##VIDEO ID:LyMGYV-D2e8## those are some of the non those are the non-infrastructure strategies I will uh mention that there there is a k May County local Road Safety plan that is being developed in parallel to this plan uh there are the data is using similar data uh some of the stakeholders uh are are common to both plans uh some of the non-infrastructure strategies are also common to both plans but the Kate May County plan is all of Kate May County not just Cape Island uh the emphasis areas are slightly different I think um but they're very similar um our next steps uh upon uh appr if this plan is approved uh us do requires that it be posted publicly uh and then we can move forward with implementation so our action is on the screen you know what the action is so uh that is our presentation thank you I I do have a question I'm not sure if I should address this maybe perhaps to you Mike but you know um we have worked with the tour operators on lsvs and education and materials um myself and chief fasal for the last uh two years so I was hoping that there might be a bit more of a formal incorporation into um you know the the issue of lsvs on the island because we have seen certainly an uptick and I don't think you would see that in the data um because it was you know only through 2 2021 but we've seen a lot um an increase in activity and certainly driving behavior and education so uh not to derail the plan and getting buying and sign off for this evening but I do think it's something that we would like to see incorporated into the education component um moving forward uh we've done our work that we can but it really needs to be a little bit more um hardwired into it so if I could just add that's why we that's why it was mentioned in there so a lot of this plan was to set up activities and projects to get grant funding for to so if we wanted to expand that lsv educational component because it's mentioned in this plan we can develop a program for that would be great I would very much like to see that so and I have a quick question since the data shows uh only to 2021 um all the grants and additional monies that you would be or we would be applying for um does that create a problem okay because typically you would want to see data you know up to date um it should not this is this meets all the the criteria as a qualifying action plan yeah okay and how often does the data come out from the from the state it it gets updated every year there's a there's a delay as you can see there's a lag in time time from when it's almost a 2-year lag in data uh it's would' love to see it come out a lot a lot sooner so they would be adding 2022 at some point sort of a rolling addition yeah yeah okay yeah okay thank you sure any other questions or so our next step obviously if Council approves this and we move forward we would then uh possibly work with GPI and establishing a looking you know picking two or three projects that we might want to pick out of this plan to be our first steps to apply for grant money for 2025 because the cycle you know they usually you know was it the timing is Springtime for their their Grant Cycles yeah we expect it probably in March they may come out with another notice of funding opportunity yeah so that's what we'd want to do is work probably continue to work with uh the bik ping committee and and work on okay now that we got this which are the two or three that we want to maybe focus on to apply for for next year perfect good anything else Council thank you very much we really appreciate it and I and I do want to uh commend our liaison uh councilman Mike joerger and all the folks who worked on this on the bicycle and pedestrian uh I know they put a lot of work into it so also West Kate May and K May Point lower Township we thank you for their partnership so thank thank you mayor thank you thank you guys and Council if you are inclined we do have resolution 3071 2024 resolution approving the cape Island Safe Streets and Roads program action plan okay okay do I have a motion I'll make the motion do I have a second I'll second any questions or comments Council roll call council member Yer yes council member Meyer yes council member MCD yes depy mayor bwin yes mayor mullik yes okay thank you right on to ordinances for second reading and consideration for adoption this is ordinance 546-2213 of the Kate May city code to establish limits on City recycling collection and require private collection for amounts exceeding those limits and there is a public hearing tonight mayor is anyone here wishing to speak on ordinance 546 please come to the microphone and state your name and address good evening my name is Tony monusco and I'm from K May Courthouse but I work here in K may I want to thank you for this opportunity for allowing us to voice some concerns and the opportunity that you allow us to do that is very commendable so thank you so I am here on behalf of Cape Resorts and I manage the dozen properties that we have here in Cape May this recycling ordinance will put a lot of uh difficulties on not only our business but other businesses as well it's already reducing the limited Services we've received from the City of Cape May Cape Resorts can consider significantly to the city's Revenue directly with property taxes mertile fees concession agreements and indirectly with the visitors that we bring to our town I know our properties pay nearly $700,000 in property taxes and fees to the cities for services it is unfair and unreasonable to deprive our business of a service when contributing so much to Cap May other than police Fire EMS recycling pickup is the only service that our properties get without additional charges we support the city implementing recycling standards that make the workloads feasible for the public work team however we do not believe that this proposal limit on recycling is fair based on our contribut contribution and a few other businesses who rely on the city pickups at the recycling at the curb please know that we make every effort for our visit visitors to have the best experience here in K May the ordinance will result in additional charges to our properties that could result in US passing that on to our guests in addition this ordinance would have additional vehicles on our already busy and crowded streets I hope that you can help Kate green initiatives moving forward and rejecting this ordinance please thank you thank you is anyone else here wishing to speak on this ordinance Dennis you want to go ahead and then Mr roara Mr oara why don't you go ahead please once again I'm Tom oara and I'm at 261 Beach Avenue uh Uncle Bill's Pancake House and I kind of agree with everything that uh pretty much he just said and uh the additional traffic and I mean I don't have a ton of recyclable but I just think that you know doing it to a commercial property isn't the right thing to do I can understand if you have other properties you know but if I just I don't I put out maybe four toter and to bring another company in just to take care of two more toters just seems not okay with me can I ask you Mr har the toter are they the 96 gallon the big the big ones just yeah okay mhm no I actually I have a one and A2 yard dumpster that they dump for me okay that I've had forever I put recyclables in so that's like two toter okay and then I have other totter next to it in case that one doesn't hold at all so they're only dumping the one dumpster for me uh but I'm just you know I don't put out a whole lot of cardboard you know my cardboard actually we we we take care of our own cardboard through uh with Congress Hall we do a lot of joint stuff together to try to keep the trucks away from the the area because uh we do trash together we do all our cardboard into a dumpster you know and uh so we try to do the best we can do with the traffic and parking and everything I mean we we share parking and each other's Lots so so that's it okay all right thank you Mr anyone else on this ordinance uh Dennis and then Jules sorry Jules Rous 1010 New York Avenue um I'm Peter Cole our president was going to be here but I'm here speaking on behalf of of the taxpayers board we had a a board meeting last Thursday and and uh frankly this this subject has been on our schedule for well over a year we've had a number of conversations with the various City people over the year to discuss the issue of recycling I think it's important to remember that uh for some 20 odd years or more and and I know it's gone back for like five or six various Mayors the ordinance that is in in existence in this community is an ordinance that says and I may paraphrase it the collection of recyclables is for Residential Properties only the collection for recyclables for commercial is at their own sole expense by contract whomever they choose long about 2017 during an administrative change there was a an unfortunate uh circumstance where the contracts that the city had for rec for recycl kind of fell between the cracks and uh there was no there was no continuation of the program that had been in existence for many many years and then we got we kind of got backed into the corner of getting into the recycling business which is UNF frankly unfor unfortunate we the municipalities that's not a good practice I know jff our insurance agent has recommended that we not be participating in this kinds of of activity the the the board the TPA board has has looked at how to be fair to all taxpayers commercial as well as residential there's no question that the commercial businesses are in business to make a profit their business has been generated uh an increases based upon their increase in business and it's a likelihood that their increase in generating recyclables is going to be directly attributed to how their business cycle grows the taxpayer should not have any responsibility to pick up any portion of whatever their business generates that's something that that's a business expense that they need to be responsible for and pay for uh after much discussion of how how toes how to be fair we we believe that the taxpayer residential and Commercial should be treated equally on the basis that each one would receive one6 G one 196 gallon container for one collection per week anything requiring anything in addition to that should be picked up by the individual customer and contracted by whomever they choose based on their needs the city uh would be well Advanced to provide only the minimum services that would necessarily be attributed for for somebody living in town if it was a limitated if it was limited to one container only that in our opinion based on a an unsophisticated uh survey would handle the normal residential property owner on a weekly basis 96 gallons is is a is a lot of material but we also have the benefit that if anyone goes above that at any particular time they can take it out to our Public Works and dispose of it free of charge that that that opportunity is always there so it's our recommendation before City Council so that that you adjust the the the ordinance to reflect one 96 gallon container for collection once per year available to both residential and Commercial thank you um Mr rash I'm sorry you said one container and then I didn't I missed what you said after that one container one 96 gallon container for collection once per week once per week for each of those residential and Commercial anything beyond that would then have to be container would have to be contracted for outside that frankly serves a number of purposes if you think about it if you have a residential property that is normally uh uh becomes a commercial property by way of of seeking rentals and they increase beyond the need for a 96 gallon container they would automatically be notified that they've got to increase their capacity and that would trigger them then to have to go and have a commercial contract contractor so uh we think this is a fair and Equitable solution and uh we bring that before you Mr Rouse just to be clear for the from the tpa's perspective maybe not your own but otherwise you uh changing from two 96 gallons to one 96 gallon you is what you're suggest otherwise you agree with the ordinance is what I'm basically asking that's correct you as in the TPA okay thank you Dennis I know you had your hand up thank you Jules somebody's notes are are these your notes Jules can I see those first that was an awful lot of paper for a short speech Dennis I know who you are but if You' be so yeah I'm Dennis Crowley still on 806 Lafayette Street Kate May uh I don't like to read stuff to you but let me just read something to you for just a second the city council believes that the creation of an advisory committee to assist the Council in achieving its goal of providing an appropriate level of Municipal service at a minimum cost to taxpayers would be in the best interest of the city the residents the property owners the business owners and the visitors that's the charter of the municipal Taxation and Revenue committee as designed by the city council sponsored originally by Shane Meyer who made the motion to introduce that resolution thanks Shane for that uh this issue before you today is uh a Band-Aid on a very complicated problem that is the recycling program in the city of Kate may it the recycling laws go back to 1986 uh 1987 1994 2004 2016 and these are laws that require a mandatory recycling program in municipalities it does not require curbside pickup by municipalities it requires that a municipality uh have a have a recycling program we have an ordinance that has a solid waste program and it's bifurcated into a recycling program as of 2007 um that program was generated based on on assumptions that no longer exist in the economic realities of New Jersey one of the reasons and Jules referenced it the when the city got caught short on its recycling program before and patched together this in-house curbside program that was sold primarily on the on the notion that it would be almost paying for itself it was going to be a revenue generator because the State said that it was going to be a revenue generator in the intervening years the revenue prospectus of recycling Nationwide has cratered to a point where it's almost