CREST HAVEN – A labor contract that covers “the lion’s share of the county’s (government) workforce” won the approval of the Board of County Commissioners May 9.
The former collective bargaining agreement expired Dec. 31, 2022. The new contract’s term is from Jan. 1, 2023, to Dec. 31, 2025.
The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3596, whose members ratified the contract April 28, covers about 450 union members and another 300 non-union and management employees, according to County Counsel Jeffrey R. Lindsay.
Lindsay stated there were no changes to health care coverage in the agreement.
“Most of the changes were to ensure the continuation of operational efficiencies and harmonious labor relations between management and the workforce,” he stated.
New to the contract were “title groupings that provide more clarity to starting salaries and future promotional opportunities. The county and union agreed to place every employment title into one of eight categories that has a starting salary range of $10,000,” Lindsay continued.
Titles were largely categorized by New Jersey Civil Service criteria and codes, but the specific placement was a negotiated item.
Further, the contract incentivizes employees to pursue professional development opportunities that benefit the county in the work being performed.
In the contract’s first year, the county is outlaying most salary increases due to moving employees into the appropriate categories and adjusting salaries accordingly.
The second and third year of the contract provides a 4.5% increase to the base salary.
“Overall, it is a contract that is good for our employees and good for the county. The county values its employees and believes this contract reflects that appreciation while at the same time implementing it in a way that is fiscally responsible to the taxpayers of Cape May County,” Lindsay concluded.
Drone Lease Approved
Precision Integrated Programs, of McMinnville, Oregon, will lease unmanned aerial systems (UAS), or drones, to the county for aeronautical research.
The board unanimously passed the resolution approving the lease May 9. It notes that Precision “owns and otherwise has available to it” an unmanned aerial system made by Edge Autonomy.
The county has authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration to operate “or permit others to operate for a public purpose… unmanned aerial systems in the New Jersey Test Range.”
The county wants to undertake public flight operations using the UAS, specifically for aeronautical research.
County’s Settlement Share
Announced as a $26 billion global opioid settlement, what filtered to Cape May County was $88,080 from the state. The board amended the 2023 budget for that sum May 9.
The funds will be used “to provide support treatment of Opioid Use Disorder and any co-occurring substance use disorder or mental health conditions through evidence-based or evidence-informed programs or strategies.”
A Feb. 25, 2022, news release stated, “The National Prescription Opiate Litigation Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee confirmed the participation of over 90% of litigating local governments nationwide in the $26 billion global opioid settlements finalized with the ‘Big Three’ drug distributors ‐AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson ‐ and opioid manufacturer Johnson & Johnson.
“The settlements require 85% of funds be allocated to programs that will help address the ongoing opioid crisis through treatment, education, and prevention efforts.”
May’s Awareness Month
The board proclaimed May as Mental Health Awareness Month in the county.
The resolution notes: “One in five adults experiences mental illness in any given year.”
It continues, “Long delays, sometimes decades, often occur between the time symptoms first appear and when individuals get help.”
It notes that one-half of chronic mental illness begins by age 14 and three-quarters by age 24.
Peer at Fishing Pier
At the board’s May 9 caucus, Colliers Engineering and Design representatives briefed on options for the Grassy Sound fishing pier.
The structure, part of the former bridge, was deemed unsafe and closed to the public when it was under Middle Township’s control. Pilings have deteriorated, the board was told. That was the reason for its closure.
With an aerial view of the existing condition in the board’s hands, the firm pointed to three possibilities: “Decommission” the pier, rebuild it, or fix the 93-foot bulkhead.
The board took no action but may, at its next meeting May 23.
The firm showed a possible replacement that includes a broader fishing section on the Intracoastal Waterway, where the depth is reportedly about 10 feet.
Also included are lights, benches, and water at the end.
The Sea Isle City Municipal Public fishing pier is highlighted on the firm’s website as one of its waterfront projects.
