CAPE MAY – At its Aug. 2 work session, Cape May City Council previewed three videos produced as part of its beach safety education campaign.
The videos, developed with the Beach Patrol, cover quick tips on beach safety, an explanation of the warning flag system, and advice for body surfing.
A fourth video, not completed, will cover boogie boarding.
This year the city has dramatically increased its safety education efforts with the intention of reducing the number of injuries sustained by bathers.
The issue of beach safety has been a paramount one for the city. Residents have advocated for greater municipal action to reduce injuries which may be linked to the beach slope.
The city established a Beach Safety Committee which Mayor Edward Mahaney said would meet again this month, this time with representation from federal and state agencies that have most of the control over the physical nature of the beaches.
Some are concerned that years of beach replenishments, when combined with wind and wave action in the area, are responsible for a dangerous slope increasing the likelihood of plunging waves.
The new videos are part of an overall effort that saw the city redesign its beach safety brochure, put up new and augmented signage, and increase Beach Patrol efforts and beach tag personnel to talk to visitors about safety concerns.
The videos will be available on the city’s YouTube channel, on websites for the municipality and its beach patrol, on the city’s Facebook page, its Comcast channel and screens in Convention Hall.
Capt. Robert Sheehan
The 18-month controversy surrounding the commander of the police department continue to provoke public comment at council meetings. Jerry Gaffney, city ex-mayor, asked about progress in the lawsuit filed in 2015 by Capt. Robert Sheehan after he was returned to that rank by the council following a probationary year as chief of police.
Gaffney said that he left the council in 2006, yet he was recently deposed by lawyers for the city and its insurance agent, the Atlantic County Joint Insurance Fund.
Gaffney indicated that the questions he was asked focused on the time card controversy that eventually led to the retirement of a long-time veteran of the department, Clarence Lear.
Lear, a candidate for mayor in the Nov. 8 election, was in the audience.
Gaffney pushed the council to settle the matter through an out-of-court agreement.
City Solicitor Anthony Monzo said that Sheehan’s attorney had made no offer of settlement. “The city would be willing to sit down and discuss any offer to settle the case,” Monzo added.
Gaffney replied by asking if the city has taken the step of offering a settlement package, a question to which there was no reply.
Mahaney then ended the discussion by saying that council cannot publically discuss an open legal matter.
Other Business
Mahaney used the regular report of the city engineer to inform the public that the city believes any Department of Transportation work stoppage caused by the impasse in Trenton over the best way to replenish the Transportation Trust Fund would be short lived.
“We don’t perceive an extended stop,” he said. He urged that the city continues with all planning and design work to be in the best position to take advantage of a resumption of work.
City Manager Bruce MacLeod said the Outdoor Seating Committee was reviewing an initial draft of a possible city ordinance. He indicated that the committee was making good progress on potential regulations for outdoor seating which would give the municipality some control over the growing number of such arrangements while also not overly restricting an activity popular with visitors.
Parking Concerns
Parking continues to be a concern as the city grows its tourist business. Council member Shane Meier presented a proposal for a parking facility on a portion of the land that is part of the Jersey Central Power and Light cleanup.
The proposal was referred to the Outdoor Seating Committee. Council has added a fresh look at parking enhancement options to that committee’s agenda.
Mahaney said the city’s newsletter was being printed and would soon be out to residents. This issue of the newsletter will focus on the proposed ordinance governing regulations for certificates of continued occupancy and flood damage prevention compliance.
Mahaney wants to get as much information to property owners as possible in advance of the Aug. 16 meeting of the council when that ordinance will be discussed.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.
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