non-existent and yet we have a program based on that now faulty assumption th this is the kind of a program that MTR ought to be looking at in its entirety a comprehensive analysis is of what it was why it was done that way and what has happened to it over the intervening 8 to 10 years is something that that that MTR was designed to do for the city uh so you may move forward on this if you want to there are certain operational problems and we've heard a lot of them tonight uh not the least of which would be that you're actually adding a layer of more trucks into the city in which one of the main cost of living complaints we've always heard from a lot of people is there's too damn many trash trucks all over town pardon the language trash so so uh so our my my point really is it's probably not a good idea to move forward on such a myopic approach to a to a single problem and by the way it is a huge problem cuz we've seen the pictures I saw the last time this was presented at the council we all saw these pictures it's a huge it's a huge cost um Quality of Life problem for the city to have our streets look like this there's no question about that but but in doing so please understand that you're not solving the problems inherent in the current recycling program and what it is and how much it's costing and why is it costing that much and what can we do as an alternative to make it cost less for everybody so my my comments are that if if you want to make the Band-Aid approach to the trash on the streets you can do that but understand that MTR really should be the place where a comprehensive look at this whole problem and uh and hopefully followed by a set of recommendations after careful study of the whole problem uh may be a better way to serve the community than just saying let's let's limit it to one trash can or two trash cans or six trash cans or whatever the number might be because you have not only a a uh a legitimate concern on the part of the businesses you also have a legitimate concern on the part of the taxpayers who don't put out any recycling trash and yet and yet pay for all that service so my recommendation would be for you to ask MTR and we'll we'll we'll do it anyway but would nice if the council said uh let's take a look at this understand Dennis I have a question for you yeah just so the TPA indicates that this doesn't go far enough the we had some business operators here indicating it goes too far your suggestion on behalf of M is that Council table this preserve the status quo let MTR study it make a recommendation yes that's correct thank you I'm I'm glad Chris is here to capsulize what I was trying to say all along thank you thank you that's my comment thank you is anyone else here on this ordinance and by the way I I I do think Council will be discussing this and maybe answering some of your questions that you brought up uh Stacy Shan 928 Columbia Avenue um one of the things that Jules mentioned was that with insurance trash collection also recycling pickup is a number one has a number one comp injuries because of how people you know with weight and everything when it comes to recycling pickup there's a lot of businesses that have more pick up because they had so much the city was going out out more than once a week to pick up the recycling to me that's not fair the taxpayers we're all paying for the same Municipal Services now they're getting their picked up twice a week versus the residents once a week which residents probably only have enough that gets picked up once a week but still why when it's a business expense when they have more cardboard because they're selling more that they shouldn't be putting that profit to the removal of their trash recyclables whatever you know they they have to get rid of their trash so why can't they also pay for the removal of the recycling if it's requires them more than what the limit is set by the council thank you thank you anyone else evening Robert shansky uh I live on shike road south of the canal but it's in lower Township uh hello board um I'm here on behalf of Washington Commons Condominium Association uh where I have ass served served as management secretary since 2018 315 Ocean Street consists of 35 property taxpaying owners in 2024 our site block 1034 lot one will have contributed $ limit on collection day through Comm though commercial properties can generate more recyclables than Residential Properties we are assessed at a higher tax rate to offset those costs we believe as a condominium each owner should who pays taxes should receive the same Services as an owner or store or home that is not part of a condominum to lump us all together in one address is patently unfair and unreasonable essentially this ordinance will restrict our 35 unit owners to one 5 gallon bucket per week um this is no different than all the separate businesses on the Washington Street mall where the buildings are connected but they would be considered individuals um we ask the council to revise the proposed ordinance to possibly be less restrictive or coherently to address some of the other issues thank you thank you CHR anyone else this evening um with that I I do want to ask um Eric Pinsky our superintendent if he would join us up here and um and one of the reasons is uh obviously some of the questions that got answered tonight to talk about the Genesis of this ordinance it it didn't necessarily actually start at with anyone up here at the table I'll throw the blame right at you Eric you're welcome I'll take it um but in all seriousness it it came from our uh Department of Public Works and frankly our laborers who who work in um trash and recycling recycling collection um and as council members we have uh obviously difficult decisions that we have to look at we I think you just heard four different opinions on what we should do with this ordinance from varying I've heard people say stop collecting recycling which was was sad um go private go you know we we've we've heard every uh aspect of this but to I can maybe throw a little bit of a soft ball to Eric now since I've already put you in the Batters box um I think one thing I can say right from the beginning is I'm very sympathetic to some of the business owners that have I would say for the most part played by the rules um won't be businesses that you may see in some of the photographs but the problem is there are people who are 100% taking advantage and the photographs that I've seen were not collected over hey take a photo of that that's terrible in fact um councilwoman McDade went on a a trash truck ride one day followed the DPW and in one day took most of the photos was I think all the photos that were given to to city council and look I'm a business owner myself too I I I am sympathetic to this and understand it but I also know that no commercial uh recycling or trash pickup would pick up the way we're picking up today no uh I could not hire someone to come in I mean I guess you could if you paid enough but to come in and place 20 four individual cans into the back of a truck um I'll give you the example of how we do it at the shaant we pay a private uh recycling um company comes in we have a dumpster One driver comes in with a truck puts the arms into the dumpster dumps it puts it back and leaves he never gets out of the truck I just hope people understand that that is a big difference between having people hanging off the back of the truck truck and loading 24 sometimes more um and the problem is we don't have we don't have established rules and as the um as the uh vice president of the TPA quoted we're out already outside of the code we we we've known this this is not a surprise we we but if somebody asked me who gets collected and who doesn't I don't I'm the mayor and I don't have an answer to that question so we have a problem and and the solicor probably didn't like me saying that but I it's the honest it's the honest TR I don't know the answer to the question which tells me we have to come up with some solution um and again coming from uh our DPW workers who are saying and you could I think anyone can imagine if you're riding on that truck and you're thinking what is city council putting us through this we're we're jumping off the truck in all this recycling uh cardboard that's scattered all over the sidewalk then we're getting 24 different barrels then we're putting it back and then we're being called out to do it a second time and it puts Eric in a very awkward situation because we don't know where we stand within the code because frankly we're not um so city council as the legislators have a job to do we have to figure out how to do this in the most fair and Equitable way um Eric I'll I'll throw it to you from there right um but I I do think a reminder of why we're we're here and some of the photos kind of remind people like hey this isn't K May City Government trying to just take away services or something I mean we take this really seriously um so if you would go to your sure your why you came to this solution so we came to this a little backstory on it uh go back to 2018 the ordinance I believe was that Jules Ral mentioned to that tonight that it's up to the commercial that ordinance has not changed since recycling started in Kate May City so on top of that go back to 2018 previous administration the contracts with gold medal came in too high so an inside committee with uh Joe B patriarco Neil Young and other Administration was hey let's take recyc on back on it will save money over the over the course of the couple years it pays for itself basically is what the thing was simple mathematics um going into that you know 2019 is when the city of Kate May took it on 2019 to 2024 2019 we're probably what a 9mon town 2024 we're a 12mon town now but I mean the main issue that changed in recycling and it doesn't matter if we're picking it up or a private company's picking it up it's still the same um basically China stopped buying recycling one of our biggest exports you know all the um Chinese boats would come deliver products unfortunately we have a trade unbalance so they were bringing ships back empty so instead of keeping them empty they would we would put our recycling on that they would recycle those material for probably to sell us more products back to the United States uh that stopped happening because they stopped taking recycling correct look I'm speaking in generalizations but that's basically what happened so so we no long it was the we no longer uh was not a a right was no longer a commodity really so going back to the Blue Diamond era of collection in Kate may you didn't see as much out because blue Diamond had the rule and it's in it's in the ordinance that any commercial property must have the recycle tucked away out of eyesight so for example and I'm not like trying to put it out there but you go down you go through Carpenters Lane and L Lane there's no cardboard sitting at the curb because it was tucked away now the city ordinance for us to pick it up have to be at the curb we're because we're don't we're not allowed on private property so with that being said we when Blue Diamond did it they picked up multiple times a week in those areas because it's so congested we can't pick up multiple times a week we have five days five days a pickup one day each route with three guys on the truck when we took over the program it was supposed to be four guys two summer guys and two part-time guys we don't have that we keep losing the employ employes CU a CDL they're going elsewhere for CDL they're going to Blue Diamond or gold medal or Waste Management making almost two or three times in the amount that we pay for a CDL driver so this is also to help offset some of the shortage of employees that we have we it's just it's it's a it's a nightmare it really is the guys out there picking up the stuff can you what could we see some of the examples just so everyone and like like so like for instance on these on these photos like this it's like this because we only offer a one time a week pickup most of these businesses had their stuff picked up two or three times a week by the outside contractor can I ask a quick question so when Blue Diamond was doing it back in 2018 um they were picking up twice a week correct mon on on Mondays and Thursdays were the were the mall area was that under the direction of the city that was not that was it was them as the the business owner got wanted to deal business so blue diamond did all of the recycling pickup for all of the all City All City all of the businesses but what I'm saying is is did the businesses pay for the recycling pickup that I don't know that would be a finance question okay because people are saying that the ordinance stated that the businesses weren't being picked up prior 2018 so I I'd like to have clarification on that um what's that I'm sorry I don't think there is I don't think there is clarification I think that that that is where we found ourselves with an ordinance that stipulates that the commercial but it wasn't followed right and so we could go back and try and unwind that um when I looked at this and it was being I'm sorry to cut you off but it was it was being filed back in 2018 in 2019 when blue de Blue Diamond was picking up the commercial res the commercial stops because it was up to the commercial in the ordinance to supply their own pickup so the even okay and then even further you know and I did look at these pictures and you know I agree that that is unslightly um there's no doubt but in our rules is there any way I mean do we talk about stacking and kind of packing the way that they need to be done there is there is there is a u stacking and bundling up it's supposed to be twined the all of it supposed to be twined like right now like that's against code right now no right but I think there's also the a component to this that one is this is what drivers are going out on the street and this is what they're faced with um and as a city no private contractor would pick any of this up I I mean I went spent a lot of time over the weekend looking at like waste man Management's criteria they wouldn't pick it up if you're recycling as a residential did not meet the criteria which