Message from the Mayor - September 26, 2023
On today’s City Council agenda is the introduction of an ordinance to raise beach tag fees for the first time in 12 years. What Council will be considering is a $5 increase to each of the tags that are sold. This will result in a daily beach fee of $10; a weekly fee of $15; a seasonal tag fee for purchases through May 15 of $25; and $30 for seasonal tags purchased after May 15.
The fees for beach tags have not been changed since 2011, and we believe this is a reasonable cost for the summer usage of the beaches, given the magnitude of services that are provided during the season; as well as for the services required to maintain our beaches throughout the year.
In regard to our beaches, as we all know, we just experienced some rough weather over the weekend, which took a toll on our beaches, with a fair amount of erosion – particularly to the downtown and south-end beaches. The good news is that a beach replenishment project is scheduled to be awarded soon by the Army Corps of Engineers. The federal government took bids on the project less than two weeks ago, and we’re hopeful that work on the project will begin later this fall. Related to this, we expect to bring a funding ordinance to Council at the next meeting in order to provide for the City’s cost share of this project. Sea Isle is responsible for 12.5% of the overall project costs, and based on a review of the bids, we expect our share to be in the neighborhood of $3 million.
Also on today’s agenda is a resolution authorizing a grant application to the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs to seek funding from the state’s boardwalk preservation fund. I previously reported that the city would be pursuing funding from this program, and today’s resolution will formally approve our application. We’re working with our city engineer on preparation of the required documents, and our intent is to submit requests to fund the installation of decorative lighting on the north and south areas of the promenade, where we don’t already have such lighting; additional handicapped accesses to the promenade; and complete resurfacing of the promenade. Applications are due by the end of October, and we expect to hear about grant offers in early January.
I want to remind everyone that we’re not through with the difficult weather conditions, as we’re under a coastal flood watch through tomorrow. Winds are expected to come out of the northeast through the rest of this week, so we can expect additional beach erosion. Please remember to keep an eye on weather forecasts, move your vehicles if you’re in a flood prone area; and don’t drive through flooded streets.
As always, please remember we are one Sea Isle City and together we’ll be stronger than ever.
Smile…You’re in Sea Isle,
Mayor Leonard C. Desiderio
Message from the Council - September 21, 2023
During the September 12 City Council meeting, three ordinances were adopted, following Second Reading and Public Hearing...
• Ordinance 1701, which requires insurance certificates to be registered with the City Clerk’s Office when Business Mercantile and Rental Permits are purchased, according to state mandate.
• Ordinance 1703, which requires the safe storage of road salt and other de-icing materials, according to state mandate.
• Ordinance 1704, which establishes wages, salaries and compensation for police officers and other city employees.
Also listed for Second Reading and Public Hearing on City Council’s September 12 agenda was Ordinance 1702, which was written to amend the existing ordinance related to the construction of new homes in order to meet FEMA flood requirements. However, due to the lack of a quorum at the recent Sea Isle City Planning Board meeting, the Planning Board was not able to properly review Ordinance 1702 for Master Plan consistency. Because of this, City Council voted to continue the Second Reading and Public Hearing for Ordinance 1702 until the meeting on September 26.
Each of the resolutions on City Council’s September 12 Consent Agenda was approved, including...
• Resolution 158, which authorized the inclusion of the Municipal Public Access Plan in Sea Isle City’s Master Plan. The Municipal Public Access Plan includes a complete inventory of 130 available public access locations to the beach and bay in Sea Isle City.
• Resolution 159, which authorized the adoption of the 2023 Cape May County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update.
• Resolution 160, which authorized Mayor Desiderio to execute an employment contract between the City of Sea Isle City and EMS Chief Bruce Knoll.
• Resolution 061, which authorized Sea Isle City’s Qualified Purchasing Agent to award contracts below the Bidding Threshold, as established by the Governor.
• Resolution 062, which authorized the refund of an abandoned Construction Permit.
• Resolution 063, which authorized the award of a contract in the amount of $215,636.00 to Think Pavers Hardscaping, of Mount Royal, NJ, for the reconstruction of the roadway along 46th Place.
Our next City Council meeting will take place at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, September 26, on the third floor of City Hall – and we hope to see you there!
Best regards from the members of City Council,
Council President J.B. Feeley
Frank Edwardi
William Kehner
Jack Gibson
Mary Tighe