Egg-Eating Skunks Abound, Harming Turtle Population, Residents Say

SEA ISLE CITY – Sea Isle City Council opened its regular meeting Oct. 13 with a moment of silence for Irene Jameson, long-time resident and Sea Isle City supporter extraordinaire who passed away at the age of 90 earlier that morning.
COAH Regulations
Council approved a resolution which authorizes the mayor to execute a shared service defense agreement to retain a common expert in the declaratory judgement action “between and among the members of the municipal group to provide a realistic opportunity for its fair share of the region’s affordable housing needs in accordance with the Mt. Laurel doctrine.” The amount to be authorized is not to exceed $2,000 and relates to an order pertaining to initial case management executed by Judge Nelson.
Per resolution, this amount of $2,000 is to be deposited in the “Mt. Laurel litigation escrow account” of Fitzgerald and McGroarty. The relevant litigation is action where Judge Nelson Johnson has presided and relates to COAH (Council on Affordable Housing) disputes between New Jersey municipalities and “fair share” housing activists.
During public comment, a resident asked council “What is this all about?” Council chairperson John Gibson replied, “These resolutions authorize our defense against affordable housing ruling and the expert the municipalities’ group has retained is to show that we are compliant with appropriate COAH regulations.”
Skunks Diminishing Turtle Population?
During the public comment portion, a resident described the burgeoning skunk and other rodent populations he has noticed around his property. “I’ve got diamond terrapin turtle nests on my property where eggs are laid and I know skunks are visiting my property and invading these nests. I’ve talked to the Wetlands Institute about the problem because soon we may not have the terrapin around, which is a symbol of Sea Isle City. In speaking to others, I’ve been told that last year, for example, turtle nests numbering in the hundreds were moved and this year only 17 needed to be moved, and I’m convinced it’s because of growing skunk populations, maybe from Avalon, which made a push to get rid of them.  Council needs to do something.” 
In reply Gibson said, “This is an issue of concern, we have an animal control officer so let him know” to which the resident rejoined, “Animal control will come and pick up if you have the skunk contained but not otherwise. If you call the county to help, they will charge you $850 to come out and trap and remove the skunk, and that’s too much to put on an individual.”
Another citizen suggested that wire mesh be put over the turtles’ nests which protect the eggs “but of course don’t solve the skunk problem.” 
TI Bridge Closings
Several residents, during public comment, asked how they can stay informed of when Townsend’s Inlet Bridge will be closed, both for repairs as well as during storms.
“Why don’t you post something on Sea Isle City’s website,” asked one of council.
“We put information out on Facebook as soon as we can when a closing related to a potential storm is possible, although I know not everyone uses Facebook,” answered Gibson. “We also have the issue of the semi-permanent state closing of the bridge due to repairs. Those dates we know and we’ll post on the website. Thank you for your idea of including these dates and other information regarding closings in Sea Isle City’s newsletter. It’s a good idea to check in with police because they will have the latest information about any bridge closing based on what Avalon Borough Police decide because they make the call.”
Access to Closed Meeting Minutes
A resident asked how he can access minutes to closed meeting sessions, following up on a question Council member John Divney posed about pending litigation about the situation at 86^th Street and Landis Avenue.
“This will have a financial impact on Sea Isle and I would like to have some background information and my questions answered,” stated Divney.
“Let’s see if there are alternative ways to get answers to your questions,” replied Gibson.
Cindy Griffith, city clerk added, “Once an issue related to a closed meeting session is concluded, anyone can come to my office where I keep these minutes in a separate minute book and read them. I do not post minutes from a closed session on our website since it would be very time consuming to redact them and then post. ”
To contact Camille Sailer, email csailer@cmcherald.com.