Freeholders Look to Lower Speed Limit on Sea Isle Blvd.

CREST HAVEN – Freeholders discussed lowering the speed limit on Sea Isle Boulevard going into Sea Isle City July 23.
Freeholder Vice-Director Leonard Desiderio said 55 miles per hour (mph) “is too quick.”
“What we’re observing is when they’re (motorists) coming to Sea Isle City, they’re moving pretty good, and they’re still going at that rate coming over the bridge,” said Desiderio. “They’re not slowing down.”
Desiderio noted it’s 35 mph leaving Sea Isle City.
County Engineer Robert Church said he believed the speed limit could be lowered to 50 mph, which is the statutory requirement, but that he would confirm it with the consultant. “If you want to get it lower than 50 (mph), than we would have to do a speed survey and justify it,” he continued.
Freeholder Will Morey suggested looking at traffic calming prior to the bridge, in addition to reducing the speed limit, “to get those (motor vehicles) calmed down before they come flying over.”
Desiderio made a motion during the regular meeting to lower the speed limit to 50 mph approaching the bridge on Sea Isle Boulevard, as well as to further investigate the decrease in speed. Freeholder E. Marie Hayes seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
The discussion was in response to a resolution which authorized a modification of existing no-passing zones on Sea Isle Boulevard from west of the Garden State Parkway to Ludlam Thorofare Bridge. The resolution also passed unanimously.
The modification included:
* No passing in each direction be extended in an easterly direction to mile .66.
* No passing in each direction be extended in a westerly direction to mile 1.61.
According to Church, the roadway (Sea Isle Boulevard) is completed.
In other action, the board:  
* Appointed Sean McDevitt as emergency medical services coordinator for the county for a term from Aug. 1, 2019 to July 31, 2020.
*Authorized a change order not to exceed $35,120 to the contract with Buell, Kratzer, Powell, Ltd. for the removal and replacement of the roofing system at the former Kmart building, 1127 Route 47 South in Rio Grande. 
* Authorized a change order not to exceed $40,000 to the contract with DeBlasio and Associates, Pa. for site work at the former Kmart building, 1127 Route 47 South in Rio Grande. Site work includes moving one entrance sign and replacing rather than repairing subsurface water service in the complex.
* Appointed Catherine Neider as senior employee benefits clerk effective July 12, 2019.
*Reappointed and appointed to the Mental Health, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Board Deborah Lukens, of Cape May, Tom Maletto, of Linwood, and Mary Dozier, of Woodbine. Their three-year terms expire June 30, 2022.
According to the resolution, “members of the board are volunteers and serve without compensation.”
* Appointed Helen Mason as human service specialist three, effective July 8, 2019.
* Authorized a three-year services agreement between the Cape May County Correctional Facility and Saint Francis Medical Center for healthcare services for inmates.
* Amended a previous resolution to clarify and supplement the subtenant leasing provisions of the June 21, 2018 shared services agreement with the Atlantic County Improvement Authority for project management services for the Tech Village at the Cape May County Airport.
* Appointed Robert Church as assistant county engineer effective July 19, 2019.
* Closed the contract with Michael Baker International, Inc. for emergency repairs to corroded floor beams on the 96th Street Bridge in Stone Harbor with a final payment of $23,769.
* Closed the contract with Remington and Vernick Engineers, Inc. for emergency repairs to 96th Street Bridge in Stone Harbor with a final payment of $1,225.
* Authorized a change order for $10,172 to Thomas Barry Marine Construction, Inc. for the railing replacement of Townsend’s Inlet Bridge.
* Authorized a change order for $2,219 to Zone Striping, Inc. for pavement markings on various county roads.
* Designated no-parking along 104^th Street Bridge over Carnival Bay in Stone Harbor. According to the resolution, no person shall park in said location indicated: 104thStreet Bridge, north, shoulder easterly abutment to the westerly abutment; 104th Street Bridge, south, shoulder easterly abutment to westerly abutment.
* Authorized a modification to the professional engineering services agreement with Michael Baker International, Inc. for $71,283 for an emergency to the 96^th Street Bridge in Stone Harbor due to deterioration and distortion of the outer web support.