Green Creek Tidal Project Contract Awarded

CREST HAVEN – Freeholders awarded a contract Aug. 25 to The Louis Berger Group, Inc. of Morristown for $196,614 for planning and engineering services for the Green Creek Tidal Estuary Sustainability Project. The county received seven proposals, with one rejected, according to Purchasing Director Kevin Lare.
The contract is for one year with two, one-year options beginning Sept. 1, 2015.
Lare told the board at its caucus the purpose is to develop a plan to protect and enhance the Green Creek watershed where it meets Delaware Bay.
Farmland Preservation
Two appraisal firms were contracted to estimate the value of land owned by the Ricksom Robbins Estate on Route 47, Goshen for inclusion into the county’s farmland Preservation program. The property consists of 32.85 acres. Firms were Molinari and Associates of Woodbury for $3,100, and Legore and Jones of Cape May for $3,200.
It is standard practice with any farmland under consideration to have two appraisals performed prior to further consideration for inclusion.
Ocean Drive Repairs
Freeholders awarded a $1.18-million contract to South State, Inc. of Bridgeton to make restoration of Ocean Drive (CR 619) from Rush Chattin Bridge to Corson’s Inlet Bridge, Upper Township. The work will be done to fix damage caused by Superstorm Sandy.
County Engineer Dale Foster said bidding was “very competitive” among nine contractors. Highest bid was about $1.5 million, he said.
The work is being funded by the Federal Highway Administration, not FEMA, Foster said. Work should be completed by May 20, 2016. Sheet steel piling and revetment repair will be included, as will plantings that cannot be placed until April.
Hog Rings for Leopard Exhibit
A change order in amount of $1,110 was approved for MJJ Construction LLC of Atco, which is building the new snow leopard exhibit at the Cape May County Zoo. The money is to pay for extra work to install hog rings that are needed for the exhibit.
Ag Development Board
David Reilly, district manager, Cape Atlantic Conservation District, was appointed as a member of the Cape May County Agriculture Development Board for four years. His term will expire Aug. 25, 2019.
Just in Case
As hurricane season matures, and eyes turn southward as tropical depressions become hurricanes, the board, at the urging of Martin Pagliughi, director of Emergency Management, who champions readiness and “being the cavalry” in the event of disasters, adopted resolutions to pave the way for evacuation and medical care in shelters.
By the cavalry reference, Pagliughi means local governments must be prepared to undertake immediate action without assistance of state or federal agencies for several days after a disaster, since it takes at least that long for those entities to mobilize.
The first contract was with Middle Township Board of Education for use of its school buses to assist in evacuation of the county in the event of natural disasters and other emergencies.
The next was with Cape Regional Medical Center to “assist the county at a designated medical needs shelter by providing trained medical personnel during an operational period for up to three days.”