WEST CAPE MAY — Borough Commission held a budget workshop meeting Feb. 26 and announced that the 2025 municipal budget would be introduced March 12.
Following the workshop, commissioners revisited the topic of allowing outside groups to rent and host events at Borough Hall.
Deputy Mayor George Dick suggested at the last meeting that there should be a Public Works employee present at every event.
Cape May Police Chief Dekon Fashaw spoke during the last meeting and explained that the police force is required to do a sweep of the building after every event.
“My opinion changed when the chief came up and mentioned something I didn’t consider,” Dick said during the most recent meeting. “Given the information he gave us and that there’s no other municipality in Cape May County that does this, I think we should withdraw this from the ordinance.”
Commissioners decided to amend the ordinance to state that Borough Hall will not be used as a public facility.
In other business, the ordinances for water conservation and emergencies were discussed.
There were minor revisions added to the water conservation ordinance and it now states that after their first water violation, residents will receive a letter stating what they did wrong and how to prevent it in the future.
During the public comments portion of the meeting, a resident expressed his concerns about the water conservation ordinance. He explained how weather and water pressure can affect automatic sprinklers and cause more water to be used than expected. He asked the commissioners to take that into consideration when finalizing the ordinance.
Commissioners discussed the water emergency ordinance and Mayor Carol Sabo explained that West Cape May should have the ability to declare a water emergency rather than wait for Cape May to declare one. The borough gets its water from the city.
“I want to rely on our own staff to have the ability to declare an emergency so that should be reflected in the ordinance,” Sabo said.
The plastic contaminants ordinance was also discussed. The ordinance is ready to be finalized and passed after minor changes were made.
In new business, West Cape May will receive a municipal grant of $442,371 to reconstruct First Avenue from Sunset Boulevard to Grant Street. Storm sewers will be installed to mitigate flooding from rain.
West Cape May’s town-wide garage sale will be May 17 and an eco-waste event will be May 31.
By JULIA DiGERONIMO/For the Star and Wave