Verdade Awarded $500 Scholarship from NJ Association of Counties

CREST HAVEN – Joseph Verdade, of Dennisville, received a $500 scholarship from New Jersey Association of Counties (NJAC) at the Aug. 13 freeholders’ meeting.
Freeholder E. Marie Hayes, first vice president, NJAC, made the presentation.
Verdade was accompanied by his mother.
“At school and in his community, Joseph applies his time extremely well,” read Hayes from a prepared statement. “He is a member of the Robotics Club and a Boy Scout currently working towards his Eagle Scout honor.
“He has a wonderful curiosity for the engineering field, which shows in his extra-curricular involvements. The extra-curricular activity that is most important to him would be the Boy Scouts, as it has shaped him into a hard worker and a giving person that he is today.
“Furthermore, Joseph and his pre-engineering class are participating in the Rowan University Punkin Chunkin competition. He and his team are currently designing and building a pumpkin launcher to compete against other high schools to see who can launch the pumpkin the furthest.
“Joseph has an excellent mix of hands-on experience combined with outstanding academic abilities. He works with his father as a plumber’s assistant, which has shown him the value of hard work and helps him visualize when planning projects in his Robotics Club and pre-engineering class.”
Verdade, a student at Cape May County Technical High School, plans to major in electrical and computer engineering at Rowan University.
“You (Joseph) are extremely impressive,” Hayes added.  
 In other action, the board:
* Awarded a one-year, $150,050 contract to V-Comm, LLC for engineering and project management services for the public safety telecommunications 900-megahertz buildout.
* Awarded a contract to Tractor Supply Company for a 15-year lease with a five-year option for a commercial unit, located at 3801 Route 9 South, Rio Grande for $5.3 million.
* Awarded a $73,455 contract to Buell, Kratzer, Powell, Ltd. for architectural and related services for the Public Safety Training Center gymnasium.
* Awarded a contract to Burns Construction Consulting, LLC for project management services at 3801 Route 9 South, Rio Grande not to exceed $398,136.   
* Appointed Beth Colquhoun as public safety telecommunicator, effective July 13, 2019.
* Authorized an articulation agreement with Atlantic Cape Community College to provide students the opportunity to obtain college credit for competencies mastered at the Cape May County Police Academy and Cape May County Corrections Academy. The agreement is from July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020.  
* Authorized a shared services agreement with Ocean County for 10 years for services related to the Cape May County Correctional Facility. “Ocean County Jail will house inmates from the Cape May County Correctional Facility with special medical needs to be determined by the wardens of the respective facilities,” according to the resolution.
* Authorized a memorandum of agreement between the county Department of Mosquito Control and the state Mosquito Control Commission for the collection and testing of mosquito specimens for identification of various arboviruses. The agreement is effective July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020.
* Appointed Zachary Robson as inspector, mosquito extermination, effective July 24, 2019.    
* Awarded a contract to R. Maxwell Construction Co., Inc. to construct eagle and capybara exhibits at the county Zoo for $752,213.
* Appointed Katina Johnson, Christine Lev, Charles Markley, Kyle McCart, Kathleen Moore, and Matthew Neff as senior library assistants, effective July 27, 2019. Lisa Brownback and Victoria Wright were appointed as librarian four, effective July 24, 2019.
* Executed a PILOT agreement with Lower Township for the commercial units comprising Tech Village at the Cape May County Airport.
* Appointed county Planning Director Leslie Gimeno to the New Jersey Delaware Bayshore Council for a period of three years.
* Adopted the creative placemaking plan for “Open Spaces – Cape May County,” formerly known as the “Cape May County Open Space and Farmland Preservation Program.”
* Approved funding to reimburse Atlantic County Improvement Authority for the construction of the Tech Village buildings for an amount not to exceed $6.5 million, as well as a contingency fund not to exceed $300,000. The county received a $6.5 million financial assistance award from the U.S. Economic Development Agency Aug. 28, 2018, according to the resolution.  
* Authorized a $5,500 professional services agreement with American Aerospace Technologies, Inc. to analyze and prepare a report on the evolution of the unmanned aircraft systems industry and drone program in the county.
* Closed the contract with French and Parrello Associates, of Wall, for resurfacing improvements to Commonwealth Avenue with a final payment of $998.
* Approved modification to the Townbank Road (CR 648) speed limit to 35 miles per hour from Bayshore Road to Shore Road. 
* Modified no-passing zones on Seashore Road (CR 626) to include north of Canning House Lane, and extending north to the base of the Cape May Canal Bridge. The action was taken on the recommendation of I.H. Engineers, which the county hired to conduct an engineering study of the road.
* Approved a $50 million bond sale Sept. 12, 2019. “The rates are extremely low at this time, and the county is looking to take advantage of our excellent bond rating of a AA1,” said Brittany Smith, county Treasurer.
She said that part of the proceeds would be used to pay the $23 million bond anticipation note that the county went out for in October 2018. The last bond sale was completed in November 2017.
The bond sale would fund county improvements, road improvements that have not been funded with grant funding, and bridge improvements, Smith continued.
* Introduced a $30 million bond ordinance. The bond includes $29.2 million for improvements at various county facilities including the former Kmart building at 3801 Route 9 South, Cape May City Library, county Chamber of Commerce, Special Services School, County Park and Zoo, Mosquito Department lab, Sheriff’s Office, and Public Safety Building.  
Also included in the bond is $500,000 for information technology and security system technology improvements at county-owned buildings and $300,000 for Wildwood redevelopment projects.
Freeholders approved the bond ordinance Aug. 27.