Rabies Cases Increase, Freeholders OK Emergency Bait Buy; Board Actions Taken

CREST HAVEN — Many municipalities are holding, or have held, rabies clinics to vaccinate dogs and cats against the disease. How about wild creatures, the ones that may bite and infect domestic animals? Freeholders at the April 22 meeting approved the emergency purchase of rabies vaccine for $50,458.
Done at the urging of the county Department of Health, the resolution approving the purchase permits the “emergency purchase of rabies vaccines…caused by a sudden spike in the number of confirmed terrestrial rabies cases.”
Purchasing Agent Kim Allen told the board the purchase of over 300,000 bait traps will include about 34,000 that will be dropped froma helicopter in late May and June in forested areas.
As the weather warms, the board also took action on a cooperative pricing agreement that allows the county remain in the South Jersey Power Cooperative, spearheaded by Camden County for purchase of natural gas. Allen said the county has been a coop member since 2008.
In other actions taken by the board:
* William A. Brown of Marmora was reappointed as a member of the Pinelands Commission for three years ending June 28, 2017.
* Pass a resolution supporting increased funding for the state’s dedicated Shore Protect Fund. The fund, which began in 1992 with $25 million “is no longer adequate to protect and preserve our fragile coastline that has contributed $38 billion to the culture and economy of our state through tourism dollars.”
* Approved agreement with the City of Wildwood for special events in 2014 to permit Sheriff’s Officers to be temporarily assigned for special events at $50 per hour per officer paid by the city.
* Amended appointment of Barry Keefe per the April 8 resolution, to the Board of Social Services to fill the unexpired term of C. Joseph Tracy, and to change the expiration of his term to Dec. 31, 2015.
* Changed directorship of the Human Resources Department from Director Gerald Thornton to Vice Director Leonard Desiderio. Formally, it changed directorship from Director of Administration, Revenue and Finance and Emergency Management to Director of Public Safety.
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* Reappointed Mary O’Brien Long and David Coskey as members of Atlantic Cape Community College Board of Trustees for four years”as voting members for Cape May County” until Oct. 31, 2017.
* Appointed Carol Realer as member of Advisory Commission on the Status of Women to a three-year term expiring April 22, 2017.She replaced Carolyn Conover.
* Appointed Jay Young and reappointed Bob Humphries and Paul Glynn as members of county Planning Board. Young’s term will expire April 22, 2017. Glynn’s and Humphries’ terms will expire Feb. 16, 2017.
* Accepted proposal of Gibson Associates in amount of $251,140 for professional construction engineering services for Bay Avenue (CR 656) resurfacing improvements from Sixth Street to 18th Street in Ocean City.
* Approved a shared services agreement with Woodbine for its Open Space recreation improvements in amount $484,0440.
* Established a search committee to nominate a member to the Atlantic Cape Community College Board of Trustees. Members are Scott Halliday, Corinne Robinson, Bruce Riordan, Anthony Catanoso, Dennis Anderson.
* Authorized Stokes Architecture LLC to undertake for the county Planning Department, a conceptual design and master planning service at the county airport effective April 23, 2014 not to exceed $6,000.The firm will target Hornet Road as main entry, look at road design, parking and future commercial development on the road. Also a new fixed-base operator site on Hornet Road, Historic district with museums “and possible boutique hotel, as well as way-finding through the site.