Crest Adopts Budget, Rate Hiked; Dog Park Proposed by Soccer Field

WILDWOOD CREST – The Borough of Wildwood Crest approved its 2016 Municipal budget of $14,921,817 at a short meeting that was preceded by a public hearing to give residents an opportunity to comment and discuss. The local tax levy will increase 1.56 percent from 64.1 cents per $100 of assessed value to 65.1 cents per $100 of assessed value, or $651 per $100,000 of assessed value.
None of the dozen or so residents asked questions or had comments on the budget. The budget may be viewed on the borough website.
Mayor Carl Groon and Commissioner Don Cabrera were in attendance and voted to approve, while Commissioner Joyce Gould sent a statement of support for the municipal budget as proposed, in its entirety.
Dog Park
The proposed dog park was discussed as something that the borough must seriously consider because surrounding communities have already acted on this issue and the municipality needs to stay competitive.
Cabrera mentioned that there is space on the soccer field near Washington Avenue to create a park that will still permit use of that field for athletics. 
Asked about fees, Cabrera suggested that a small fee may be added to the dog registration fee to cover costs. Cabrera suggested that he wants to get some plans distributed to residents in the area to ensure they understand what is being proposed, and that a public information meeting would be held in that area sometime in April.
Beach Protection Plan
Cabrera also mentioned the Army Corps of Engineers’ plan for a beach protection project.
Although details are still being negotiated, and there is still push back by some regarding the height and breadth of those dunes, he is confident that part of the plan will include moving excess sand from the Crest beaches between Cresse Avenue and Rambler Road to North Wildwood.
Groon added that this excess sand is becoming more and more of a problem to the Crest and this project will help address that problem at no cost to residents.
To contact Jim McCarty, email jmccarty@cmcherald.com.