CAPE MAY — It’s time to replace the filters at the city’s desalination plant but it will re-quire more than a trip to the hardware store.
Council approved spending $142,800 at a Sept. 20 meeting to replace 312 membranes at the city’s desal plant. Councilman William G. Gaffney questioned how often the membranes re-quire replacement.
City Manager Luciano V. Corea Jr. said this was the first replacement of the membranes since the $5 million desal plant opened in 1998. He said the membranes, which are wound in layers “like a roll of toilet paper,” last five to seven years.
Corea said $20,000 to $25,000 per year could be set-aside in a fund over seven years for membrane replacement.
Cape May was the first city in the Northeast to open a desal plant. It has the capacity to pro-duce 2 million gallons of fresh water by reverse osmosis, drawing brackish water from an aqui-fer 800 feet below the city.
In other business: following suit of many other towns in the county, city council unanimously passed an ordinance Sept. 20 limiting where registered sex offenders can reside in the city. The ordinance prohibits those registered under Megan’s Law from living or loitering within 2,500 of a school, park, playground, day care facility or school bus stop.
Any person violating the ordinance is subject to a fine up to $1,250 and or imprisonment or community service up to 90 days.
Resident Corbin Cogswell asked council to take a “wait and see on this issue.” He said police would not be aware of registered sex offenders who visit Cape May on a temporary basis.
Cogswell asked if the city would require owners of bed and breakfast inns and hotels to screen their guest lists for sex offenders.
“If we do that, we’ll really kill this town,” he told council.
A resident, who identified himself as a scout master for 40 years, said he believed the city should take as much action as possible to protect children from sex offenders.
Corea told the Herald since Cape May is about two square miles in size, it is highly probable that no part of the city that is 2,500 feet away from school, park, playground, day care facility or school bus stop, thus banning sex offenders from the entire town. He said a map will be created to confirm the distances.
In other business: Corea reported roadwork will begin on Jefferson and McCullum avenues no later than Oct. 3.
He said the city has received the final draft of a consulting firm’s recommendations for build-ing a new convention hall, which will be presented at council’s Nov. 1 meeting at 1 p.m.
Preparations are underway for the city to launch a low-power AM radio station to provide visitor and emergency information. The city is waiting for a license from the Federal Commu-nications Commission.
Corea said announcing and production services will be provided by WCZT-98.7, The Coast radio. The city’s AM station, which be run by a computer, will have a range of one to three miles.
Portable restrooms at Second Avenue and the beach will be removed by this weekend, said Corea.
Contact Fichter at: jfichter@cmcherald.com
