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Four bond ordinances will fund expansion and renovation at the county Technical School, fund buildings at the Tech Village at the airport and pay for 150 electronic voting machines.
Get ready to tote your reusable bags to stores starting May 4.
Commissioners discuss New Jersey Protecting Against Climate Threats’ impacts.
Inmates and corrections officers’ meals increase slightly. A firm was contracted to supply inmate clothing and bedding.
An adult daycare-medical service contract was amended.
Various paving and architectural contracts were approved.
CREST HAVEN – March 22 was a big money day for Cape May County’s taxpayers.
The Board of County Commissioners adopted the $200.1million budget for 2022 that retains the same tax rate as 2021, $.2344 per $100 of valuation.
At the spending plan’s hearing, there were no comments or questions from commissioners or the public.
In addition, four bond ordinances were introduced that will:
* Provide improvements at the Technical School. There were two; one for $2.25 million, with state aid of $840,000, and $1.4 million from the county. It will fund renovations to the front of the school.
The second, for $5.8 million, will expand programs. The county’s portion will be $1.5 million.
* Allow a $6 million bond that will be used for Phase II at the County Airport’s Tech Village. It will have $2.9 million offset by the Economic Development Agency, with the remaining $3.1 million from thecounty.
* Fund the purchase of 150 electronic voting machines to comply with the Early Voting program. That bond is for $1.4 million.
The hearing for all four will be April 12.
May is ‘Bag Up NJ Month’
Come May 4, 2022, shoppers statewide will be chagrined if they don’t bring reusable bags to stores.
A 2020 state law, deemed the “most progressive” in the nation, will phase out single-use plastic and paper bags.
To inform residents of the change, commissioners passed a resolution that designated May as “Bag Up NJ Month.”
The resolution is part of a comprehensive campaign of educational programs, public and media engagement, and reusable bagdistribution programs throughout the state, with an emphasis on underserved communities.
The board has begun advertising the mandate in the Herald to inform readers of the regulation.
Hayes: PACT ‘Scary’
”I truly believe this will affect our county very negatively,” stated County Commissioner E. Marie Hayes, of Ocean City.
Hayes highlighted some rules, which the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) dubbed PACT for Protection Against Climate Threats, that would affect many areas of Cape May County.
The regulations are rooted in Gov. Phil Murphy’s Executive Order 100 from January 2020 as part of his way to address climate change.
“The scary thing is it was not, in any way, passed by our legislative process Assembly and Senate,” Hayes said.
Higher elevation will be required, and the extent of those rules will extend inland.
“A scary part of this (rule) is if Mrs. Smith on West 7th Street wants to put a new carpet in her bedroom or a new window, she will have to pull a floodplain development permit, or she will be fined, according to the penalties in this ordinance,” Hayes added.
Campgrounds will be required to have foundations built around every structure or cabin. Roads and parking areas in municipalities that adopt the ordinance will be required to be 1 foot over freeboard, even in inland areas, she added.
Hayes fears many municipalities that adopt the DEP ordinance are unaware of the impact it will have on their residents, enforcement, or municipal budgets.
Commissioner Vice-Director Leonard Desiderio agreed with Hayes, noting that the rule would first affect Cape May and Atlantic counties, not the northern counties.
“That makes no sense to any of us,” said Desiderio.
He added Sea Isle City already conforms to higher flood insurance rules, and residents partake in a 35% discount on flood insurance rates, the highest in the state and “one of only six or eight in the nation.”
“We have gone beyond the call of duty what FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) regulated for us,” he continued.
When Commissioner Will Morey wondered if anyone had heard a Democratic reaction to the rule, Desiderio replied, “This should not be a Republican or Democratic issue.”
Desiderio said he “would be shocked” if any Democratic legislators of shore communities would support the regulations.
“The Realtors, the homebuilders, everyone has to join in on this. How far has this gone?” Desiderio said. “Did our legislators even know about this?”
“Believe me, it will destroy the property values on the barrier islands,” said Commissioner Director Gerald Thornton.
“When this becomes a controversy, and becomes that big, and all those municipalities, particularly on the barrier islands, get together with the property owners, and all the real estate people, and start putting pressure on these types of directives that come down from the state without the support of the Legislature, then you’re going to see the Legislature get involved,but it’s got to come from the bottom up,” Thornton said.
Correctional Center Matters
Trinity Services Group Inc. had its contract amended for the provision of meals at the Correctional Center.
As of April 1, 2022, each inmate’s meal will cost $1.883, up from $1.785, while meals for staff will cost $2.64, up from $2.50. The Consumer Price Index drove the increase for “Food Away from Home.”
Bob Barker Co. Inc., of Fuquay Varina, North Carolina, was awarded a one-year contract, with two one-year options, to provide inmates’ supplies, clothing, and bedding at the center.
Division of Aging and Disability Services
An amended contract was approved with Senior Care Centers of America Inc. (doing business as Active Day of Cape May County) to provide adult day care-medical services for the Division of Aging and Disability Services for $78.50 per 10-hour day, each, for 170 residents.
Construction and Related Contracts
Among the contracts awarded was one to Byrd Dog Paving LLC, of Elmer, for $345,747 for the Cape May Bikeway expansion. It will link the Cape May Elementary School to the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center.
The proposal of Remington & Vernick Engineers won the firm a $409,663 contract for engineering services overseeing resurfacing improvements on Ocean Drive (CountyRoad 619) in Avalon between 62nd and 80th streets.
Triad Associates Inc. was awarded a contract not to exceed $100,000 to provide grant administration for constructing a multi-tenant technology building at the county airport. The firm’s proposal was the only one submitted.
A resolution authorizes the Atlantic County Improvement Authority to engage Stokes Architectural & Design and Stantec Consulting Services Inc. to design and build a 16,000-square-foot multi-tenant commercial building at the county airport’s Tech Village. The contract is not to exceed $243,543. A $2.97 million U.S. Economic Development Administration grant will assist the project.
