Freeholder Actions: Fare Free Drivers Honored, CG Commandant’s Visit Lauded

CREST HAVEN – Three Cape May County Fare Free Transportation drivers were lauded May 27 by freeholders for their skills behind the wheel.
Freeholder E. Marie Hayes said it was “An exciting night for my department.” Daniel Mulraney, acting director of Fare Free Transportation, introduced trophy recipients from the Cape May County Fare Free Roadeo.
First-place winner, Brian L. Fitzpatrick, with a score of 894, “Not only took first place here, he also won first place in the state and will represent us in St. Paul, Minn.” she said.
Second-place winner Sandy Lamach netted a score of 875. Third place winner Diane Huffana, with 809 points. Fourth place went to Denise Bachofen, also with 809 points.
Hayes noted she did not think an “Indy 500 driver” could drive the course driven in the roadeo as well as the Fare Free crew.
A Real Honor
Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton reported to the board on the May 23 honor accorded the county by the visit of Adm. Robert Papp, Coast Guard commandant to Cape May. At that visit, Papp accepted from Freeholder Will Morey documents supporting the county’s bid to become a Coast Guard Community.
The board passed a resolution that designated May 23 as Adm. Robert J. Papp Jr. Day in Cape May County.”
“It was a real honor for the County of Cape May to have the commandant of the Coast Guard come here and meet with us. I was so very impressed. It is not very often we get a four-star admiral come to Cape May to meet with us. He ranks up there with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. That’s major for us,” said Thornton. “The Coast Guard base is very important to us,” he added. “He said how important we, our county, is to the Coast Guard Base. He emphasized that. We are very proud of those young men and women,” Thornton said.
He also noted that retired Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Pierson, county veterans interment officer, had attended the Memorial Day service at the county Veterans Cemetery as had about 200 others. “I am proud that nobody forgets those who sacrificed so much,” he added.
Other actions:
The board took the following actions:
* Amended a shared services agreement with the county Bridge Commission and the county for sharing responsibilities and financial and operating obligations involving county bridge facilities.
“The county and the commission now believe that management services can be provided with existing county employees to provide efficient and economical support to the commission for services that the commission has historically funded,” the resolution states.
* Accepted proposal of Maser Consulting for $1.046 million for engineering services for the Sea Isle City Boulevard improvement. That was about $500,000 less than the original proposal, according to County Engineer Dale Foster. “We negotiated it down to a more reasonable figure,” he told the board.
* Approved a shared services agreement with Salem County for housing of jail inmates to alleviate temporary overcrowding which may occur in either facility. Amount is $100 per inmate per day. The agreement ends June 20, 2015. It also provides six additional one-year renewals.
* Entered an eight-week contract with Michelle Lord, starting May 14, to provide mounted unit close quarters maneuvering for the Sheriff’s Department.
* Awarded a contract to Constellation NewEnergy, Inc. for county participation in demand response energy conservation programs to analyze the county’s ability to participate and get maximum benefits through a review of electrical usage.
* Authorized emergency purchase of a chiller unit for the county Administration Building for $163,400 to Falasca Mechanical, Inc of Vineland. The present 195-ton HVAC chiller unit is operating only at 25 percent capacity, and was set to be replaced due to age and condition, according to the resolution.
* Approved an emergency purchase for $19,120 to Falasca Mechanical, Inc. of Vineland to replace a heating pipe at the Main Branch of the County Library.