CREST HAVEN – Crest Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, with 80 beds filled of 180 available, will be under new management starting Jan. 1, 2024.
The Board of County Commissioners unanimously passed Resolution 694-23. That document awarded Contract C3-151 to Allaire Health Services to lease and operate the county-owned facility for 10 years with one nine-year option to renew. The firm will reportedly pay the county $1.4 million annually with a 2% escalation clause.
The action will affect members of AFSCME Local 3596. Twenty-six will remain county employees, while 84 others will lose their county employment. It remained possible that the new operator could hire those workers.
The board, silent prior to the action upon the advice of County Counsel Jeffrey Lindsay, spoke of its united decision after it had been approved.
The resolution was moved by Commissioner Robert Barr and seconded by Commissioner Andrew Bulakowski.
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Salary Increases at the Prosecutor’s Office
The Cape May County Assistant Prosecutors’ Association members at the County Prosecutor’s Office received salary increases approved by the board Tuesday, Sept. 26.
According to Lindsay, the Assistant Prosecutors’ Association contract had a few changes in the expired document.
The new contract, effective from Jan. 1, 2023, until Dec. 31., 2026, provides “for an equity increase of $15,000 to each Assistant Prosecutor” in the first year.
The salaries range from $134,165 for the chief assistant prosecutor to $87,353 for a senior assistant prosecutor. Those salaries are available on the Herald’s website under “Government Salaries.” Employees’ names are excluded and replaced by an employee number.
The increase was “needed because our starting salary fell far behind the State Attorney General’s Office and several Prosecutor’s Offices in southern New Jersey with whom we compete for attorneys,” stated Lindsay.
“We are now more in line with those agencies,” he added.
In the second and third years of the contract, the members will receive an increase of 4.3% to their base salary.
“The ability for the [assistant prosecutors] to earn [overtime] was eliminated from the contract,” Lindsay stated.
A Substantial Contract Decrease
Not all change orders increase a project’s cost. That is proven by Resolution 689-23.
South State Inc., of Bridgeton, was awarded the contract for the Ocean Drive (County Road 619) Bridge over Great Channel for superstructure repairs and fender replacement.
As a result of the “as built” project, a $120,069 decrease was approved.
Grant Boosts Prevention, Deterrence
The board approved a grant award for $190,638 from the state Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness from Sept. 1, 2023, until July 31, 2026.
The funds will enhance the county’s “ability to prevent, detect, deter, respond to and recover from threats and acts of terrorism,” according to the resolution.
Lower’s Parades OK’d
Commissioners permitted the Township of Lower to hold its Veterans Day parade Saturday, Nov. 4, along Bayshore Road (County Road 603), from Station Road to Fulling Mill Road (County Road 654), from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.
That portion of the road will be closed to traffic for that time. Motorists should plan alternative routes.
The board also granted the Lower Township Rotary Club permission to close a part of Breakwater Road (County Road 613) and Bayshore Road (County Road 603) for its Christmas parade Saturday, Dec. 9.
The affected roads will be closed from about 4:30 p.m. until about 7:30 p.m.
Contracts Extended
The board approved a contract extension with Wildwood Linen Service for one year, through Oct. 23, 2024, to deliver and furnish linen rental services for various county facilities. The contract is with Churchill Linen Services, doing business as Wildwood Linen Service.
Hy-Point DairyFarms had its contract extended through Oct. 13, 2024. The firm supplies dairy products to Crest Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and participating cooperative members.
Update Hazard Mitigation Plan
Tetra Tech Inc., of Parsippany, was awarded a $161,681 contract to update the county’s “Local Multi-jurisdictional All-Hazads Mitigation Plan.”
The firm was the sole respondent to a solicitation from Aug. 2 when proposals were received Sept. 13.
