Plan for Public Safety Building Renovations Unveiled

VILLAS – Cape May County officials unveiled a plan to renovate the Public Safety Building at the county airport to include a state-of-the-art headquarters for county Office of Emergency Management (OEM), a centralized county 9-1-1-dispatch center and a police station for Lower Township police.
“Not only could the partnership save both the county and Lower Township millions of dollars, resulting in savings for the taxpayers, but bring the police, rescue squad and court systems up to date with high standards in the workplace,” noted Lower Township Manager Jim Ridgway.
The shared service between the county and the township would also bring Cape May County in line with the rest of the state. Presently, Cape May County is the only county in New Jersey without a shared service agreement for a joint dispatch service.
After two months of meeting with Ridgway and county administration, Martin Paliughi, county emergency management director, and Ann Marie McMahon, county director of facilities and services, presented the conceptual plan to Lower Township Council at an April 6 meeting.
Paliughi said the purpose of his presentation was to open up discussion between the county and township.
Currently the County Emergency Management Office is located in the basement of the county library in Cape May Court House. Paliughi said the location is not ideal and they are looking to relocate. Lower Township’s Public Safety Business is their first choice.
Paliughi proposed a plan that would completely renovate the Public Safety Building with space for Lower Township Police, Lower Township and County Office of Emergency Management, Lower Township Office of Fire Safety and Lower Township Rescue Squad EMS.
Ann Marie McMahon, county director of facilities and services, who is project manager for a number of county institutional renovations explained how she would renovate the 48,000-square-foot building with repairs to the roof, upgrades to the infrastructure and maximize the space that each department would use.
“In the long term this proposal will save the Lower Township taxpayers and the county taxpayers,” said Councilman Tom Conrad.
Councilman Dave Perry said he has been an advocate for a county centralized dispatch and more shared services.
“The main objective as a councilperson is to save the people money and to keep them safe, so this plan seems like a win-win,” said Councilman Erik Simonsen.
Mayor Michael Beck said that while he was in favor of shared services and a centralized county dispatch, he disagreed with having the township’s police station at the county airport.
The council passed a motion to send the county a letter of intent, which allows the county and the township to continue negotiations.