is a LD it you know um something at the curb with a lid on and not overflowing cardboard on the side wouldn't be picked up and that's a residential commercial they're very prescriptive you've got to have your dumpster a certain size location certain size off Street certain size Etc I I certainly appreciate that from the commercial property side they feel as if you know we're this is this is a quick change to something that they've had for a long period of time but from an operation standpoint and this is the the where I spent my time and professionally for 35 years when you have employees coming to you and say saying we need help from the city's perspective from my perspective as a council member someone comes and says we need help because this these are the conditions our option is do we start now policing the way people are putting out their recycling material because then we need to hire more code enforcement to go out and do a run through the city to make sure that people are putting their recycling material out the right way this is not an easy option but the option is that we're putting people safety at risk it's a public I mean this is a public nuisance these sidewalks you can't even walk down so we looked at the ordinance the ordinance we went back to the one that was on the books it says that the commercials were responsible for it how we got to this point I think we could all spend a lot of time going back and trying to figure that out I'm not sure what that exercise would benefit us in any way the fact of the matter is we have to move forward ABS yeah and I agree the and the one problem with enforcement you pull up to the stop it's in violation so the truck skips it we send out the recycling coordinator goes out to send a to give a ticket it then now has to sit there for another week and then this compounds and doubles or do we have to then send out a special truck when they fix it you know because that's becomes the scheduling problem of you can do enforcement but the problem is the reason why they they don't write them up is because they know they're just going to have to go back in and pick it up anyway right that's the problem with enforcement with this kind of thing because it just Stacks up right well and it's not just the stacking up um it's every week residents like me have to look at public accumulation that sits out there and you know a massive number of containers it's you know it's it is a a little bit of a problem for some of the I and that's why that's why having a limit on the number is an appropriate control so that it doesn't buil like Eric said you know this is now where under the old rules or the old method Blue Diamond whether who hardly you know it would have been maybe picked up two three times a week but now they're saving up because the city's going to pick it all up they're not doing some of their extra work and and having maybe two three collections a week they're they're they know I'll just leave it out there and the city will come and get it and that's and I think that's really the problem councilman Meyer I'm sorry uh yes mayor thank you um I think it's a really difficult situation when we look at this because in my opinion this ordinance is not perfect okay and it's not and it's causing problems you not just it might be fixing one problem but it has other problems associated with it I don't think we should act on it at this time because I think there's an opportunity for us to find some kind of middle ground with the businesses I I understand there's there's there's room issues about where people you know we live in a historic town we know there's a lot of traffic because the roads are small we know a lot of people don't have opportunity to put these they recycling in an area that they don't have you know um issue is the recycling along the sidewalks and people having to walk into the street my problem is that sometimes I have to take it upon myself to pick up people's recycling that fell into the street I'm talking about business owners you know um I think There's an opportunity for us to table this and really listen to the business owners and see if there's some kind of middle ground because uh and I think that middle ground could be having stricter rules like saying listen if you are a business owner you want your recycling picked up well it better be on that curve between 600 and 8:00 in that morning by 8:01 that those trash cans should not be out and I think if if you if we want to the businesses want to work with us give us some suggestions uh and come up with kind of Middle Ground I'm I'm All About that you know and I it's this is a really tough situation for me overthinking about it because uh is it about taxes or is it about cost of doing business you know is it is it you know is it fair that they should pay for their own recycling that's that's the cost of doing business I think it's an opportunity to work together and figure out what the businesses need you know because not every business has storage room for these things not every business has the you know it would be it would be fantastic if everybody business had uh their own uh dumpster to be for one guy to come in and out and dump it but I don't think that's the case in this particular situation and I I think um we've been doing it for so long I think there's an opportunity for us to meet in the middle ground here um my concern is in in in doing that we are um just we're not addressing the issue um and we're we're turning it this into a an enforcement and a requirement to have to police what happens I don't want I don't want any enforcement I don't want have to have any police okay well then you're asking everyone to play appropriately in the sandbox and then when that doesn't happen what's what's the what's the solution I'm what happens the pict behind you that's exactly what I just said I'm asking for a solution I'm asking for the businesses to give me a phone call and say yeah I know that it's a burden on on on on a residents and on the uh the visitors to have to walk in the street and see this unslightly stuff sitting out all day long um I think there's an opportunity to say how can we improve the system that we have now can can we should we be operating at industry standards and Industry standards say that you don't have this material in a in a public space that is someplace either in a dumpster or you know that's industry standards um yes this this there's no doubt this is a tough situation I can understand you know people want to take care of it now people want to maybe wait um I heard Mr Crowley talk about you know MTR getting involved but I think it's an opportunity where we can get maybe a task force involved to take a look at it maybe some business owners get some stakeholders in here you know have some of MTR involved um you know of course the DPW the manager um and come up with a solution that would really benefit whether or not it's you know making sure that the businesses don't do this because this is unsightly there's no doubt anybody's looking at that is going to say you know that's unacceptable um you know whether or not we R and we can also you know do great things with routing um we can you know go to certain zones on certain days um you know but I think that we you know we have business owners I've spoken to the bid we have um you know a lot of different people that I think that need to weigh in on on this and I think we can do it and really come together and that's and you know what to tag on that when the businesses survive K May and when they thrive in K may it benefits the taxpayers it does you know that's if the businesses are not open let me excuse me I'm talking uh if the business are not open the people are not parking at the meters you know this is a we are a different town we are more of a 12year town we should uh Embrace that and figure out a way to work with the business business owners with this and and make you know I'm not trying to give away the house here you know I just think there's an opportunity here to look at this a little bit better um I I agree with all every comment that's been made um while some of them are kind of counter but I agree the problem we have right now is we have an ordinance that says they don't get picked up and to put together a committee of business owners I have to tell you I spoke to several business owners that had no idea other businesses were getting picked up by the city so this has been kind of who knows who and what about the recycling thing and and now we're trying to establish some rules which means um some people are going to get upset about it but we have to have we have to have a set of rules that everyone's abiding by um and like I said we have an ordinance that says they don't get picked up so uh and I don't mean to throw anything into the middle of this but what does that mean for us from a liability standpoint with the Jeff if we have a risk management compliance that says that we don't we're not supposed to be doing this and we have a an an employee who is injured on the job the the bigger problem from a liability standpoint is what was highlighted earlier which is these workers comp claims yeah from the pickup that's yeah which is the my my primary reason for supporting this is looking at the employees here MH and and I just had to say I I don't think we've showed where there's like 24 trash cans lined up but you have multiple properties where that's the norm yes and and like I going back to this is like I said let's go back to the if we want to get the business owners involved let's go back to the business owners and say what did you guys do in 2017 2018 show us your bills that you got picked up for recycling it's going to show multiple pickups this this is why we don't they don't do multiple pickups no more and you're looking at the pictures behind you that's a whole week of that's a whole week of cardboard that sits in their spots and and we're being asked by DPW they're showing us locations where there's again more I think there was 30 24 or 32 gallon cans at at one location and ask yourselves who wants to jump off the back of a truck and pick up 30 32 gallon trash cans and throw them in the back of a truck you you God bless you guys that are doing that honestly but I I I I'm very sympathetic to that as a normal uh practice I mean really what it comes I mean before you set up a task force you really would have to give real direct guidance to the task force on what its direction would be because it's really a it's it's a volume issue obviously the the places within most of our properties with K make can't hold a week's worth of volume of recyclable material or trash so that means you have to do multiple stops so that means if we're going to ask Public Works to do it we're going to have to hire more staff to make sure that we pick it up and less stops because that's the only way that you know if we're going to say hey we're going to pick it up but we're going to only pick up so many per day it's it's just a volume control issue so we really have to make a decision on how you know and that's really what this ordinance was supposed to to do is to set a a volume limmit of what was going to be the city's responsibility um I mean we could sit there and say hey yeah we'll collect two 10 yard dumpsters or two five yard dumpsters at a spot but then you got to put it all in the dumpster we got to be able to you got to either we have to back the truck up to that dumpster or you have to move that DP when we get there you have to move that dumpster down to the street so that we can tip the dumpster and then you can move it back you know so it's it's all it's not a a task force isn't going to solve that issue because you're going to get the business Community going to say we want you to pick it up you're going to get the the other the homeowners and the taxpayers association them TR and they're going to say oh we shouldn't be doing it because it's not in the best cost model for the city and if that's not what we want to do then we just say hey everybody goes and picks up your think you either got to either come up with a finite number or you got to say I I don't think there is a I mean there there's always a middle ground but in order to pick up that much recycling that recycling is not generated in a week it's it's it's over it's not in a day it's in a week and in order for Public Works to pick it up we would need to make two or three two or three stops at many locations every week you know and that's and that's typical in many other communities in the summertime you know where I was in Upper Township you thinking the Sleepy Upper Township non-commercial places you know we did commercial recycling some places we were there three times a week but we stopped and we said commercials we can't pick up 20 cans we said we implemented a dumpster program where you had to containerize it in a larger container and we'll come and pick up that larger container but it's it's it's still the decision still has to come from Council on what do you want and how much do you want to do CU it's it's it's a total volume control and and or how how many times you want to do it if you want to say hey we'll pick up 296 gallons three times a week I could probably pick up most of that and and many would be there's still going to be some businesses like some of the larger hotels and restaurants that still probably wouldn't be able to handle that i' you know some of them I'd probably need to go to them three or four times a week you know to to to handle the recycling demand depending on how much of a container recycling area they have you know we had the gentleman from Washington comment I mean I'm sure that they had you know when they you know you ask why is that does how are we treating that differently well that's a site plan that had you know came in and got approval from our board as a Comin you know as a facility that had a probably a common trash area or designated trash areas for each of the different parts of the building or or whatever I'm sure that you know there is some designated trash location so that's why you treat that as a singular place as opposed to you know it's typical for shopping