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May 8–14
Cannabis Lessons Learned
Joe Faldetta, Cape Assist’s director of prevention services, when speaking about an April 18 town hall meeting at Wildwood High School, said that New Jersey has been following the same pattern as Colorado when it comes to legal cannabis. That should not ease people’s minds.
Faldetta added, “Colorado now has more marijuana dispensaries than McDonald’s and Starbucks combined.”
He also noted that the number one intoxicant used by youth is THC – the major psychoactive component of marijuana, adding that THC potency levels have increased, as well.
Faldetta dropped the term ‘legalization’ in favor of ‘commercialization’ of cannabis, saying that with commercialization, access increases.
The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission currently lists 27 locations for recreational cannabis. The commission data shows that from April 2022 to December 2022, the new industry accounted for $328.7 million in revenue and $20 million in state taxes. Those numbers will undoubtedly grow, as will the state’s addiction to the tax revenue.
In Cape May County, three of the county’s 16 municipalities have supported vendor applications for retail cannabis licenses – Middle Township, Lower Township, and West Cape May.
Faldetta also spoke of the state directives that have significantly changed the way police can deal with juveniles who may be engaged in illegal cannabis use, resulting, he argued, in the unintended consequence that youth believe they have no need to comply with the law.
A study by the National Library of Medicine remarks that “commercialization of cannabis, including marijuana, concentrates, and edibles, may affect adolescents’ use directly by increasing availability or indirectly by promoting beliefs that its use is safe and normative.”
The study goes on to say, “Co-use of marijuana with other drugs may be exacerbated by legalization.”
School Board Dilemmas
The challenges facing K-12 public school districts in the county continue to expand. The ongoing reductions in state aid, even with the one-year restoration of some of the cuts, present serious financial hurdles for many of the districts. The imminent deadline for use of the federal Covid relief funds adds to the problem.
In Dennis Township, the school board has put two questions before the voters on the November ballot. The questions would mean a significant increase in the property tax rate. Without the extra funds, the district says there would be fewer teachers, increased class size and the elimination of certain programs.
In Upper Township, the school district may find itself an extra $1 million in the hole due to a dispute with the state Department of the Treasury over a retirement option implemented by the board in the 2000s. The issue appears to be sitting unresolved at the moment.
These issues come as school board elections last year were rife with controversy due to state curriculum changes.
Flood Insurance Rates Climbing
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) data is beginning to provide a better picture of the impact of the new Risk Rating System 2.0 (RR2.0). Using data for single–family policies in force in September 2022, the FEMA data shows the average risk-based cost of insurance is more than double the average current cost of insurance.
Several factors contribute to that discrepancy. Policies fall under the new RR2.0 as they renew, so some policies have not yet been exposed to the new rating system. Also, premiums can only climb by a maximum of 18% per year, which means some homes will see multiyear increases until the premiums hit the new rating system threshold. Cape May County has 10,393 single–family policies in force.
The Risk-Based Cost of Insurance is calculated to show what the policy would pay in premiums if the property was paying the full actuarial rate as defined by RR2.0. Current Cost of Insurance is the actual average premium paid by the same set of homes.
In Cape May County, using the September 2022 base, the current cost policy payment average is $973, while the risk-based cost premium level is $1,937. These are averages, with many properties facing more significant risk-based premiums.
Happenings
The state released the 2022 report on major disciplinary actions taken against law enforcement officers from across New Jersey. In Cape May County, there were 10 discipline incidents reported across seven county agencies.
Ørsted has gone to court seeking to force Ocean City to issue necessary permits for the construction related to the transmission lines that will carry energy from Ocean Wind I to a substation at Beesley’s Point in Upper Township.
Wildwood received a $678,000 infrastructure grant from Ocean Wind Pro-NJ Grantor Trust. The funds will be used to add to a FEMA-funded pump station completed in 2020.
Middle Township had its center designations renewed by the state, with the largest centers being in Court House and Rio Grande.
The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the redeveloper and operator of Seaport Pier have agreed to terms of a settlement, which will resolve a number of violations cited by the state.
The New Jersey Board of Education approved a lowering of the minimum score on the state’s required test for high school graduation.
A simmering conflict between some members of the Stone Harbor Council and the borough’s mayor spilled out into an open meeting of the governing body.
Mediation is the likely next step regarding an alleged assault on a student by another student at the Richard M. Teitelman Middle School.
Red Bull athletes hit the Wildwood sands for the first time, May 6, as part of the “Red Bull Beach Scramble.”
A Woodbine woman with a rare hereditary disease turned art therapy into a small business and an effort to increase awareness for several maladies.
Middle Township Committee ratified an agreement between the township and Capt. Jennifer DeLanzo, who will become the township’s first female chief of police effective June 1.
Avalon Councilman John McCorristin won election as the borough’s first new mayor in 32 years. McCorristin first joined the borough council in 2013.
A former Cape May employee lost his whistleblower suit against the city. The employee was one of six individuals to have received controversial bonus payments from the affordable housing trust fund in 2020.
Three people were unharmed after making a dicey landing at the Cape May County Airport. The downed aircraft was in the northern section of the runways.
Spout Off of the Week
West Wildwood – For those who are concerned about the turtles and the concrete jersey barricades. All we need to do is construct small wooden ladders or ramps that the turtles can be trained to climb to traverse the barricades. Of course because of liability reasons we will need to equip each with a safety harness, gloves and steel tipped shoes for their little feet/hands and of course small helmets. In case they want to move at night each should also have headlamps or small LED flashlights. Or we could let them crawl across the road and find the barricades and realize they have made a dreadful mistake.
Read more spouts at spoutoff.capemaycountyherald.com.
