Council Debates Utility Surplus Use

SEA ISLE CITY – City Council met one hour earlier than usual March 15 to enter closed session after approving a resolution to authorize one for the purpose of discussing contract negotiations for municipal supervisors, telecommunicators, clerical and blue collar workers and middle-management professionals.
“We have been negotiating memoranda of understanding with the relevant collective bargaining units and are recommending ratification of these contracts which we have prepared for your approval,” said George Savastano, city business administrator.
“The highlights of these contracts are that they run four years from 2015-2018 and that there is a 2-percent increase across-the-board for each year with employees paying their health premiums as provided by law for the next four years. We also are seeing some savings in health insurance plans,” he said.
Reckless Drivers Need Education
In a prior meeting, Committee member William Kehner had requested that the administration consider barricading flooded roads since “idiot drivers continue to want to go travel on them, especially Landis Avenue despite the huge wakes they are creating which are damaging residents’ garage doors and creating other property damage. They’re being told by their insurance agents that they might start going after these drivers, the city or county,” Savastano replied.
“We looked into the barricades but they’ll just wash away in the flooding. We may eventually put up signs about flood-prone roads. The real key is more education to change these drivers’ behavior which we’ll start doing in the city newsletter and through our reverse 911 system,” he added.
Budget Philosophical Differences
Savastano presented a budget consideration that entails a surplus in the municipality’s water and sewer category of a bit less than $1 million.
“While we have this surplus, we don’t recommend utilizing a utility surplus to offset the current fund category. This will create a structural imbalance as Brigantine has experienced when it tried that strategy and that depletes the surplus as well,” Savastano said.
“Under our five-year budget projections we see a modest increase in the local purpose tax of 2 percent for the years 2017-2021 and a rate increase only in 2020 for this utility. We are following a current prudent plan so want to continue that way,” he added.
Council member John Divney rejoined, “I recommend we go against the plan you are recommending and use the surplus to take care of our citizens. How much do we need in surplus anyway? We are overcharging our citizens in one category, water and sewer, just to keep that surplus.”
Committee chair John Gibson said, “I want to hear what the citizens want.”
He didn’t have long to find out when one property owner gave his view during the public comment portion: “I am charged way too much for water usage in Sea Isle City. In Atlantic City it’s 10 percent of what we pay here and in Philadelphia it’s way less too. We don’t hear anything about water conservation in the city on top of it. I would much rather see my water rate reduced rather than have the local purpose tax reduced.”
No End in FAR Debate
Despite recently having passed an ordinance which creates a new Floor Area Ratio of .08 percent, Committee continues to entertain hearing new viewpoints and debates among members on the issue.
During this session, a local builder, active in the city, made a presentation to pitch for a higher FAR.
“Where have you been throughout the very lengthy and transparent process we’ve been following for months,” queried Divney. A resident during public comments echoed that view. Council member Mary Tighe said, “Some Committee members wanted to vote on FAR only with adoption of our new master plan, I thought we should go ahead with the vote but now I’m thinking we may have missed some details by doing so.”
To contact Camille Sailer, email csailer@cmcherald.com.