centers and strip malls and those kinds of things to be treated as a as a single place just because of the volume of material gets to be too voluminous but that's you know I I agree that we can look at it more but I think we need if you do that you need to have clear Direction because what this ordinance was doing was looking at setting up a baseline volume that we kind of differentiate because you're there's always going to be oh that one more you know okay you know okay how many businesses do you want to help and and do you know Council you know we can I can work with Eric and we can come up with you know how many trucks we need and how many crews we need to pick up you know I think that's an important thing to know so but but realize that to do that in the summertime you're going to be looking at two three multiple stops at some of these locations and hiring two to three more staff members to do it and to take on that addition liability um I mean I don't know I mean that says to me now we're in the business of we're in the trash and recycling business and we may not be best suited to do that on a on on the scale that would be ex needed for US based on we don't meet industry standards for the service level and and just to be I just want to remind everybody we're updating an ordinance that today says no track no recycling pickup for commercial we're not updating any W it's already in there I'm saying that's what exists today right it no now we're saying okay everybody gets 296 gallon toters correct by the way which I think is you could do as just as many uh 32 gallon or 48 gallon to get to the same amount of gallons but correct is that correct yes okay um so I I keep going back to we have to establish something um and just being out of compliance is not the way we can do business I just I just I'm just I'm not asking for a task force or or or I just want I'm just asking city council give me give me two more weeks so I can talk to the business owners a little more about this see if this if there's any and I I think I need to do my little more research on this I just feel I feel like this ordinance is not perfect I don't think any of us would disagree with it being perfect um because there's someone coming out at the end of this Council it be I'm sorry whether or not it be you know the the commercial businesses or the inference that we would be stopping residential or the fact that the city's now going to take an evaluation for outsourcing which could increase cost or that we're going to assume more responsibility for doing recycling because the it's obvious that the demand is out there there's four options on the table and none of these are probably going to satisfy everyone everyone unfortunately um and so I mean you know taking two more weeks having a conversation with the business owners that's fine but at the end of the day are you going to get 100% comp you know assurance and compliance that they're going to adhere to the criteria and then the taxpayers have to understand what that cost might be and and I you know I first off let me just say Mr Meer if you if you want two more weeks you got it I I just want I want to see what level of commitment these business owners are going to be are are willing to uh give to the city to to make this a better uh plan you're making that a motion to I I I mean if if we're done with the discussion I'll make a motion but if if you don't mind I would support that motion but can we just finish the discussion is absolutely that's that's only appropriate appreciate it I mean certainly you could but I so Eric um I mean I just want to finish this a little bit unless everybody has anyone else to say but you obviously put a lot of time into into this and um thought and I know you looked at other municipalities and what they do I think one thing that should be said that this is not something that kind of came out of thin air you looked at how each municipality up and down the coast if not yes the Jersey Shore basically and just to highlight too we even have the TPA saying one 196 gallon we're saying 296 gallons which actually I I tend to agree with the TPA Le at least in the how many cans do you actually need as a residence I'm not uh but I do think the 296 was a compromise to try to include um the most and I believe our I believe our commercial one we were doing four 96 gallon GS not two that was for the cond residential condos was four yes multi-units yeah multiunits so I just want to add something Council probably loses no time on this by tabling it and if you want to consider it in at a follow-up meeting because there's an effective date in here of January 1st 2025 so it's not like even if you acted on this today the the provisions wouldn't be implemented until after the new year so I just wanted to point that out there's really no time lost in taking a taking additional time to consider it and I think it's also good to remember the public works are yard is open 6 days a week to drop off your recycling or trash at no charge no trash no trash it's recycle we'll take trash I I just have one one thing I'd like to ask then it sounds like we may be moving towards a motion to to wait two more weeks for a decision um I would like the business owners to tell you if if they had to have a dumpster placed in their property what is the cost this is all about money right this is plain and simple they don't want to spend the money and I get that that's just one more like they're saying we pay a lot in taxes and fees Etc um and you guys are just hitting us with one more fee not really what we've done is we've given them something for since 2018 that they shouldn't have had but nonetheless you the business the way it's been going they've had this for free and now we're expecting the cost to be put on them I think everybody should understand what is that cost tell me what it is I I own a business it's not in Kate May um they've never picked up one piece of recycling I need two dumpsters on my property that get picked up twice a week um I know what it costs um and it's again it's the way it is every other municipality I know of but nonetheless let's make sure we understand what it is we're talking about here because I can't believe that businesses want the places to look like they look I I just don't I think that they're they're more interested they should be more interested in um a more attractive property U this doesn't give anybody a good impression I'm sorry um so that that one little piece of information I think would be helpful yeah to add on to that Mike um I you know I just in all seriousness this is just me talking to another business owner for the cost that it costs us to have one or two uh dumpsters picked up a week I cannot imagine putting out 30 24 gallon trash cans on a weekly basis and pulling all those cans back in I I just as as a business owner I would tell to other business owners you might want to look into just getting a dumpster and having someone handle that service and that that's coming from someone who my wife would call very frugal but uh I I think makes all the sense in the world it it it's uh a lot less work anything else on this one I think we talked trash enough this evening um uh we have a you want to make that in the motion Mr Meer Council yes mayor thank you we have a motion the table do I have a second I'll second just to clarify REM motioning to table to the December 3rd meeting yes okay motion that uh table to December 3rd meeting in a second uh any questions or comments on that Council roll call thank you sure roll call council member Yer reluctant yes council member Meer yes council member McDade um reluctantly yes Deputy Mayor Bowman yes mayor mik yes okay next up we have thanks guys oh Eric thank you very much we appreciate it and thank you you guys do an excellent job no matter what we appreciate you thank you Eric okay uh we do have more ordinance just one second here you all right next up we have ordinance four uh 547 d224 ordinance cancelling certain funded Capital appropriation balances and reappropriation said funds for other capital projects there's also a public hearing on this tonight mayor is anyone here wishing to speak on uh ordinance 547 please come on up um I Stacy Shan 928 Columbia Avenue um I guess my questions with this I I went through the different amounts here that for these bonds and some of these bonds have been funded some haven't been funded so are we going with um if they haven't been funded are we going to bond additionally for these projects so the these bonds have been authorized so we're not issuing any new debt I mean if you're saying I mean some obviously since we have not funded some of these projects we have not gone out and taken permanent long-term Bond finan hav't got the money for it yes correct so um if we had need to in the future they'd be rolled into our a future Bond sale that we would have just like the 2023 Bond or the 2024 Bond they would just be rolled into future Bond right so um we've already bonded almost $10 million in capital for this year it was a capital thing so this is going to be in addition to that we're going to be bonding um for a lot of these uh things that aren't funded in this ordinance and when it comes to the projects that it's going to be funded for um okay lafette Street Park the plan was approved move forward Bank Street retaining wall I attend about 90% of these meetings I have not seen what this project entails well if you then you missed the uh the presentation that I made at the bond presentation back uh earlier this year that's for a um flood resiliency wall that goes uh from uh Cape Island Creek along amyra Street down amm Myra behind the substation and then behind Bank Street parking lot to prevent the flood waters um from coming over the bank and I'm sure if you've been down there this week it's been flooded two or three times you know every high tide this week so that this wall Flo residency wall would help that nuisance flooding thing if the water doesn't come out to relieve the build up where is it going to go well going to stay Inland Creek it's going to stay in Cape Island Creek okay so you put a just I get because but what's can we do the ordinance and then and I get it that we could talk about those projects well no because you're you're bonding for a project that's never been approved by Council yes we have it was on the it was on the 20 it was on this year's Bond you have CFA permits that's what we're in the process of applying for yes we're applying for them to me you're you're doing a project that really the homeowners haven't been um informed about that could cause extra flooding into their properties no it's going to prevent flooding from their properties that's the people down by Bank Street but people up the creek are going to get more water in their proper there's only so for the water to go and if it doesn't go onto Bank Street then it's going to come further into the properties on Lafayette Street higher up um I know there's people that post pictures oh it's high tide look at all the water in my backyard well if the water's not going to go into Bank Street and relieve that pressure it's going to go someplace else and other people's property is going to flood them it might also be flooding West Kate May on the other side of the creek and my responsibility is to keep flood water out of a a public road and that's the priority for this project is to keep water out of a public Street if it floods into a flood area that is within a flood Hazard area those homes are elevated and above the flood Hazard area and they won't have the problems actually the where that's flooding is one of the higher Parts in town that they don't even need flood insurance because they're so high but yet it's flooding in their backyard it might increase even more okay let me get back to um these what you're bonding for have these projects already been completed and we're just kind of moving the money around and putting the right spin on it so that it's covered by these um bonds like an example would be um we're taking $527 from Franklin Street school bond and we're putting it towards the Lafia Street Park Franklin Street escape the tennis club improvements and and I Des like that so my recollection from the last meeting when Mr Haney was here was that this was an evaluation of all uh projects from this period of time and these were monies that had not been applied to these individual projects so this was sort of a summary cleanup for lack you know not a technical term financially but really a sort of taking all of the projects looking at them and saying you know we were supposed to spend and I'm just making an example $50,000 but we only spent $42,500 so we're taking the additional monies and we're summarizing it through in in this document and this was sort of an effort that was that dated back I think to 2011 it was my recollection all the way through and that this is sort of a routine process that should be happening probably more systemically but this was well I I kind of understand what you're saying but that would be if the projects were all funded and we had the money but some of these projects aren't funded so what are you going to do with that money these projects are all in the the projects that we've listed uh improvements to City buildings facilities and Parks including but United to lafette Street Park Bank Street retaining wall Franklin Street streetscape and Tennis Club improvements that in its entirety is are all items and projects that are in current bonds that have been approved and authorized by Council we've not created any new projects or items that have not been listed in a current duly authorized Bond approved by this city council or city council not this city council but by city council so there's no new projects being proposed by this the projects that the monies are going to be redirected to are all projects that have already been authorized and approved by city council it might have been a city Council in 2020 or 2021 or 2023 know that the bonds to be here had to been improved by Council that's not my point that because we all realize in order to be here they had to be approved by Council so it's a fact if