could be made available to the public; county Counsel Jeff Lindsay said he could make an Open Public Records Act request for the document. Lindsay said the document has been made available to two reporters from the Herald.
“Can we make it available online?” Morey asked.
Lindsay said yes, but added that they prefer such documents be requested under OPRA.
Carolyn Rush of Sea Isle City, a Democratic candidate for the state Assembly, asked if certain bid rquests, when there is an obvious public interest in the matter, could be held for two weeks while residents obtain and read the document.
There was no direct response from the commissioners to Rush’s question.
Contact the reporter, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or call 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
