STONE HARBOR – At the Tuesday, Aug. 6, Borough Council meeting, Chief Financial Officer Cynthia Lindsay reported that consultants from the state Department of Community Affairs’ Local Assistance Bureau would be looking into the borough’s operations. The project is at the borough’s request and the state consultants come at no charge to Stone Harbor taxpayers.

The LAB was organized by DCA to provide high-level technical assistance to local municipalities. The LAB’s website says it provides consultants who are “former municipal officials with expertise and skill sets” in a variety of areas of municipal operations.

While Lindsay did not provide details about the areas the borough is seeking advice on, two strong hints make it apparent that a major area of focus is going to be the borough’s public safety departments, police, fire and emergency medical services.

Following a long closed session where the council met with the consultants, Councilman Tim Carney used the public session to state his strong support for Stone Harbor fire and EMS functions.

Carney, who said he has spent many years as a member of the volunteer fire company, made clear that he was committed to the hybrid model the borough now employs for fire and EMS. He added that with the new hybrid model, “All of our citizens can be proud that we have some of the quickest response times to an emergency in the state.”

Starting on Jan. 1, 2021, Stone Harbor went to a mix of paid and volunteer firefighters and EMS staff. With the move Stone Harbor joined other departments in Cape May County that realized they could no longer meet adequate response time goals with the required number of professionals unless they added paid positions.

The second factor that gives insight into the focus the consultant may have been asked to take by the borough is the background of the two individuals from LAB who are beginning work. One, Rick Richardella, is a retired police chief, and the other, Vince Granese, is a retired fire chief. Everything the DCA website says about the LAB services points to the use of consultants experienced in the area a municipality is seeking to better understand.

The added cost of paid firefighters has been an issue of discussion as the borough adopted recent budgets. The council that discussed and approved the move to a hybrid model in 2020 had on it only two current members of the governing body, Jennifer Gensemer and Frank Dallahan. Both Gensemer and Dallahan voted for the ordinance that created the paid positions in the fire department on Nov. 3, 2020.

Mayor Judith Davies-Dunhour said there would be a presentation to the public on the project at the Tuesday, Aug. 20, council meeting. It is then that the public will be able to determine if there is a broader scope to the project than a focus on public safety finances and operations.

Contact the reporter, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.