if they were funded or not funded no I'm saying that the projects that we're going to move this money into have all been approved she's talking about the origin of the fund yeah yeah I I'm not I'm not disputing that what I'm saying is you know I think the implication was that we're just taking this this old money and in creating new projects that not have not been vetted by city council all my point was that all these monies are being moved into projects that have already been approved by Bond ordinance by city council well that's all I'm saying well the only one I was bringing up was the bank Street retaining wall and that's on the that's on the 2023 uh the 2024 B capital Bond never a vote taken by Council this this was okay I'll I'll go and ask the clerk after this meeting to find me the resolution where you guys voted on the banket it's listed on the 2024 uh Capital Bond it's a project listed in there and by the way and and just just to be clear there there was also a Stockton Coastal research um uh done in that area they had little um measuring tools and all of the um uh I know we approved the project to that we approved the project to be looked at M with Stockton or whoever it was that did it right I remember that but the fact that you actually approved where this wall is going to go what's it's going to be made of how far in it's going to go I don't think we've ever seen those DET I don't think we have done that I I I think we we've approved the bond to do that and I would expect that the city manager will give us a presentation at a later date when that project is more ready to be presented I don't know I don't know what phase it's in right now for me we're putting money towards a project when we really don't know how much it's going to be cost in the end and what the ramifications are for it on what materials are going to be used for that was my reason for bringing up that project okay um mayor it has been five minutes also on that ordinance it talks about Bond ordinance and when you add up everything else it actually comes up to five $560,000 89 $889 so I don't know if that's a clerical error that 413 was added and it shouldn't have been added what line are you referring to 43 is not it's not it's not incorporated into this the Appropriations detail right so which fine it might just been accidentally put in there I think we would have to ask um Mr Haney I just for the record I called Kevin okay and left him a message before the meeting okay I know people are always like oh you should have asked us ahead of time I did I tried but I didn't get a response back Stacy machine in all due respect you really should be calling the city manager's office and then allowing us to direct or help answer those questions not directly reaching out to the Chief Financial Officer I'll in the future I will call you sounds good no problem with that okay thank you Mr Rous yeah Jules Rous T to New York I don't want to continue on but I a question about the about the same thing the the aggregate sum of monies that's left over in these bonds do we agree is $560,000 and what we've done is when you when you look through section one or 2 three four and five you're you're you're basically designating that you're going to spend that $560,000 on such things as uh City buildings facilities Parks Lavette Street retaining wall Etc I'd ask during the capital projects approval whether city council is going to receive a definitive number for each of the projects so so that you know what's being planned how many dollars are being asked for the approval of each project you didn't you didn't do that when you did the Capital Improvements you just had a list of things where you were going to spend money that's that's correct but not specific amounts but based on estimates and things like that but yes I don't think there's any estimate on uh as an example on the on the uh the bank Street retaining wall I'd never seen any number associated there there's a bond number associated that in the Bond as a total number not as an individual broke breakout well we didn't we had the initial I'll say seed money for the project to do the engineering and permitting and just I mean that's Stacey said we can't come up with a final number because until we know what the DP permits are going to allow us to construct we can't come up with a final engineering design of what can we construct without knowing what permits we can construct so you know once we come up with the permits and what we can build under the permitting regulations we'll bring that project back to council for a final design analysis with a a final budget cost estimate before we move forward but in in the section three where you got 560,000 now certainly a number of these projects that are listed at 560,000 is going to is going to touch doing one of those projects no I mean the bank Street wall right that's going to that's that's millions of dollars I think we and and we may not need that for that project that was just hey that could be a project but we most likely won't use it for that that that you've not allocated in that $560,000 how much you're going to attribute to each of those items which you've listed and it may be that that some of these these items won't get won't get a dollar of that money is that correct C can I just can I back up for just a second uh because I think Council woman McDade said this I believe uh our CFO Kevin Haney said it ear U at the introduction we probably as a city should have been doing this more often um this is this is basically house cleaning I mean we're talking about um things that have been left over since 2011 um so now you have this these piles just sitting all around we're putting them all into one ordinance toward I would say very worthy projects um obviously each of these projects will have to be vetted and approved by Council um but they're I think all of them it makes sense to attribute some amount of money we could argue over what it is but toward each one I mean that's that's what all we're doing here it's it's not even new debt we well it's just you know we we've got a tennis club there's been money granted for that project uh we heard early this evening there's going to be a request for additional money so hopefully we don't use it so it it's conceivable that Tennis Club won't be a part of that 560 Grand it's conceivable that that same amount of dollars that are listed here are three years from now put into a similar ordinance and used for reapo the uh okay future electric vehicle we can agree that that 560,000 is not going to be divided among the numbers of the projects that are list just earmarked for potential use for any one of those four projects but not any percentage or set amount that is my understanding of how this is being Stacy Shan 928 Columbia Columbia Avenue um I guess want I want to bring it to attention the Franklin Street School bonding which is 384 d29 2019 did we are we is our do we pay off the Franklin Street school debt that we had with the county is that project closed it's not closed because we haven't uh finalized some of the grant requirements so we haven't received some of the Grant final grant fundings for the project because it's still hasn't been finally closed out by the county okay so we can't close it out that's my point of why are we taking money out of that Grant or not Grant out of that Bond when we haven't closed out the project which we bonded for for that project like if we you're taking money from a bond for a project that we haven't closed out yet you know and the Franklin Street School library we haven't even funded that yet so that's why I don't understand we're taking money I understand maybe for these ones back in 2011 and I understand that the pool for elementary school but to take a project that we're currently working on that hasn't been closed out but yeah we're going to take money from there doesn't make sense I think the only person who can answer that question is Mr Haney who is not here but I would believe that he went through this with our bond counsel and evaluated those fees but um you know I don't know necessarily whether or not we hold this up this is a second reading for this ordinance I and we have and there whether or not there's another Bond or budget line item that we have funds in to cover the remaining yeah yeah I mean I mean we're talking about for that line we're talking about 5,271 out of 560,000 it's and because and because the ordinance is Broad enough if we needed $2,000 to put in there the ordinance says public buildings and Facilities we can always use that additional $2,500 if I need it on the Franklin stre school project Mr teacher would you prefer that we amend it and just take that particular line out amount or incorporate it and then ask for Mr Haney to give us a and if I can just I I think I think Bond Council and CFO reviewed it put it all together and looked at our financials tabulations and and made the recommendation I'm comfortable we follow up with a question to him but for right now we could move forward and if we need to move it to pay one outstanding bill that might come in at the the 9th hour for it it we can use that money for that because that's one of the items that's listed in there as repairs to facilities and buildings so we we can still purpose that for that and one of the only closeout items with it is the easement um for it which is going to be on the the next council meeting or on this one I'm sorry I I apologize we're in agreement so I mean Bond Council along with Mr hany has reviewed this thoroughly and I mean a small Amendment you know all the bills are in considered exactly good um do we do we have a we have a motion on this right no oh we don't we just did the public hearing okay do I have a motion I'll make the motion do I have a second I'll second any other questions or comments Council roll call please council member Jagger yes council member Meyer yes council member McDade yes Deputy Mayor Balwin yes mayor mullik yes and 54822 ordinance amending Bond ordinance 399 d220 and capital ordinance is 302-20 2016 and 48-22 each here to here to for finally adopted by the city of Kate May in the county of Kate May state of New Jersey to amend the descriptions set forth therein and there is a public hearing tonight is anyone here wishing to speak on 548 ordinance 548 Jules Rous 1010 New York Avenue kind of the same thing uh in this particular ordinance you you you you you're saying you're going to use $375,000 and you list a bunch of items but we don't know how much money is going to go to each one of them or if we're going to spend a dime on the tennis club or how much is going to be spent on any one of those particular items but then when you go on to um section three we've allocated a specific number 105,000 for a specific use and then we do the same thing with u with body cameras and 104,000 for that it's it it just seems logical to me that if you're going to appropriate a bond for a million eight you don't to know how you're going to spend that money where you going to what's it going to be allocated for um and um I understand you don't know the exact cost for things because it hasn't been fully designed and and bid out but um but the same token you're you know a million a million $800,000 not knowing exactly how you're going to spend it I think it's it's a little it's a little it's a reach but but I I think we don't necessarily know because they haven't been designed yet I mean twice now they've talked about the tennis club everybody's concerned about obviously what we're going to spend at to the tennis club when we're done engineering the improvements for the tennis club before we go out to bid we'll bring that project to council just like I think there's two resolutions on this evening for two projects that we want to go out to bid for we'll present the plans to city council look at the certification of funds um but if we don't have this Bond ordinance in place I can't come to council to get resol an approval to go out the bid for project so we just haven't gotten to that step yet but we've but we've based on estimates know that we need that money available so that when we bring that project available but we don't know exactly how much it is because we haven't fully designed the Ada improvements at the tennis club yet we haven't done the permitting for the eler street resiliency wall yet so we don't know the final construction dollars for that but when we are ready to go to bid for a project and we're ready we'll bring that to council and and if we think that hey we need a little more discussion we'll bring it in advance of council to take a look at it and make sure the Project's going in the right direction it just seems as though there's there's a big pot of money a million eight and you're going to spend it whatever you any way you speak when any way you see fit on this bundle of of of projects that are listed without the finding how much goes to each one isn't that what we do I mean I mean it lists the projects we and all all maybe somebody agrees with some or not the other but in here it has Lafayette Street Park we all know that's going to cost a lot of money so it makes sense to me to add Lafayette Street Park as one of the options yeah we listen to the tennis club again and and honestly Jules that that's where we're at we've got projects moving forward you know there's some upgrades lighting and uh cameras at uh and audio visual equipment at the convention hall that we need to upgrade and replace you know those Bond numbers are coming empty so you know we could have just done that resol the ordinates to remove all that 560 of debt and then come with a brand new capital Bond ordinance for $560,000 of new Bond ordinates but our bond councel our auditor our CFO all says this is the best way to to to to to to budget the process way right the other way I would look at this is that um or I'll ask it this way um Mr Dietrich when you get the bids when you get through the the the projects and have something final and you have the actual bids for any one of these will it not identify the funding source as being this Bond exactly we have two resolutions on this evening's bid for two