Stats: City’s Average Age up, Pupils down; Resident Fears Deadly Causeway Crash

SEA ISLE CITY – This resort’s City Council met May 31 and opened with a comment by President John Gibson that some beach goers had been less than pleased having bought beach tags and found only six locations were guarded. 
Starting the agenda of the meeting was a presentation on the school budget by School Board President Dan Tumulo. “Our student demographics are going down, and I don’t see this trend changing. As of the 2010 census, the average age in the city was 58, and correspondingly our student numbers have dropped from 267 in 2002 to 83 students this year,” explained Tumulo.
“The good news is that our year-over-year budget remains the same at $1.8 million. We have been helped a lot by the new president at Bishop McHugh, who is doing great things at that school. Without having them as a resource, if they would close as might have happened a couple of years ago, our costs for educating our children at Ocean City, for example, would be much higher since the number of students we’re sending there would increase.
“It costs about $15,000 per student on average, second graders cost less than high-schoolers, that we send to the Ocean City school district. If McHugh closed, our costs would be $650,000 higher for those students which we would factor in over a few years.
“We have these funds in reserve but are working very closely with McHugh to see how we can help them as much as possible without violating any separation of church-and-state rules such as buying books or equipment. McHugh is in the Dennis Township District, so we are working together on this. Our attorney has been working on a related plan for over one year,” continued Tumulo.
He also explained that under the state’s “equalization” law even if a municipality’s number of sending students drops there is a minimum that must be paid which can be offset with community projects, for example.
Buying a Fire Truck
Council unanimously passed on introduction and first reading appropriation of $560,000 to buy a fire truck with a related issuance of a city bond of $532,000 to finance part of the cost.
Council unanimously passed a lengthy list of consent agenda items. Among these were two resolutions honoring new Eagle Scouts. William Poole’s project was construction of a food pantry in the city. Jacob Gibson, a grandson of the council president, constructed a remembrance garden for local teens who have died prematurely. They include his close friend, who provided motivation for the concept.
Causeway Concern
During citizen comments, resident John Henry pointed out, as he has during the past several meetings, the dangerous nature of the construction of Sea Isle Causeway, which has resulted in narrow lanes and no shoulders, thus no margin for driving error.
“I’ve seen in recent days, on at least six occasions, what looks like young people ‘playing chicken’ where a car stays in the oncoming lane for as long as possible and then abruptly swerves into the correct lane. Maybe some of them are on their cell phones but with more people driving this route now that it’s summer, this is getting more and more dangerous. I’m fearing a head-on collision which will be a huge problem for us,” said Henry.
Gibson asked Business Administrator George Savastano, to follow up with the appropriate transportation officials.
Who’s Confidential?
Another resident asked what was the nature of a contract between the city and “confidential employees” per a resolution? Savastano explained, “These are employees that are not in the union but under the same contract as CWA (Communication Workers of America) and union employees whose titles are “deputy clerk” and “confidential assistant to the mayor,” said Savastano.
To contact Camille Sailer, email csailer@cmcherald.com.