CAPE MAY – A group of private citizens approached the City of Cape May, seeking to take responsibility for the maintenance of the Fisherman’s Memorial.
Located on Cape May Harbor’s waterfront, the memorial, dedicated in 1988, commemorates fishermen lost at sea.
According to City Solicitor Frank Corrado, a citizen group around the time of the memorial’s dedication formed a non-profit corporation, leased the memorial from the city, and provided for its maintenance. The group faded over the years, the corporation’s charter expired, and the responsibility for the property returned to the city where it must compete for city budget dollars.
Corrado offered his comments during the Cape May City Council meeting June 16 because the city is responding to the emergence of another group of concerned citizens looking into taking the responsibility for maintenance and fundraising for the memorial.
Corrado explained that the citizen group would have to form a non-profit entity in order for the city to enter into a lease agreement similar to the one used in the past. Mayor Clarence Lear said he would encourage the group to take the next step, form a non-profit entity, and present to council their plans for the memorial.
