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Aug. 1-7:
Wind Farm Solicitations
New Jersey has published a revised and more ambitious solicitation schedule for its offshore wind initiative. The schedule carries awards out to 2027 for a total capacity target of 7,500 megawatts (MW). Since we know that Ocean Wind I has a capacity target of 1,100 MW and will require 99 turbines and three offshore substations, the math would suggest that the target capacity of 7,500 MW should require at least 700 turbines and substations along the state’s Atlantic coast.
The 510-page offshore wind strategic plan adopted in 2020 lists 17 designated offshore wind lease areas along the East Coast, from Massachusetts to North Carolina. The strategic plan states that additional lease areas are being considered.
This week, we learned that the public comment period for Ocean Wind I has been extended to Aug. 23. This project is the largest single-state procurement of offshore wind electricity generation capacity in the U.S. todate. That is at the relatively modest level of 1,100 MW.
Solicitation two was awarded June 30, 2021, for a combined offshore wind capacity of 2,658 MW to Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind and Orsted’s Ocean Wind II. The other solicitations have not yet been issued, but all are expected to have awards over the next five years.
School Boards
There was a day not so long ago when school board meetings were about budgets and staffing issues, which attracted few members of the public. People became energized once a year when they sensed a property tax increase in the wind.
Now, school board meetings are forums for intense ideological debate over issues from masks and vaccines to sex education and critical race theory, to policies for transgender students. As the debate has escalated, more members of the public have gotten involved, not always in a manner that supports civil discourse. The issues have become too energized, and compromise is often less an option than it might have once been.
With the major focus on student achievement, school boards are learning how to navigate ideological waters. The challenge is significant. A Parents’ Bill of Rights has been a rally cry for those who feel state mandates have overstepped the boundaries of local control over education.
Monkeypox
The World Health Organization declared monkeypox a health emergency of international concern July 23. This week,the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared it a public health emergency Aug. 4. The federal agency’s step was taken because the declaration authorizes access to resources that could otherwise not be easily tapped. Yet, the categorizing of monkeypox as a national health emergency encourages some to look at these designations of emergencies with a skeptical eye, exactly the mindset no one wants to promote given the continued presence of Covid.
As of Aug. 4, monkeypox had been detected in 6,600 cases nationwide. The West African form of the virus found in the U.S. is, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rarely fatal. It is spread through bodily contact, right now mostly male to male. Public health officials warn the virus can be a serious danger to children under 8 years of age and to those who are immune compromised.
As of Aug. 5, monkeypox cases have been detected in 13 of New Jersey’s 21 counties. The 214 cases reported are overwhelmingly to the north. Nationally, New York has a quarter of all cases reported. Other states with rising case counts include Texas, California, and Florida, all high population centers. No cases have yet been reported in Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic, Salem or Gloucester counties.
Happenings
The Herald recently reported on $19.6 million in accumulated leave liability across Cape May County municipalities. A check of the financial statements of the county government adds another $7.1 million to the total liability, bringing the sum to $26.7 million. The figures give the public a view of an employment “benefit” many did not know existed.
One family celebrated 75 years of annual visits to Stone Harbor with a large reunion and visits from local officials.
The job of municipal administrator varies greatly across the county’s towns and the salaries of those individuals filling that roll also vary, ranging from a contract not to exceed $45,000 to almost $200,000 a year.
The litigation initiated by Cape May’s previous city manager against two current city officials has been dismissed by a judge with prejudice. The litigation was tied to the still ongoing controversy over the use of affordable housing funds for employee bonuses in 2020.
Back passing is a process used by some municipalities to deal with eroded shorefront areas while waiting for the much bigger periodic federal sand replenishment efforts. Now,North Wildwood is saying it may not be able to maintain that strategy given the financial burdens it places on the municipality.
Stone Harbor briefed the public on the upcoming loss of Community Rating System (CRS) points due to a 10-year expiration on the award of certain post-Superstorm Sandy points. Stone Harbor will not be the only county municipality facing the challenge of replacing these points to hold onto existing rating levels, which provide flood insurance discounts to property owners.
A former Ocean City High School teacher was sentenced to five years in prison for sexual relations with a minor student.
No increase in the county tax rate does not mean you may not get a county tax increase in your bill. This year, the county tax rate stayed flat, but Stone Harbor property owners saw a substantial increase in the county tax portion of their third quarter tax bills.
The county is still working through its procurement process with the low bidder on the Franklin Street School construction. The joint project of the county, the county library system, and the City of Cape May will result in the conversion of the historic school building into a branch of the library system.
Spout Off of the Week
Wildwood – On behalf of all the beachgoers, we wish a safe and happy return to the classroom on August 23 to the beach patrol staff. You men and women put in countless hours. Until next summer.
Read more spouts at spoutoff.capemaycountyherald.com.
