WEST CAPE MAY — Cape May County Board of Commissioners Vice Director Andrew Bulakowski presented Borough Commission with a check for $5,179.50 to fund the Cape May County Land of the Free 250 Year Celebration.
“We’re fortunate to have received a grant from the Cape May County Board of Commissioners,” Deputy Mayor Susan Hoffman said. “We’re going to be hosting a celebration of the 250th anniversary of America.”
The celebration is scheduled for 4 to 8 p.m. July 1 in Wilbraham Park. The event will be “an old-fashioned picnic in the park,” Hoffman said.
Residents can expect food vendors, face painting and musical guests. The U.S. Coast Guard Recruit Band and the John Walter Community Band will both be performing.
Middle Township, Stone Harbor and Wildwood Crest will also be hosting anniversary parties July 1. The county is hosting different events throughout July to celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence 250 years ago. Visit Cape May County’s website for a full list of events.
Ordinances, resolutions
Resolution 113-26 was approved to update the borough’s employment handbook to bring it in compliance with state law.
“If we want to maintain Joint Insurance Fund coverage, we are required to agree with the changes they want so we’re compliant with required modifications, which are based on some statutes Gov. Murphy signed into law,” solicitor Frank Corrado said.
A drafted ordinance was read that would amend Chapter 27 of the Borough Code to establish penalties for companies and builders breaking any land use ordinances.
The ordinance is a three-strikes system, and if a property is shut down for violating any land use ordinance, the contractor receives a red sticker. After three violations, the company can no longer build in the borough.
“We’ve continuously fought road builders and construction people who basically push everything to the limit in terms of what they can get away with, and the fines that can be assessed are minimal, so they will just pay the fine,” Mayor George Dick said. “This will add more teeth to our ordinances and what penalties you can issue.”
The Shade Tree Commission operates with a similar system.
The commissioners agreed to look over the ordinance before it goes out for introduction at the June 24 meeting.
Ordinance 663-26, amending the borough’s salary ordinance, was introduced for publication. The ordinance updates the borough’s salary range.
Resolution 117-26 was moved to hire a new zoning officer, as Norm Roach will be retiring at the end of this month.
Ordinances 661-26 and 662-26 were read for a second time and opened for public comments.
Ordinance 661-26 will provide $2,518,000 in bonds to be used for capital improvements. Similarly, ordinance 662-26 will provide $628,000 in bonds to be used for various improvements to the borough’s water and sewer utilities.
Dick gave the example of the pedestrian bridge project. While grants will pay for this project, the borough needs to have the funds in its accounts, which will come from the bonds, and then will be reimbursed by the grant.
Other projects that will benefit from the bond are Stevens Avenue, First Avenue and the storm sewers.
The borough hasn’t used a bond for capital improvements since 2022 and hasn’t used one for water and sewer improvements since 2012.
“We also have a water sewer utility bond, and a majority of that money is for the generator projects on the pump on 4th and West,” Dick said. “These are the pump stations that pump our sewage out to the end of Sunset.”
Both ordinances were approved by the commissioners.
By JULIA DIGERONIMO/For the Star and Wave
