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Oct. 4-10:
Covid
Numbers
For the third consecutive week, Covid metrics remained stable. This week, the county had 230 new cases compared to 235 last week and 233 the week before. There are 415 active community cases, up slightly from 400 the week prior.
There were no active cases at long-term care facilities in the county. The non-resident active cases doubled from five to 10, centered at the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May. There was one Covid-related death of a county resident this week.
Vaccinations continue adding to the list of fully vaccinated individuals each week. As of Oct. 8, the county reports 65.2% of the resident population is fully vaccinated.
Schools must report Covid cases
Until this past week, school districts were not required to report student and staff Covid cases to the state. That changes Oct. 26, when school districts must begin reporting student and staff Covid cases regardless of where transmission occurred.
Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli promised that as the state receives the new required information, it will be made publicly available on the state’s Covid dashboard.
Opioid Settlements
New Jersey settled several lawsuits brought against opioid drug companies, distributors, and those who developed aggressive marketing schemes to push prescriptions, even in the face of data that showed the drugs caused harm.
The result is hundreds of millions of dollars that are expected to flow to the state to address treatment and prevention efforts. The opioid crisis is still with us, with 63 overdose deaths in Cape May County in 2020.
Wetlands
A new report by Rutgers University-associated researchers points to the pervasive loss of New Jersey wetlands and marshes caused by sea level rise and aggravated by anthropogenic disturbance, the scientific term for the impact of human development and land use.
The study points to evidence of marsh loss. It suggests proactive steps necessary in critical wetland ecosystems that are to be maintained over the coming decades. Among those suggestions is the beneficial use of dredge sediment in thin layers along the marshes.
Ferry Fleet
The Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) is continuing the development of a master plan that will guide capital spending in the modernization of the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. This week, DRBA held the second in a series of public virtual meetings aimed at an analysis of potential fleet configurations.
DRBA knows it needs to invest in a new fleet of ferries and is using this planning effort to better understand and improve service to the riders, while also lowering the operating costs for the ferry system over the next 25 years. Among the options being considered are maintaining three large 100-car ferries, moving to three or four medium-sized 75-car vessels, or downsizing to five smaller, lighter 50-car capacity vessels.
No recommendation has yet been made, and public input is being sought with the presentation available for public access.
2nd Homes
Pacaso, an online real estate platform dedicated to second home ownership opportunities, published its annual report on second home sentiment. Some of the key findings are interesting in a county that has close to 50% second home ownership levels.
Survey results show that 71% of second home buyers prefer a second home they can drive to rather than fly; 50% of second homeowners only use their second home for personal use and do not rent it out.
During the 2020 pandemic year, these homeowners increased the use of their second home more than in pre-Covid years. Second home ownership peaked during 2020 and early 2021 and has begun to decline, but it is still higher than at pre-pandemic levels.
A full 12% of second homeowners bought their second home during the pandemic in 2020 and early 2021. No data in the study spoke to current trends given the spike in Delta variant Covid cases.
Happenings
A master plan is being developed to improve the iconic Wildwood Boardwalk and highlight what it has to offer tourists. The plan’s development will be a cooperative venture between Wildwood and North Wildwood.
Nearby Wildwood Crest voted to go out to bid on a project to rehabilitate the building and site of the former borough library.
In Cape May, officials are preparing to break ground on the construction of a new firehouse, while they are also engaged in negotiating a new firefighter contract.
A meeting of Cape May City Council saw some members of the public use public comment to call for the resignation of Councilman Chris Bezaire, who recently pleaded guilty to two fourth-degree crimes.
Having received approval from the state for a judgment bond that will ease some of the financial burdens on the annual borough budget, West Wildwood is moving ahead to define and fill a position borough administrator position.
Middle Township amended its ban on recreational weed businesses to open the potential for cannabis cultivation and manufacturing class businesses in select zones within the municipality. This week, they supported the application of a Massachusetts firm that is seeking a state license.
North Wildwood approved a $3 million bond ordinance for various capital projects, including street and road reconstruction. Meanwhile, ongoing seawall repairs sparked complaints from nearby residents.
Stone Harbor is preparing to, once again, bring an ordinance to Borough Council that would allow for a rezoning in the communities known as the Courts, an area of narrow streets, small lots and living space below 600 square feet. The most recent attempt at the ordinance failed to garner sufficient votes for passage.
Sea Isle City is seeing severe Townsend’s Inlet erosion. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will increase its monitoring of the situation.
Spout Off of the Week
Green Creek – There are still good people in this world! My 18-year-old lost his wallet and was very concerned about not having a driver’s license. He went to the MVC, but that place is still a total fiasco. A day later a young couple arrived at our door, having found the wallet. They would not even accept a reward. We are praying that good fortune befalls them! There’s an awful lot to complain about now-a-days, but thankfully good, kind, unselfish people still live in our community!
Read more spouts at spoutoff.capemaycountyherald.com.
Wildwood – So Liberals here on spout off, here's a REAL question for you.
Do you think it's appropriate for BLM to call for "Burning down the city" and "Black Vigilantes" because…
