Times Talk
City Council members Mary Tighe, Jack Gibson, and J.B. Feeley.
Tighe, Gibson, Feeley Unopposed
Mary Tighe, Jack Gibson and J.B. Feeley will run unopposed during the May 11 municipal election. The trio, running under the slogan “Committed to Community, Dedicated to Progress,” have teamed up to run together for the three open council seats. Tighe, Gibson and Feeley previously ran together unopposed during the 2017 election.
Tighe, the assistant director of public health nursing for the Cape May County Health Department, earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Radford University. Her past experience includes working with the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office; she has been a board member of Volunteers in Medicine, past president of the Republican Women of Cape May County, and a member of the New Jersey League of Municipalities. She is seeking her fourth consecutive four-year term and previously served a two-year term under the previous form of government.
Feeley is a lifelong summer resident and a full-time resident of Sea Isle City for nearly 50 years. He is seeking his second four-year term on council. He worked as a realtor in Sea Isle City for 28 years before taking a job with the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority in Atlantic City as its senior project development officer for 12 years. He retired in 2014.
Gibson is seeking re-election for his third four-year term on council. A graduate of Villanova University and a U.S. Army veteran, he served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1992-2006.
Sea Isle City Council also includes William Kehner Sr. and Frank Edwardi Jr., who are not up for re-election until 2023. Mayor Leonard Desiderio, who heads the city administration, also will not be up for re-election until 2023.
Parking Permit Change
Sea Isle City recently made a change to the operation of its seasonal parking permits. Following approval by City Council, each permit will now be limited to use by three vehicles, which must be registered with the city at the time the permit is purchased. Only one vehicle at a time can use the permit, which enables the user to park at any regular metered space or City parking lot. Previously, the permits were transferable to an unlimited number of vehicles and did not require registration.
Municipal Clerk Shannon Romano said the change was made due to complications with police enforcement of the permits. There wasn’t an efficient way to tell which permits were actually transferable, especially if they were not visible in the vehicle.
“Our weekly permits are nontransferable, and they are vehicle specific,” Romano said. “For enforcement purposes, to stay more consistent, they wanted to make this change.”
A total of 400 seasonal parking permits are available, at a cost of $250, and they will be valid from May 15 to Sept. 6. The city will begin accepting applications April 1 and will continue to do so until the permits sell out.
The necessary forms will be available on the Sea Isle City website a few days before the sale begins. Once completed, they should be brought to the former Sea Isle City Public School building at 4501 Park Road during business hours. Proper social distancing and COVID-19 safety protocols will be in place.
For more information, go to seaislecitynj.us.
The Sea Isle City Chamber of Commerce and Revitalization recently has launched its new website, seaislechamber.com.
Chamber Launches New Website
The Sea Isle City Chamber of Commerce and Revitalization recently launched its new website, seaislechamber.com. The updated website features portions of the new commercial clip the organization is planning to unveil this spring on the homepage as well as a revamped business directory. It is compatible across all devices, making it easy to use.
“We are proud of the updates that have been made to our website, enabling the business community to better utilize components of it to better get their business messages and exposure out there,” said SICCCR president Brian Heritage.
The site was designed and developed by 7 Mile Publishing & Creative. Users have access to a directory that highlights more than 130 Sea Isle City businesses, information on the chamber’s upcoming events, business spotlights, links to social media and more. There is a special offers and deals page that gives users a chance to check out the discounts and specials that each business is running for the month. Visitors are also encouraged to sign up for the SICCCR e-newsletter for exclusive news, deals and promotions while checking out the new website.
For more information, go to seaislechamber.com.
2021 Beach Tags Available
Sea Isle City’s 2021 seasonal beach tags are now on sale. The tags are being sold for the preseason rate of $20 through May 15. After May 15, the price will be $25. Beach tags are required for everyone 12 years and older from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day, 9am to 5pm, except for free beach days on Wednesdays.
This year’s beach-tag design features an “I Love SIC” theme and three nautical flags.
Tags can be purchased by cash or check at the Sea Isle City Welcome Center at 300 JFK Blvd. via the lobby window during business hours (Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm). They can also be purchased 24/7 in the vending machine in the lobby of City Hall; the payment must be in cash.
If you are unable to purchase your beach tags in person for the preseason rate, beachgoers also have the ability to download the 2021 beach tag application online at visitsicnj.com and purchase their tags by mail. All forms must be received by the beach-tag director by May 15 to receive the preseason rate. No tags will be mailed; customers must pick up their tags at the beach-tag office.
Another option for purchase is to download the Viply app to purchase daily and seasonal beach tags with your credit card. A nominal fee will be applied, and you must have your cellphone or device with the Viply app available when you pick up your tags. To purchase via the Viply app, go to viplypass.com/sea-isle-city/.
For more information about beach tags, go to visitsicnj.com.
The stormwater pumping station at 38th Street & the bay.
City Seeks Grant for Flood-Control Project
New pumping stations and storm sewer lines are needed in order “to help mitigate flooding,” according to Sea Isle City spokesperson Katherine Custer.
