To access the Herald’s local coronavirus/COVID-19 coverage, click here.
CREST HAVEN – Freeholders approved a measure May 26, during a Zoom regular meeting, to permit municipalities to select any date between May 26 and June 1 to begin lodging transient guests or seasonal tenants at 60% of full capacity.
The action was detailed in a three-page document that explained the reasoning, due to novel coronavirus (COVID-19), that the governor and the board took earlier to limit transient lodgings.
Some of those steps pointed to actions taken to limit the spread of the virus, social distancing, and cited various executive orders by Gov. Phil Murphy that “voided and precluded county and municipalities from imposing or enforcing any restrictions” that could have conflicted with those orders.
Among the clauses in the resolution was one that stated the board had “thoroughly monitored the spread” of the virus and impacts on communities. It further noted that the “infection rates” in the county “have steadily and continually improved, and, at this time, it is in the best interests of our residents to further advance the smart, thoughtful and progressive reopening” of the county.
By the action, each of the 16 municipal governing bodies was free to take action that each deemed fit to let motels, hotels, guest houses, or private residences accept new transient or seasonal guests.
In other action the board:
- Reappointed Maryanne K. Murphy, of Court House, to a three-year term on the County Bridge Commission. Her term will expire May 1, 2023. The body oversees the operation of five Ocean Drive bridges from Lower Township to Ocean City.
- Declared an emergency to repair the southwest bascule girder cover plate and structural parts of the 96th Street Bridge, linking Middle Township and Stone Harbor. South State Inc. was engaged as the contractor to make repairs, while Maser Consulting PA was awarded the contract for construction engineering services on a time and material basis.
- Approved modified bridge operations on the Ocean Drive (CR 619) across Great Channel, between Stone Harbor and Middle Township. This is the bridge at the resort’s south end. The resolution noted that, due to COVID-19, reduced staff was available to operate the bridge, which will be closed to navigation from 6 a.m. May 15 to 10 p.m. Oct. 15. It will remain operational on a “signal basis.” Such a signal must be given two hours prior at (609) 368-2726.
- Vessels able to pass under the bridge without opening are still allowed to do so.
- The bridge may be opened for emergencies, provided a 30-minute notice is given. At all other times, the drawbridge will operate per federal regulations. The U.S. Coast Guard has been notified and given its consent to the action.
- A modification was made for $122,207 to Michael Baker International Inc. for engineering services for the Rio Grande Avenue entrance improvements in Wildwood. The firm’s original job was expanded for design and coordination for the relocation of overhead utilities, pavement box revisions and meetings with businesses and property owners.
- Another modification was made for $22,643 to Tetra Tech Inc., for engineering services in connection with site remediation at the county airport. The work is being done to investigate and remediate sites at the airport so that no cross-contamination from surface runoff will occur in parts that are being redeveloped.
- Approved refunds to be processed by the County Park and Zoo for cancellations of reservations due to COVID-19.
- Freeholder Jeffrey Pierson informed the board that a Veterans’ Corner had been created in the lobby of the Administration Building, with a POW-MIA flag and an empty chair, to signify those who remain missing in action from various wars.
- Pierson also noted that a recertification package was being sent to the Coast Guard Community Foundation, as a step toward recertification of the county as a Coast Guard Community. The county was designated as such in 2015 and must be recertified every five years.
