Budget Introduced, Beach Maintenance Upheld

NORTH WILDWOOD – City Council covered a variety of reports and resolutions at its meeting Feb. 18:
Proclaimed March as Irish-American Month.
Affirmed the policy on civil rights, discrimination and harassment.
Awarded a professional service contract to Richard Stockton College for beach monitoring services.
Introduction of the 2014 municipal budget took place. The budget includes a 1.1-cent tax increase. Council President Salvatore Zampirri explained that the 1.1-cent tax increase would be “equivalent to $11 on every $100,000 dollars of assessed value.”
Beach monitoring
Mayor Patrick Rosenello explained that the city is committed to maintaining protection of its beaches through an ongoing professional collaboration with Dr. Stewart Farrell, director of Stockton College’s Coastal Research Center.
“Dr. Farrell is our ‘beach guru.’ He’s the preeminent scientist on the East Coast in this field. We had damage to the dunes on the south end and the north end and we are doing some in-house engineering. Ultimately, we are looking into a beach replenishment project within the next few years,” Rosenello explained.
“We have a long-standing and ongoing relationship with Dr. Farrell. He regularly advises us on sand movement, fence placement, etc. He is also involved in every step of the process when we are doing any size beach engineering or replenishment project. During the nor’easter recently, our dune system did its job and kept the ocean out of the town. However, it was damaged in the process.
“Dr. Farrell made a site visit to our beach over the weekend and provided our city engineer and public works department with specific recommendations on fixing the damage and moving sand so as to prevent additional damage to the beach. By Memorial Day weekend, our beaches will be in tip top shape,” Rosenello affirmed.
Irish-Americans important to city
“North Wildwood has a large and active Irish-American population. As the home to the largest Irish Festival in the United States. North Wildwood celebrates the heritage of our Irish-American residents and visitors year-round. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade is the unofficial kickoff for the tourism season in North Wildwood, and has become one of the larger St. Patrick’s Day parades in South Jersey. We have a parade on March 15, starting at City Hall. The St. Patrick’s Day festivities also include ‘The Leprechaun Leap’,” Rosenello concluded.
The council also approved a resolution to urge the New Jersey Legislature to make a permanent 2 percent cap on arbitration awards.
To contact Terrence Harris, email tharris@cmcherald.com.