The total cost of the project, including construction and soft costs such as engineering, legal fees, etc., is estimated at $2,755,750. The city hopes to cover the cost of this project with a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Back in November, the city submitted the application for the grant to the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management. It was approved and has moved to the next step in the process, to be approved by FEMA itself.
Custer said the project will help keep Sea Isle City on top of FEMA’s Community Rating System. The CRS classifies communities based on how well they handle flooding and what they have done to mitigate it.
Custer said Sea Isle City is “one of the best communities in the country” in dealing with flooding, according to the CRS. It was one of the “first to achieve the higher rating in New Jersey” and is “still among the leaders in the state,” according to Custer. The higher the community’s standing on the CRS program, the lower flood insurance premiums are for homeowners.
“We have nuisance flooding and storm-surge flooding,” Custer said. “We are trying to limit that.”
The project is expected to be undertaken in 2022, and is expected to take four to six months to complete. The area affected by construction will be drainage area 23, which covers 44th Street to 47th Street from Landis Avenue to Park Road.
Once the grant is approved, the City Council will begin accepting bids from companies to complete the project.
When the work is completed, Custer said, homeowners can be more at peace knowing the city has done what it can to limit the possibility of “damage and inconvenience” due to flooding.
Firefighters’ Duty Crew Program Established
Members of Sea Isle City Council voted to establish a duty crew and adjust the stipend program for the volunteer fire department during its Feb. 9 council meeting. The ordinance creates a payment program for volunteer firefighters who assist with the overnight shift to ensure that there are firefighters on duty during nights and weekends in the summer and at other select times. The cost of the program will be capped at $30,000 per month.
“The Sea Isle City Volunteer Fire Department has provided outstanding service to our community for many years,” said Mayor Leonard Desiderio. “The fact is that certification, training, and continuing education for volunteer fire department staff are considerable, requiring significant commitment from the men and women who choose to volunteer. The demands of our city are also significant, and while we are confident that Sea Isle can continue to be properly served by the volunteer department, establishment of the duty crew will provide for optimal protection during our most vulnerable times.”
The Duty Crew Program is voluntary and involves a maximum of four volunteer firefighters per night. Payment is $160 per 12-hour overnight shift and is separate from the stipend program that was established in 2015 that offers attending firefighters $25 per call, meeting or drill. The program became effective immediately over Presidents Day weekend and will continue throughout the summer and on busy weekends throughout the year.
The Sea Isle City Volunteer Fire Department is composed of more than 30 members. New members are always welcome to join. Members meet on the first Wednesday of each month at 7pm.
The Sea Isle City Volunteer Fire Department will now have a Duty Crew staffed during nights and weekends.
Pickleball is a popular sport in Sea Isle City.
More Pickleball Courts Coming Soon
Relief is on the way for pickleball fanatics in Sea Isle City who have had to wait for court time due to the sport’s rising popularity.
The City Council announced the introduction of a funding ordinance for the use of capital surplus to construct seven addition pickleball courts at its Jan. 26 meeting. The courts will be built adjacent to the Municipal Marina Building on 42nd Place near the bay, on a parcel of land the city refers to as “the clamshell lot.”
“It will be wonderful seeing people playing pickleball as you drive across the Sea Isle Bridge,” said Katherine Custer, the director of the Department of Community Services Public Relations/Recreation/Tourism. “Pickleball is very popular here in Sea Isle City, and in recent years our local pickleball community has grown tremendously. Larger and larger groups of people have been gathering at the courts and wait on the sidelines for court time.”
The project went out to bid in February, and in its March meeting the City Council awarded a $179,715 contract to Ricky Slade Construction, Inc., of Bridgeton, N.J. The goal is to begin construction this spring and complete the courts in time for use this summer. In addition to the courts, there will also be fencing, benches and trash cans.
“Quite frankly, the demand for this activity has exceeded our ability to provide sufficient space, and the construction of seven additional courts prior to the coming season will be a welcome addition,” Mayor Leonard Desiderio wrote in the city’s newsletter. “I want to thank the folks who have worked with city staff to develop this plan, and I want to thank the Community Services Department for their efforts in seeing this through.”
For project updates, go to seaislecitynj.us.
Strathmere Motel’s Fate Still Up in the Air
They’ll try it again … A technical glitch on March 11 caused the Upper Township Zoning Board to move the issue of the old Strathmere Motel to a later date.
Owner Stephen Maloney, of Haddonfield, hopes to raze the nearly century-old structure and replace it with a modern facility offering amenities expected in 2021. The existing structure 513 Commonwealth Ave. has been closed for the past three summers.
The proposal has generated buzz around town and a high level of interest in zoning meetings all winter. When more than 100 people went online for the March 11 meeting, it became apparent that a technical glitch would make it difficult to proceed.
Maloney has had his proposal reworked several times to meet the concerns of neighbors. According to the Zoning Office, the meeting has tentatively been rescheduled for April 21.