projects that we brought before Council to get authorization to go about the bid we presented the budget amounts now that we have the bids down we have a recommendation of board for those now we know the final dollar amounts you know and now we can move those see I I believe you know Mr Ral I think it it seems counterintuitive I think from normal Financial standards and I've learned a little bit in being in Municipal that it's it's going and getting the funding and then pardon the phrase It's almost like you have to back into it somehow but at the end of the day we're required to have a budget and tie it back to a funding source but this is sort of like a little bit of a catch 22 you've got to go out there and get the funding source so that you got you can move forward to get bids or get evaluations done or get schematics or get an engineer to do the work it's the only way these things get fund it and then at the end of the day we're supposed to make sure and that's our job to tie it up in a bow and say this project this cost all in is being associated with this Bond I understand what you're saying it's just that I look at things a little differently yeah I can I'd like to know what something is going to cost before I approve the money for it what you've done is approve the money first and then decide how you're going to spend it we haven't spent the money though I understand you haven't sp there is a big difference there Jules I just just to be clear um if bidding comes back for the uh Bank Street retaining wall and it's $10 million City council's probably going to say hey Paul we appreciate the effort but we're not going to pay for that I mean that that will come to this table for approval and um just just a real example for tonight right nature trails are on on here we actually have very good news to share okay uh bidding we now remember that's been on the web site as a as a project so we want everybody to know I mean all all of these projects uh will follow the same formula that we've had if you go to the website and look under projects you're going to see all the existing projects maybe not some minor ones or whatever but the but the the major projects any of these pardon me as they come up uh if they're not on the website now as a project we expect fully that it will follow that same formula just pointing out like the nature trails we uh put aside some funding for the nature trails then we went to County open space and got 90% funding which obviously is incredible that funding was based off of an estimated number the bids came in under the estimated number which obviously is excellent as well but that's that's the process that we'll follow with every one of these so I understand the concern it does look like okay you're just putting some dollar amount of these things that you don't know how much it's going to cost that's truthful we do not know how much going it's going to cost until we bid it Bank Street retaining wall and think about what that thing May cost knowing that the bridge will have to probably be replaced because that is the bottleneck well I've made my point Thank You Jules I appreciate it all I'll say to that is we understand that no one's going to bid no one's going to vote for anything that is going to be astronomically expensive or cause damage to other properties sorry Stacy Shan 928 Columbia Avenue um and I I do have that ordinance that Paul's talking to about that was approved in July and for the city buildings including laia Street Park the retaining wall was 3.8 million that was B was going to be bonded for out of the almost $10 million so when we talk about this Bond and we talk various improvements for Bond 3 99- 2024 1.8 million was never funded so we're adding on to that other 10 million so my point is we're spending a lot of money on projects this year because a lot of this money that you're putting back into these other projects haven't been bonded for yet so we still have to go out and bond to get this money to pay for these projects and 399 uh various improvements it was for 1.9 million um is that right what I'm looking at was for that was the amount that you were going after and it you know it wasn't uh funded and that's that's my point you know we you keep adding on to projects with more money that hasn't even been funded to be paid for thank you okay anyone else all right do we have do I have a motion on 548 I'll make the motion do I have a second I'll second any questions or comments Council okay roll call council member Jagger yes council member Meyer yes council member McDade yes Deputy Mayor Balwin yes mayor mullik yes mayor I believe you may have wanted to a small presentation the next just because we had this up and I I did just wanted to share Quick photos I know we're long into this meeting so if you would um it was just the update uh on layette Street park playground um just that's from today um that's the uh the uh Ada surface um so I think by uh by the end of the week kids will have this new the the black black that you see in the background is uh just the base coat uh that'll have another uh I think it's Florest green is the color but that that'll be a different color on the other side but uh really coming along nicely there's the the green um again not having to deal with the mulch and all that and obviously this is much more we wheelchair accessible for some of the kids so it really turned out nice um there you go that's cool yeah so I just oh there you go yeah how they put this down is kind of kind of neat all right I didn't expect to it to be 7:30 when uh when this was playing so we'll move on to the next one oh this is the Christmas lights going up today all right there you go thank you um okay with that we are on to the um public portion on resolutions only this evening is that right yes okay please come to the microphone if you're to speak on the resolutions only Stacy Shan 928 Columbia Avenue um I just want to ask about resolution 309 it's for the HVAC systems in convention hall I know this has been an issue with the amount of u repairs what we do on a yearly basis and I know that we actually probably I think it was six years ago or four years ago we actually did a study to make sure that the HVAC that was put in there was the correct size because of the fact it just wouldn't work properly and they said it was a little bit on was on the higher end so I see that there's a re upgrade and repair for $841,000 with multi-m with a no- big contract my question is are they just repairing it or are we putting in new system new system okay because it it was a little odd this is in conjunction so if you remember earlier this year we gotten a a grant to do um the the larger unit these are the smaller heat pump and and cooler Chiller units that are on the roof um so it's a second part but it's all replacement okay so only because and I I hope we had took into consideration the the big study that um I don't know who the I can't remember who the engineer was M thank you that did to to evaluate the system so that we would have we put in and put a better system in it would work properly so you're saying that you're not that you took that into consider ation and that these are going to work good when we put them in yes okay cuz I think a lot of times the problem we have too is when we go between multi-m and the other one I can't remember I think it starts with an F thank you that you know one does one job the next one comes in changes the work from the other one they go back and forth every other year I don't know I know we're going to have a warranty contract is there also a way that we can get preventative maintenance so we have the right person doing the preventing maintenance on the unit and not somebody that doesn't isn't familiar with the unit I'm just put it out there thank you thank you so I just also want the record to reflect that um this was done through State contract y uh for the Layman uh State contract is is basically essentially means the state went out to bid for all the municipalities that want to um be a member of the cooperative and through Sean canning our qpa our qualified purchasing agent Council has appropriately passed a resolution for us to participate but we went out and got a second quote just to verify you know that we were getting even so even though it wasn't bid we use State contract but we wanted to verify the state contractor's price by getting a second quote to and prior to this did go out and get direct install funding I think 80% 80% yeah which was basically a million dollars and that and that's why it's kind of separated into the two projects thank you Mr Rous Jules Rous 1010 New York Avenue number 31511 2024 that uh there's a $500,000 um financial assistance is is that money that we get and hold and or is it money that's available to us if and when we do the work it's sitting over there in the in that Franklin Street school right now we've already spent it we've already spent it this is a requirement this is one of the grant requirements for us to file this conservation easement okay so so we don't get the grant money to reimburse the county for that 500,000 if we don't file this easement so it's our it's it's it's on our interest to they see a go wash we well that's what happens when you get you know most grants are a reimbursement Grant we spend the money but we have to fulfill certain obligations this is the one of the last obligations we have to fill to close out the project soon as we file this down to the county clerk's office we'll be able to send the final closeout documents to the New Jersey historic trust and then they'll send us a check but it talks about a 20-year obligation yes a lot most of that's monitoring we have to send in you know annual biannual picture reports to make sure how much of that is the city obligated for and how much is the county obligated for well it's our grant so we're obligated okay but it's really just monitoring to show that we we're not changing the historic character of the structure using the prop property the way it's going to be used anyway yes uh 316 um there's a sh shared Service uh division of of an electric bill or electric contract would you so uh while Beach Avenue was under construction um we asked the county to install several underground conduits so that we could run electric wires underneath Beach Avenue in the future so that we could remove some of the electric services but the conduits already there but the so the conduit is already there CU obviously Road's getting paid let's put some conduit in the ground so that we don't have to open the road up get rid of the wires and we can get rid of the overhead wires um there were I don't have here in front um that's all thank you thank you anyone else on the uh resolutions this evening seeing none will close public comment uh we have the uh consent agenda reports yes Council anything to remove from the consent agenda this evening anything Council no okay all right in that case do we have a motion to accept the consent agenda do I have a motion I'll make a motion do I have a second I'll second roll call council member Jagger yes council member Meyer yes council member McDade yes Deputy mayy Balwin yes mayor mullik yes wonderful okay new business new business city solicitor any new business uh nothing tonight mayor thank you city manager any new business no I think I covered everything tonight thank you city clerk just a reminder that city offices are closed the 28th and 29th for Thanksgiving so Thanksgiving Day and the day after happy holidays thank you anything Deputy good okay uh council members uh Deputy Mayor I have nothing tonight thank you okay um council member uh McDade sorry could remember McDade nothing mayor okay mullik thank you council member Meyer anything Mr Meer uh council member joerger nothing all right I'll I'll join in nothing uh open it up to the public anyone wishing to speak please come to the microphone state your name and address Stacy Shan 928 Columbia Avenue um one announcement I that I would like the clerk to make is about the budget meetings or maybe it's manager is it I guess it's going to be uh in December that's no I think we have some dates in it was advertised for Friday the 22nd and Monday the 25th I believe beginning at 9:00 a.m. of November November November 22nd and and the Monday the 25th thank you yes welcome I just have I see the Washington Street got paved I just have one concern with Washington Street and I'm concerned with uh low-speed Vehicles when they hit this kind of ditch and that's right almost in front of Union Street right by Souther bees there's a real big drainage ditch and it's really almost I think would be a dangerous for low speed vehicles coming along not realizing there almost people could be popped out it's such a big dip to it reverse speed hump no we'll look at it but it's a reverse speed hump but I just want to like it's because it seems like it's a safety concern with the fact that it's um so low there it almost I mean luckily our speed limit is only 20 M an hour because anything more we'd all be having Damage Done to our cars because it's really bad in that area so that's right in front of Souther bees there's actually two and and there's a couple even manholes that are pretty deep that that I think that if it's not as dangerous as at one but they're still not um flush with the street flush with the street and could be considered a danger thank you thank you um I went a little quickly because I wanted to join in with everyone saying nothing but I would be remiss not to say uh in the resolutions this evening was uh the nature trails which uh uh I just want to thank all of city council um the county open space board for approving that um it's for those who don't know it's going to be two miles of trails that go out into the wetlands and obviously you say the word Wetlands that means there's going to be a lot of D approvals that need to go through so this was a accumulation of years of work between Vince Orlando our engine engineer um through the bidding process the bidding process we had uh I think it was eight different um uh contractors that bid on that contract all uh very aggressive and again the bid came in