Lower Hears County Views on Building: Shared Services with Central Dispatch

VILLAS – Avalon mayor and Cape May County Director of Emergency Management Martin L. Pagliughi paid a visit to Lower Township Council April 6, to co-present a shared services concept to council to renovate the existing public safety building at Cape May County Airport in partnership with the county. Pagliughi’s co-presenter was Anne Marie McMahon, county facilities and services director.
Pagliughi explained his goal. “I want to present a conceptual plan and open a discussion about a partnership between the county and Lower Township.” He went on to explain his proposal that the county Office of Emergency Management (OEM), township OEM, Lower Township police and fire rescue all be housed in the current airport location, after that building has been completely renovated for shared use.
He also strongly recommended that dispatch services for the entire county be co-located at the site to centralize emergency communications in the area, and the county. He listed some benefits that this concept would offer.
According to Pagliughi, a shared central dispatch would save hundreds of thousands of dollars and most importantly, improve communication and coordination between responder agencies.
He also argued that because grant money has been difficult to obtain, it is always better for grant applications to feature partnerships between municipalities. Grantees always look favorably on partnerships and regionalization of services when deciding on allocation of grant funds.
He also cited the coming technological upgrades that are necessary in the public safety sector, including new 700 MHz and 800 MHz radio systems that have better clarity, fewer dead spots and greater range for all first responders.
McMahon spoke about her analysis of the building and her estimate of renovation costs. She compared the plans for the proposed Public Safety Building (PSB) that was to be built next door to the township building to the current building at the airport after renovation.
She concluded that the renovated building would offer more square footage to Lower Township Police Department, even with the building being shared by the county dispatch and OEM.
The overall plan is to create three distinct districts at the airport complex. One for municipal usage, one for museums’ (NAS Wildwood) use, and the third for commercial use.
McMahon projected that the total renovation of the building, top to bottom would cost $4.2 million, with $2 million of that for central dispatch. This includes replacing all the HVAC equipment on the roof, roof repair, addressing mold issues, electrical and plumbing upgrades, parking, etc. Security equipment alone would cost about $175,000.
McMahon stated that Lower Township’s responsibility would be $2.6 million for its share of the expense, not including usage fees to the county depending on how the issue of building ownership and maintenance is resolved. Her estimate for a new building in Villas was $6 million.
Pagliughi added that savings would also be realized by those joint grant applications that would pay for the technology upgrades.
Throughout the presentation, discussion about shared central dispatch received support from everyone as the way to move forward.
Councilman Thomas Conrad (R-1st Ward) supported the idea saying, “This is what I have been talking about (referring to shared services savings). This will save us in the long run and service will be better.” Councilman David Perry (R-2nd Ward) stated, “For all the years I have been in fire service, the central dispatch is finally here. I have been an advocate for some time.”
Councilman Erik Simonsen (R-3rd Ward) stated, “As an elected officer, our main job is to keep everyone safe and… to save money. This seems to do both.”
Mayor Michael Beck had another view of the idea. He stated that “central dispatch has been on the table for a long time, and I support that.” He repeated that he also supports shared services whenever possible.
Beck balked at the idea of renovating the existing airport building calling it a “money pit.” He reminded everyone that it has been a sick building since 1991 when the township first acquired it, costing millions when it was supposed to save the township a lot of money.
His second problem concerned police administration. As a former Philadelphia police commander, Beck repeated his argument that police headquarters should be in the community it serves as a tenet of “community policing,” not on the outskirts where accessibility is a problem.
He stated “If we cannot build the public safety building at the township complex, wouldn’t it be better to tear down the existing building and start over?” rather than pour more money into the existing one.
Pagliughi concluded by saying that he was not asking for a vote of any kind that evening, but was hoping for some sort of a letter of intent from council asking that further review be done to answer any questions that may arise.
Conrad and Simonsen supported that idea. Mayor Beck thanked both Pagliughi and McMahon for their presentations.
Animal Welfare Code
The second reading and public hearing on an ordinance concerning proposed revisions to the code regarding animal welfare in extreme weather conditions was conducted. In the public comment section, Helen Thompson criticized the new language that eliminated the need for pet owners to maintain climate control for animals who are in basements or garages during hot or cold weather.
This as a result of prior language that prevents owners from exposing their animals to temperatures below 32 degrees, or over 90 degrees. The issue was that some feel that garages provide relief from the heat, while others feel that the cement floors do not provide cooling without some other source of air movement or climate control.
Previous debate noted that animal control officers should not be responsible for trying to enforce what may be occurring inside garages or basements. Thompson feels that any exposure to cold or heat of that nature harms the animal. Council members seemed satisfied that other provisions in the ordinance will safeguard animals regardless of temperatures by outlawing exposing animals to any unnecessary cruelty regardless of garages or any other structure. Council felt that we do not want animal control to be prevented from using good judgment when enforcing the law, rather than relying on a thermometer.
To contact Jim McCarty, email jmccarty@cmcherald.com.