Burns Reappointed to MUA, Cooper Named to Cultural and Heritage

CREST HAVEN – William G. Burns Jr. was reappointed by freeholders Feb. 14 to another five-year term on the county Municipal Utilities Authority. The Avalon resident began his new term Feb. 2 and will continue until Feb. 1, 2022. 
The board appointed Ralph Cooper of Upper Township as a member of the Cultural and Heritage Commission. His term will expire Sept. 22, 2020. He fills the unexpired term of Susan Wallace.
Also at the Feb. 14 meeting, the board passed a resolution of support for Assembly bill A-1095 that would establish a “County Tourism Incentive Grant Fund” in the Department of Treasury.
If passed, it would fund grants to counties for advertising and promotion of their tourism efforts.
Under the bill, the amount of those grants would equal the county’s share of the excess state hotel and motel occupancy fee.
In other action the board:
* Designated February as Career and Technical Education Month in the county. The resolution encourages residents to “become familiar with the services and benefits offered by the Cape May County Technical School District.”
* Accepted an application from Alma George to sell development easements of 41.85 acres of Jalma Farms at 2424 Route 9, Ocean View. The document also approved two appraisals of the land. The action won approval of the county Agriculture Development Board Jan. 30.
* Approved acquisition of a development easement from Carol A. Tomlin in Woodbine of 14.3 acres at 121 Fremont Avenue for $114,400.
* Approved a shared services agreement with Dennis Township for the Dennis Township portion of the countywide regional bikeway Phase 1 in the amount of $739,000.
* Approved shared services agreement with Middle Township for the Middle Township Bike Path Northern Extension for $1.6 million, paid through Open Space fund.
* Accepted proposal of Urban Engineers Inc. for $107,100 for engineering services in connection with Seashore Road (CR 626) for the “missing” bicycle link improvements in Lower Township.
* Approved the 2017 county Library Tax of .00033 of a mil per dollar. Fourteen municipalities in the county are members of the County Library System whose taxpayers will pay that amount, or $33 per $100,000 of valuation.
* Approved a change order for $17,541 to Arthur  Ogren Inc. for the renovation of Lower Township Public service Building for additional work.
*Approved a $99,968 contract with Parsons Brinckerhoff, Inc for bridge engineering services for Ocean Drive Townsend’s Inlet Bridge railing replacement.
*Approved $151,804 contract with Greeman-Pedersen Inc. for bridge engineering on Townsend’s Inlet Bridge underwater substructure repairs.
* Accepted a proposal from NVS INC, formerly known as RBA Group, for $295,537 for engineering services for County Park entrances and parking improvements at the main park in Swainton.