under um the numbers which is you feel like you can say less and less these days uh so that was uh really great um and also on this is Lafayette Street Park um green area improvements which um we could skip over but and I know Shane knows this is over a decade's worth of work getting to this point um all kinds of d uh um discussion and and permitting um so uh I think I just want to thank really I want to thank you Shane too for years of work on Lafayette Street Park and I know there's going to be some small changes that we make um to make it as perfect as we possibly can but I I just think um you as the years go by you forget how much time and effort was put into this so it's pretty cool to see it get to the bidding process get good bids come in and then tonight award um that contract which really is a long time coming but I appreciate uh people's patience and you know kids who have grown up waiting for this park to get completed unfortunately so um to see the upgrades to to the playground and now to the park itself I think really is a wonderful thing I I apologize Mr Ral but I did want to thank um all the council administration were working hard on that the engineers and and the county for uh stepping up to the plate for that sorry about that thank you uh Jules Route 10 10 New York I'd like to just continue what you just said you know the the trails that that exist in the South Meadows um yeah the I I I spent some years in K May point I can't tell you how how beautiful it was and is to in fact I was down there last week um and I can I can imagine how how attractive it will be going forward through uh the the the area behind the elementary school so I think it will be a great addition to the city and I think we'll be amazed how many people use it yeah um in line with that a couple things that came up at our TPA board meeting um the board was very appreciative of C with mcdade's support of the uh what I call an executive summary of the projects going forward we think that's a great uh part of transparency um there's also a concern that we'd like to see starting in 2025 a significant effort towards the uniform enforcement of our ordinances I know there's a no one likes to to um s provide citations and penalties but there are times when they're needed and uh to change some of the habits that exist in the city um and the other one was uh as we approach the holiday season it would really be nice for everyone in the city including the residents and the employees to have a smile on their face and welcome the people that are coming to our town we could we could be a little more friendly I believe um and I throw that out as a suggestion thank you thank you Mr Ral anyone else want to spread the Christmas spirit seeing none we can close public comment motion to adjourn thank you all everyone have a wonderful evening thank you I'm GNA stand at the little bridge and greet everyone I nominate you for that thank you hey Mike thank for your comments what's that thanks for your comments about the ordinance oh sure yeah it's I know I'm like that's why I was like sitting here like all right con --------- ##VIDEO ID:FsLk6cYb3iY## e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e good evening everyone we have a regular meeting of the city council of the city of cap may we are here in the Cape May City Hall Auditorium today is Monday November 18th 2024 the time is now 2 5: p.m. please join me for the Pledge of Allegiance I pledge Ali to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all thank you under the open public meetings law notice of this meeting was sent to the C me County Herald and the Press of Atlantic City and a copy of the agenda was delivered to each member of city council posted on the city website and the City Hall bulletin board notice is hereby provided that Kate May City Council meetings are audio recorded and or video streamed live live video streams are posted to the Kate May City website city of K May is not responsible if audio recording or live video streaming of a meeting is unavailable roll call Deputy Mayor bwin here council member McDade here council member Meyer here mayor mullik here council member Jagger here city solicitor Gillan Schwarz here city manager Dietrich here Deputy manager rigs here Deputy clerk Turner here all right additions and deletions tonight Council any additions or deletions Council I do believe uh there's one deletion for employee of the month manager dri okay until December Council we hold off on that one okay there's still a very good employee we'll we'll wait until they're available yes okay um and before we get to um updates and old business um I'd like to move the resolution recognizing um The Honorable Lewis J bolasco Jr Kate May City municipal uh judge retiring judge to uh resolution 30211 2024 to the top is everyone everyone okay with that absolutely okay good cover the legal issue there judge all right um do I have a motion on 302 I'll make the motion do I have a second I'll second roll call council member yger yes council member Meyer yes council member McDade yes Deputy Mayor bobwin yes and mayor mullik yes I guess just to start of we probably asked judge Basco to maybe come up and say a few remarks but you know he had it long distinguished career not only here with us here in K may but uh in several different percentages uh as mpal judge for over 35 38 years uh all told uh in three or four different municipalities in Kim County and it's just you know this is probably one of the unique things I was kind of remarking to him before he didn't really get to spend much time you know even though he was our mpal judge for many years didn't get to spend a lot of time in the council chamers just because of the separation that the courts have to maintain uh with the governing body so to speak so I think it is a for him to come up and and spend a little time here with us and maybe get a final picture uh with councel um and I Know Chief fasal has a few words because might as well have you uh go and and say your few words by all means before first time I can jump the judge I've been told to keep my remarks short however it's very hard to keep things short with a man of his caliber so I will read from my uh pre-written script here and keep on task as my Deputy city manager and Aaron have told me to do uh good evening it's my pleasure and honor to recognize the honorable Judge Lewis Basco um and I can tell you this is sort of a Bittersweet day for us um I would have more officers here today right now but they're actually out arresting someone right now so I apologize for that your honor however you know they high regard for you as well so um again this is Bittersweet day for us as we say farewell farewell to a man we highly respect admire and appreciate judge Basco and the C May Police Department go back a long way since be since being appointed municipal court judge in 2009 correct uh he has served our community with Grace and distinction I'm here this evening to express the police department's gratitude to judge Basco for his remarkable career of public service and his clear eyed commitment to making our state laws work for its people and our gratitude extends not only to judge Basco but to his family uh for being considerate Partners in his decade Decades of Public Service in particular I want to thank his children grandchildren and his beautiful wife Mary to my left um I've woken that family up many times over the over the course of time um our officers called him at 2 o'clock in the morning she usually grabs the phone and says Lou it's for you um am I correct so um again like I said uh my gratitude our gratitude to your family uh judge uh for all those late night calls from our officers um waking up a judge at that time of the night is is usually not hard to do but for them to go right on task is very important right into giving us clear direction is clearly important and a job that's not for many um Judge blasco's Public Service started early uh as a graduate of seatan Hall 1980 uh appointed to JMC judge of Municipal Court in 1986 appointed to Kate May Municipal Court Judge 2009 through 2024 and also the presiding judge for Cap May County correct uh making many decisions that made and helped Foster great relationships between courts and police agencies Beyond his in and hard work and legal Insight he is a Avid Runner many times jogging with his children and grandchildren I ran a few times with him he always beats me um truly free spirit a truly free spirited man while engaged in his exercise and free time and a very very proud father grandfather and husband uh I am proud and grateful to have served under judge bolasco during his distinguished career on the bench and I'm very proud to be here today as we honor his service and commitment to the city of Kate May the Kate May Police Department and its members alike we thank you for all of you've taught us through the many years and your guidance judge belasco's Legacy includes his work as a leading scholar and jur a jurist in criminal and administrative law bringing his Brilliance to Bear to make government decisions very clear and effective it includes his stature and as a beacon of wisdom on our Constitution and what it means and through it all judge Basco has worked tirelessly to give faith and to the notion to that exist in a law for people everyone knows that judge Baska has been an exemplary judge fair to the parties before him courteous to his colleagues and careful in his reasoning his opinions are are practical practical sensible and and nuanced it reflects in his belief of the judge as a judge not to lay down the rule but get it right and fair and doing the right thing the first time judge Basco judge belasco's officers and colleagues describe him as his work work ethic um as hardworking his desire to learn more his kindness to those around him and his optimism for the promise to our state and laws and this country and he has patiently sought common ground and built consensus seeking to bring the courts together during very hard times through his career through the last few years of of this country's turmoil he's kept things on Pace I think he is a model public servant in the time of great division in this country judge bolasco has been everything to his that is country has asked him to be and his state has asked him to be during his time we could not have asked for a better judge during this time today is his day our day uh to commend his life service to the city to the court system to the police department but let me say some critical words about the importance of selecting a a successor for to replace judge bolasco it's very hard to do and the mayor and city council did so uh choosing someone to sit the bench for the city C May after judge Basco I believe is one of the most most serious serious constitutional responsibilities a municipality can be tasked with the process was rigorous um selecting a replacement worthy of Judge belasco's Legacy I didn't want anybody weed it want anybody to take your position that was not worthy of that position and the caliber of court that you held uh we have no doubt that the honorable Judge Thomas keywood will and has already been fit fit that bill ply continued to bring Law and Order to our municipality I will finish with these simple words judge Basco thank thank you from the bottom of our hearts for always answering the Late Night Calls providing guidance and clear direction as we maneuver the everchanging laws of this great state and Country we will be forever we will be forever grateful for your service to our staff and those residents and visitors who you had the privilege and Circumstance to stand before and preside over my heart always will thank you for everything you've done for us thank you judge [Applause] mayor mullik members of council everyone else here um I'm humbled by everything uh that was said by Chief's kind words and uh what I feel now is gratitude really gratitude for be able to serve the residents and the VIS visitors to the City of Cape May gratitude to be able to work with uh such a fine staff that we have in municipal court and our prosecutor Kyle Weinberg and our public defender Mike senson Court Administrator Amanda Melendez and her staff and I'm grateful to be able to work in this city hall because there's a special feeling here in City Hall and it uh it extends to all the Departments and it's really like a family here in cap and uh I would drive over the bridge every Wednesday and I get like a I know i' be facing a calendar of cases that might be tough to decide but I got a sense of ah relief I'm in Kate may this is great um our municipal courts uh not only in Kate may but across the state uh see far more I think our filings in state of New Jersey are 6 million cases filed in the municipal courts see far more people than even the Superior Courts and most people will form their opinion about the court system by how they're treated in municipal court and I can tell you from your staff from the prosecutor public defender we always tried to give people respect to give them the opportunity to be heard and to give them an explanation of my decision they didn't always agree you probably heard some of the complaints about me I'm sure but nevertheless we were transparent and made sure that everyone left whether they were imp person whether they were on video whether they filled out a written affidavit or filled something out online the reasons for my decision were on the record and I will explain to everyone so I know your court is in good hands with your uh new judge you have a fine fine staff and I wish you all the best and uh um councilwoman maldwin says it's a Bittersweet well the sweet part is no more phone calls but the bitter part is not working with all of you in the future so thank you very very much I appreciate it judge BL I just want to thank you um we've been honored and blessed to have you as a judge in the city of Kate May um we heard um from so many police officers of course as we were interviewing different judges for the job and attorneys uh across the state that admired you and really the city has been so well served to have you and someone who literally is thought of as the