Dip in Rescue Volunteers Raises Prospect City May Employ Them

SEA ISLE CITY – Sea Isle City’s City Council met Oct. 11 and unanimously passed a resolution which concludes pending litigation “Sea Isle City Retirees v. Sea Isle City.”
“This litigation which was based on three individuals requesting matching benefits as a previous group of seven city retirees had received. Today’s resolution brings to a conclusion this long-pending litigation and provides a settlement to this complaint. The appellate court had sent back to us two specific contracts that were used as guidance, and these three individuals fall within the provisions of those contracts,” the resolution stated.
Council unanimously passed on second reading an ordinance on flood damage prevention as related to the resort’s watershed management plan.
Solicitor Paul Baldini responded to a resident’s question for more details by noting, “Sea Isle City lies within two watershed areas, that of Dennis Creek and that of the Atlantic Ocean. This ordinance pulls together myriad other ordinances on watershed management and concepts and looks to the future as well so that we continue to be good stewards of our natural resources.
“Such things as pumping, berms, and other tools are to be considered and by passing this ordinance we also are getting a break on flood insurance rates for property owners.”
George Savastano, the business administrator, explained a resolution which certifies state review of the municipality’s 2015-2016 best practice inventory.
“This inventory, after we’ve filled it out, gives us an overall score so that we can receive state aid. For this particular inventory we scored over 90 percent, and thus we are entitled to 100 percent of our allocated state aid in the amount of $300,000 which we include in our annual budget.
“This year’s form was condensed from past with fewer questions, and we do a great job in making sure we comply with almost all of them, some of them don’t apply to us, and we ae continuously striving to improve with our best practices.”
Most of the meeting was taken up discussing how to make the city’s emergency medical services sustainable in light of the dramatic drop in volunteers. Such is the case not only here but throughout the county and state. 
Representatives of a consulting firm engaged by the city administration to provide recommendations on the way forward for the city’s emergency medical services provides a summary of what they termed a comprehensive review of the present situation.
Savastano echoed the consultant’s findings, “In summary, we are recommending that the city moves from a volunteer stipend system to one that is city-based to create a sustainable business model for the city.”
The consultant further stated, “We recommend that there be two full-time administrators working 24/7 under the police chief to coordinate staffing and sending out of ambulances and also convert the volunteers to city employees.
“We looked at cost, equipment, staffing, audits and savings to see what the vision for the future could be. Sea Isle City has an amazing staff whose dedication is phenomenal, but it’s difficult in the present times to rely on volunteers who need full-time salaries especially in a high-cost state like New Jersey.
“Given what Sea Isle City already is paying and anticipating conservatively revenues and overestimating budget costs we expect that any change would be about a wash in terms of cost.”
To contact Camille Sailer, email csailer@cmcherald.com.