VILLAS – Mayor Frank Sippel gave the annual State of the Township address at the Feb. 22 Lower Township Council meeting, giving a year-in-review report for 2022.
Sippel said the council approved a $30.6 million budget in 2022, which included a zero percent municipal tax increase. Helping to keep the municipal tax rate level was an increase in the ratable base of over $26 million. Lower Township’s total ratable base is over $3.7 billion.
The township had a 2022 tax collection rate of 99.25% and ended the year with an $8.4 million surplus. The percentage of the total tax collected going for municipal purposes was 31.85%.
There are 15,399 taxable properties in Lower Township, as well as 674 nontaxable properties.
In addition to the financial figures, Sippel gave some highlights of 2022, starting with the January 2022 blizzard that closed roads for a time and resulted in a request for plow trucks from the state Department of Transportation. The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) positioned cots, blankets, and other supplies at two shelters – one at the recreation center and another at the Millman Center.
OEM maintained a Code Blue warming center in the Seashore Community Church when a Code Blue order was issued, which is normally when temperatures are below 32 degrees.
The OEM also coordinated large-scale events, such as the Escape the Cape Triathlon, Fourth of July events, Whale of a Day, Veterans Day Parade, Rotary Christmas Parade, and Military Appreciation Lower Cape May Regional High School football game.
In April, the township held a grand opening for the refurbished Clem Mulligan Park. The township completed $2.9 million in renovations, upgrades, and security measures, which included the installation of security cameras. The township received over $1.6 million in grants toward the project.
Sippel talked about a pilot program that was spearheaded by the Lower Township Police Department (LTPD) in cooperation with Cape Regional Medical Center Addiction Recovery Service (CARES) and the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office’s Hope One van team.
The township invested $2.5 million for reconstructing 4.5 miles of roads, including the reconstruction of Fire Lane. Other infrastructure improvements included storm sewer improvements on Cloverdale, Evergreen, and Spruce avenues.
“This area had been flooding for 20 years,” Sippel said.
The township engineer also obtained state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Coastal Area Facility Review Act (CAFRA) permits for beach and dune maintenance along the Delaware Bay.
Sippel mentioned the new LTPD drone program. The department purchased a $17,000 drone, which will be used primarily for search and rescue operations.
In the area of public safety, Sippel said Police Chief Kevin Lewis took the oath of office in January 2022. He mentioned several initiatives, including enforcing the juvenile curfew. He said the department is working on its three-year reaccreditation, which is scheduled for the end of 2023.
The Lower Township Municipal Court, Sippel said, conducted 180 court sessions, with a total of 1,125 defendants.
Sippel praised the Public Works Department, which worked on the previously mentioned road drainage project. He said the workforce is out there whether the outside temperature is 5 degrees or 95 degrees.
The clerk’s office has been handling more licensing with the implementation of a short-term rental license (STR). There are currently 750 STR licenses issued. There were also 980 dog licenses and 232 business licenses issued in 2022.
The Planning and Zoning office approved 13 use variances, four site plans, and one subdivision. The volunteer boards had new members in 2022 – five on the planning board and one new zoning board member.
The construction office issued 1,222 permits and completed 3,560 inspections, collecting $590,661 in fees.
Code enforcement received 694 complaints and issued 69 summonses in 2022 and responded to 404 complaints about ‘dogs on the beach’ infractions.
“We are looking for compliance, not summonses,” Sippel said.
He highlighted the high number of youths participating in Recreation Department sports, which he said was a way to keep youth out of trouble.
Looking ahead, this year, Sippel said the township will perform about $6 million in infrastructure repairs, repair the community swimming pool, install permanent bathrooms at Lincoln Boulevard and Bay Drive, continue beach access improvements along the Delaware Bay, continue providing various special events, develop the Township Government Continuity Plan, and add eight new members to the Recreation Advisory Board.
There were no questions or public comments regarding the mayor’s address.
Contact the author, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
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