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April 4-10:
Flood Insurance
Cape May County has almost 50,000 active policies in the National Flood Insurance Program. All of them came under the new Risk Rating System 2.0 April 1. For some property owners, that could mean a significant hike in premiums. County policy holders currently pay an aggregated $33 million a year in premiums for $12 billion in coverage.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) premiums continue to be discounted based on Community Rating System (CRS) scores, making that municipal CRS rating even more important. Twelve county communities are part of the CRS program, with scores ranging from level three to level seven.
The threat of sea level rise is adding importance to municipal efforts at flood mitigation. Stone Harbor’s governing body heard a report this past week projecting public and private spending of over $42 million in the next decade for flood mitigation efforts.
Plastic Bags
New Jersey’s ban on single–use carryout plastic and paper bags, along with polystyrene foam food service containers, goes into effect in less than a month. The impact on the public now being asked to bring reusable bags or buy them at checkout is unclear. There are some exceptions, but for the most part, that food shopping cart loaded to the top with purchases has to get from store to home in many reusable bags.
The ban is the strictest in the nation, with all but the smallest supermarkets not even able to offer paper bags as an alternative. More than one social media post has called the ban on paper bags “just plain stupid.” Instead of easing into this, the state has set a single cold turkey date. Ripping the Band-Aid off in one motion might not be the most popular strategy.
EMS
Only 11 states in the nation designate emergency medical services (EMS) as an essential service. New Jersey isn’t one of them. The lack of such a designation limits access to certain funding opportunities and leads to inconsistent implementation of the service across the state.
A recent trend in Cape May County has been to turn the function over to a private supplier of the service. Within the last year, Inspira Health has absorbed the basic life support transport service for the county’s mainland communities. Of the five, only one – Upper Township – still provides the service through an arrangement with a volunteer company. Middle Township has become the latest county municipality to contract with Inspira.
Storm Forecast
The Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1 and runs through November. The respected forecast from Colorado State University has been released and promises more of what we have experienced in the last few years – an above average number of named storms, including major hurricanes.
The prediction calls for 19 named storms of which nine will be hurricanes, with four attaining the status of major hurricanes. The report contains a probability of landfall for the storms at 71% for the entire U.S. coastline. In an average year, that percentage would be 52%. Here, on the East Coast, the forecast predicts a 47% chance of landfall as opposed to an average for the last century of 31%.
Per usual, the National Hurricane Center has published the 21 names that will be used in order for storms that qualify. The first named storm of this season will be Alex. If the names are exhausted prior to the end of the season, a reserved set of designations will be used.
Happenings
Budget activity continues, with Lower Township adopting a no tax increase $30.6 million 2022 budget. Middle Township Committee introduced a budget calling for a 5.45% municipal tax increase.
Calling CSI fans. A Wildwood cold case from 1990 saw an arrest based on the use of new DNA technology.
Life jackets washing up to shore triggered a Coast Guard rescue operation, which located a sunken boat that luckily had no one aboard.
The Middle Township police sergeant arrested and charged with witness tampering has officially resigned his position, as he seeks acceptance into a diversion program. The two Lower township police officers caught on camera stealing bicycles in Cape May have both been accepted into a pre-trial intervention program. They also have forfeited their employment in the police department.
A convicted drug distributor won a new hearing regarding the search of his car that resulted in police finding 1,900 packets of heroin.
The ownership of Rio Station in Rio Grande has changed hands, with the new owners looking to eventual demolition of the existing building and construction of a new restaurant on the site. The former Morrow’s Nut House building will become home to four new businesses on Cape May’s promenade. Plans also call for a new Starbucks in Wildwood.
A Marmora man was killed in a car crash April 2, which brought the road fatalities in the county to three for 2022. Of the 12 fatalities in 2021, none had occurred this early in the year. An early morning crash on Route 9 in Court House closed the roadway for four hours.
Stone Harbor officials received a lecture from the sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary at a public meeting of BoroughCouncil. The congregation of sisters is upset with what they say is slow response and poor communication from the borough that is impacting their construction efforts on the site of the now demolished retreat house. Meanwhile, the council discussed proposals for changes to its trash pickup process.
Bobby Rydell’s long association with Wildwood was the subject of many memories, as fans reacted to the singer’s death.
Spout Off of the Week
Cape May –RE: The Stone Harbor comment to “diaper your dogs” because you are tired of stepping in “poop”. Thank you for the excellent idea for my new product that I will try to take on Shark Tank. “Depends for Dogs”. “When you puppy wants to poopy, “Depends for Dogs” will snag the poopy”. Gonna make millions for sure!
Read more spouts at spoutoff.capemaycountyherald.com.
