Lear Delivers Annual Update

CAPE MAY – Cape May Mayor Clarence Lear delivered his annual State of the City address at the end of the Jan. 7 reorganization meeting. The address is a January tradition.
Stating that the state of the city was “strong and stable,” Lear said that the address represents an opportunity “to measure progress against intentions,” and to set “expectations for the coming year.”
Lear began by acknowledging that, “We have not always had a smooth ride.”
He then reiterated promises he made during his campaign for mayor in 2016. He listed those as a commitment to study policy issues and proposals, to maintain open communications, to be accessible to the citizenry and to maintain “a reasonable transparency of government process.”
In Lear’s view, he kept those promises while combating “insidious rumors and unfounded claims.”
Lear went on to praise the work of citizen advisory committees, commissions and boards that have regularly involved residents in issues of importance to the city. The use of citizen committees has been a hallmark of Lear’s administration, examining issues as varied as making the city more bicycle and pedestrian-friendly to the development of a new public safety building, to what to do with vacant, city-owned property. The council has appointed over a dozen advisory committees and has enacted several recommendations received from them.
Lear dismissed concerns about overly long and contentious council meetings, stating that the vast majority of decisions have been unanimous votes. While much of the city’s routine business often sees unanimous action by the council, Lear did not focus on the specific issues that have divided the council; rather, he called for “wise compromises on thorny issues.” 
Accomplishments
Lear moved on to list what he considered the major accomplishments of the past year.
Noting that Cape May “is apparently unmatched when it comes to long public meetings,” Lear said this was a “sign of an involved citizenry and a vibrant democratic process.”
Lear mentioned a long list of city accomplishments, seeking to project the vibrancy he sees in the city.
He began with financial stability, noting that the tax rate is the sixth-best in the county, even though the city maintains its career fire department, an expense that doesn’t burden any of the towns with lower tax rates. 
He pointed to the self-liquidating nature of all of the utilities, leaving unsaid the fact that there are other towns in which the general budget must support utilities that can’t pay their way.
Lear said revenues were up in numerous areas. Among those on his list were parking meters returning $500,000 more this past year, and beach tags adding $195,000.
A focus on real estate activity let Lear boast of increases in construction revenue, as well as overall growth in the tax ratables of $26 million in the past year.
Lear noted areas where the city has responded to new challenges by taking on the responsibilities of the Fire Prevention Bureau from the state, and investing to assume solid waste collections when confronted with a crisis in recycling costs from outside vendors.  
The partnership with the county and county Library Commission came next, as Lear praised the effort to preserve and repurpose the Franklin Street School as a branch library.
The new jitney service drew praise from the mayor, who noted that 50,000 riders escaped the city’s parking problems by utilizing the service. He announced it would be continued in 2020.
Lear pointed to the fact that Cape May remains a premier vacation, wedding and birding location that mixes an ocean shore experience with a unique exposure to history and a chance for environmental exploration.
An Action Agenda for 2020
Lear moved on to discuss his agenda for the coming year. He placed reaching decisions on the proposed public safety building first in that discussion.
Lear mentioned land-use issues twice when he challenged the city to better “understand and address the need for affordable housing for the city’s workforce,” and to explore “new possibilities with the Housing Authority.”
The mayor recognized the need for the city to develop plans for “dealing with the consequences of climate change.” He avoided the controversies over the causes of the change.
Lear committed the city to continue to seek ways to implement its new master plan, continue the development of the bicycle route from the Coast Guard Base to the elementary school, and to work diligently on the implementation of the Franklin Street School library and multipurpose community center.
Lear promised a new and better city website in 2020, along with progress on the next phases of the Lafayette Park development.
With the “ambitious” agenda announced, Lear assured the city’s residents that a careful concern for “our storied past” would inform any of the city’s actions, while seeking to support the city’s “growth and development.” 
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.