CAPE MAY – Once again, Cape May City Council was unable to vote on a resolution authorizing the county to move ahead with a construction award for the transition of the Franklin Street School to a county library branch.
The project is a joint effort among the county, city, and library system. Although the county has taken the lead in the procurement effort, the city, which will bear one-third of the project costs, must give a go-ahead through a council resolution.
Mayor Zack Mullock said that the low bid on the project is still not “in hand,” preventing the definitive numbers necessary for the resolution to move forward.
The resolution was tabled indefinitely, although officials believe that the procurement should be settled soon. Mullock even held out the possibility of a special session of the council if the resolution is ready for a vote prior to the next official council meeting.
At issue is an increase in the projected cost of the construction. Mullock said that the city contribution of $2.3 million still appeared to be sufficient when considering grant funds that have been allocated to the effort. The hope that the grant funds would reduce the city contribution now seems more remote given inflation and supply chain issues.
