Sea Isle Council Mulls Future Projects

SEA ISLE CITY – The city administration, Nov. 13, presented to council its proposals for the municipality’s five-year funding plan including capital budget requests for a total of $24.2 million covering the period from 2019 through 2023. 
Business Administrator George Savastano took the lead in going through the capital plan broken down by categories for both general capital spending and water and sewer.
Highlights included the recently announced kayak project which is proposed to be located at 60th Street near Dealy Field and the recreation complex. It will provide for a bayside public launch and storage facility.
This item is budgeted for $1 million for 2019 with the city hoping to augment the project with grant funding.
The “beach, bay, promenade and beach-to-bay corridor” was a special focus of the five-year plan for a total of $4.4 million. Discussion ensued about how and whether to raise the promenade pavilion so that people could have a view of the ocean since sand dunes have been built higher.
“Maybe we can build an extension because people are looking for a shaded area to view the water,” said Council member Mary Tighe.
Savastano noted that raising the pavilion would require permitting, an unsure process, and that lowering the dunes had not been well-received by the Army Corps of Engineers. He then said that Mobi-Mats, plastic mats placed atop sand to enable those with disabilities or using wheeled carts easy beach access, would be put at more locations. In addition, they would be “more elaborate and easier to navigate.”
The budgeted cost for these extra Mobi-Mats is $100,000 in 2019 and an additional $100,000 in 2022.
In response to Tighe’s question about upkeep, Savastano replied, “Yes, we do focus on maintaining them properly, removing the sand is always an issue and getting enough seasonal workers to do the job. But we’ll raise the hourly rate as needed to get the work done.”
“Roads and drainage” was another focus of capital spending for the next five years coming in at $10.3 million. “We need to keep this category well-funded since we never know what grants or county funding we might get,” said Council President Jack Gibson.
Included in this section of the administration’s requests were pump stations, check valves and berms to curb the ever-increasing problem of city-wide flooding.
“The county has designated Landis Avenue, a county road, as an evacuation route, but you’d need a boat to evacuate during typical flooding,” remarked Council member William Kehner.
The subject of what to do with the former school building at 4501 Park Road elicited suggestions among council. The ultimate result was a plan to hold town hall meetings for residents to present their ideas sometime in the spring. “Should we raze it and start new? Should we include a pool? There are so many ways to utilize the site, but we need community input,” said Tighe.
The administration has budgeted $1.5 million to be expended in 2020 for the purpose of starting to address what to do with this building and site.
Another item to be funded is signage for $35,000 in 2019. “We’d like to have an electronic sign with information at the location perhaps at Central and JFK near the playground and another on the causeway,” explained Savastano.
Next, the plan goes before council for discussion and review at upcoming meetings. That will afford the public an opportunity to make comments and provide feedback.
To contact Camille Sailer, email csailer@cmcherald.com.