at the top of your profession being here in the city of Kate May um we we've just been blessed to have you and and your family uh your son Lou and your grandkids who I've gotten to know and wild would Catholic um just a wonderful person and a wonderful family so we we thank you greatly thank you okay anyone gra that picture yeah yeah that'd be great please yeah would you would you come back here would you mind come FR Center thank thank you you yeah congratulations retirement yeah congratulations go get some dinner you deserve it yep okay with that we're on to updates and old business uh city manager thank you um just have a couple items um coming this Thursday uh we're going to have um a little act police extra police activity uh on the streets and the beaches in K May um they're coming back to do I think this will be the second year the chief left yeah so I think this is like the second year that they've uh the mounted uh police from throughout the state are going to be doing some training in C May County and uh they're going to kind of end the week down here uh doing some work both in the city and over on the beach uh so you'll see that they'll be over here most of the day on Thursday so um do you know I there's two different groups so I think from 9 9 almost all day long they're going to be within the city doing different activities they'll be either up on the beach or um and then or they'll have be a second group that'll be like moving through the city and doing like kind of training demonstrations on how they work and um our police officers will be working with them on uh how you know how to utilize that kind of a Mounted Police Patrol okay thank you um talk to our chief cter wanted to make a an official announcement it's been confirmed that our ladder truck has been officially placed in ordered uh we have a tentative delivery date of October of 2025 for a new um ladder truck so in 2025 we're probably getting close to three apparatus for the fire department the new engine should be coming in uh a ladder truck and then an ambulance so they'll be fully stocked in their new firehouse that's great um we also received notification from FEMA ISO for a recertification for um CRS ratings that we're we're now will remain at a class five which is a 25% discount and finally uh we received notification from the NJ do that we received $180,000 grant for the um reconstruction of wiona Avenue with some storm water and drainage improvements that's great perfect thank you city solicitor any updates or old business just a brief update for Council uh we did receive our initial numbers from the DCA for the affordable housing fourth round obligations along with every other municipality in the state um initial look at it indicates that it's it's a manageable figure that there'll be some planning efforts to go into how that folds into the city's plan and and vacant land adjustments and things like that but um it's initial positive indication that I think we'll be able to manage and in the coming months uh Paul and I will be working with Craig hurles and our affordable housing Council to meet our obligations and our deadlines the next deadline really for this is January 31st 2025 when every municipality needs to adopt a binding resolution either accepting or proposing different numbers so you can expect uh some updates and and Direction and recommendations in the coming months from the administrative staff may I ask you do we have any update on the two units on Lafayette Street have they I did speak with Triad and Associates um they are now in the process of um sifting through the applications okay not really sifting but trying to um figure out what their next steps are in now placing somebody in those unit so they've received all the applications the deadlines now passed and now they're going on to their next step okay do they have any deadlines that they their only real dead Okay their only real deadline was filing the deed restriction and and creating the units but they've been working through the process all right they're online essentially for affordable housing purposes but the the hard part really is finding the qualifying criteria corre understood and and the U information they have to collect from the applicants understood thank you okay city council any updates your old business okay moving on to the small cities Community Development block grant program public hearing with us this evening is Mark Blau thank you Mr Blau thank you for being here if you could just turn on the uh yeah button there thank you it's it's green perfect out good evening uh I was here last year about this time uh each year we have an opportunity to apply for up to $400,000 through the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs small cities Community Development block rant program also known as cdbg the program is funded by the US Department of Hud HUD gives grants to each of the 50 states those States decide how to manage that program on behalf of non-entitlement communities the larger communities the larger counties New Jersey think Trenton Newark Camden Atlantic City they get a direct Grant from Hut each year cdbg they simply have to show up they get the money spend it correctly they'll get the money each year certain counties with populations in excess of 200,000 most of the counties had fall that category except those in the north and those in the South namely Cape May Cumberland Salem and in the north uh Warren hunon Sussex are non entitlement they don't have a population of 200,000 so if we were in Gloucester County we would go to the county to get a piece of their annual entitlement we don't have that we have an opportunity to compete for a portion of $6.5 million I've been working for the city since 2008 most of those years if not all those years we applied most of those years we won uh the four most recent years we applied for 21 22 23 and 24 projects fiscal years 21 project is nearly done which is the Redundant water transmission main being undertaken by South State I believe that we have a little bit of testing to finish then we'll be drawing that $400,000 grant for that particular complete project the 22 project was the Kanas Park ADA compliance long since done very successful uh our 23 project is uh nearly done it's the beach matat project which people are very familiar with having seen that successful work being done um the in addition uh Paul and Kevin had ordered additional Beach wheelchairs which we've uh re received and we are using part of the grant money for reconstructing the ramp at Mount Vernon we're P purchasing materials out of the Grant and using our own staff in the offseason to uh do the Reconstruction approximately maybe $90,000 plus or minus a little bit remains in that program and mayor you're thinking and others have thought about extending the beach mats to Poverty Beach it was it was a popular popular one I don't know if we'll go to Poverty but we we'll see how far we can but you know we have money left over which we need to spend y so uh I've spoken to you and I spoken the Paul and going to be pursuing that the 2024 project was announced in May it's just getting off the ground we got our gr agreement a few months ago it is phase one of the tennis club ADA compliance we asked for 360,000 we got 240,000 uh there's nothing to say that we can't go for more this year we can apply for what we did not get 120,000 plus the Cornell report identified additional improvements that need to be done and one additional good idea is ADA Compliant walkway uh Network between the tennis club and the physic State uh so that right now we have an opportunity that's why we're here tonight we have an opportunity between now and December 18 to apply again uh for the 2025 program and um just speaking in the last few hours I believe I'll be asking Carol telan from engineering design Associates who worked on our admirable application last year to come up with a concept in conjunction with Paul to come up with a another 400,000 they're about to request to continue that work if there's money left over in the 400,000 requests maybe we can throw some more Beach mats in there's nothing to say you can't work work at more than one location Ada compliances we we go back to that year after year because handicap persons by definition according to HUD are 100% low income in a similar way if you're were building a senior center senior citizens regardless of their actual income are viewed as 100% low moderate income um we the 2010 census changed we're no longer primarily low moderate income Citywide so the the waterit transmission main project was the last time we could take advantage of the 2000 the 2000 census which had not yet oh pardon me I'm misspeaking the 2010 census showed us as primarily low Moder income the 2020 census showed us below that point so rather than submit an application again like the water transmission man and have it only turned down we go back to the well in terms of ADA compliance and we've done so many things since 2008 in terms of ADA compliance and and and May the city much more uh accessible for persons with disabilities whether they have a walker or have a a scooter or a wheelchair or you know things such as enjoying the beach such as the beach wheelchairs make it all the more accessible for people with some Mobility problems so this is another opportunity to apply I'm suggesting we cons we continue with what we've been doing focus on the tennis club and the connection to the physic State perhaps more Beach mats this opportunity tonight is for the public to tell the city council what they'd like to see whether it be this year or future years and these ideas we put into the minutes that we submit to the funding agency and we may draw upon those ideas in the future and I believe the beach match was a project that came out of that type of public process of people telling the city council what they like to see us do and we made that happen so again I'm Mark Blau I'm a grant writer I've been uh working for the city since 2008 if the any for the public has any questions or comments about this project former projects future projects this is their opportunity uh to make eron's task simpler if somebody has questions or comments they should identify themselves for the transcript and we will Faithfully put their comments into the application thank you very much thank you Mark so if council's ready for the public hearing portion so we open this up to the public any one wishing to speak on this topic is welcome to come to the microphone and uh state your name and address and and give us your comments seeing none we'll close public comment but we're happy to uh go go ahead M Mr O'Hara we're happy to uh hear in the future from anyone listening at home or uh whatever please feel free to send the council an email Mr how you doing I'm Tom O'Hara and uh I actually didn't come here for this but uh I actually walked down the mat uh with my wife and I today and it was a beautiful day and uh what an asset that is to the town and uh I think that you know just thinking about the handicaps if uh maybe if you did a couple little areas you know how like they have the uh bels what do you call the the tents that are on the beach like little little bump outs little bump outs just for handicap people to be able to go to off of that absolutely they'd have little sections there that they would be able to enjoy the beach also because obviously you can't go off the yeah the thing so I think that would be an I think that's great asset to it and uh but uh just you know knowing the prominade the way it used to be it used to look like that when you walk down the prominade but we know that issue uh so you don't have that view anymore but it is very nice that's all thank you Mr Mr roara could I have your address please uh 303 thank Stacy Shan 928 Columbia um as we were discussing this I it might be nice to have down by poverty what we have at the Cove which is one of those Pavilions where people can go out and um that are handicapped that could go out on the boardwalk or it's not the boardwalk there but out there to see it even can't even if we can't do it at poverty maybe even um you know around Jackson street or in that area make a a platform for people to go out and so we're not doing the The Cove yeah like it yeah I would agree it's important not just to be able to get across the beach but have a destination and to enjoy the facility when you're out there yeah it would be a nice anchor if it was possible to put it down at towards poverty or at least as far down as you could get Baltimore or whatever based on you know because it would create a nice sort of anchor um for at each end and keep in mind with the $400,000 limit there's nothing to say you can't come in year after year and build upon what you've done you I don't recommend asking for a million dollar project and having to put 600 million 600,000 of your own try to phase the ideas to uh take advantage of the grant as much as we can uh we've been dealing with a 10% match requirement so that if you ask for 400,000 and you're matching with 40,000 of your own you want a budget around 440 don't have a million dollar budget because all you're doing is overc committing local money these these these issues could be addressed year after year and as long as Congress keeps approving this program and it's been in existence since 1978 um there'll be an opportunity each year roughly the fall of each year that's great thank you Mark I did actually close public comment but that that's fine I'm gonna just reopen it go ahead if you would y just for the record that's all okay um so these grants not necess I'm sorry Bill Seager Vermont Avenue thank you um they're not necessarily targeted or limited towards people that have handicaps or just people in low income it's all people that can benefit from them or are they targeted the law requires that anything we do primarily benefit people of low moderate income and we as a city according to the 2020 census are no longer were primarily low moderate income so what we do is look for the exceptions the the the workarounds if you're doing a project such as a senior center that benefits senior citizens they as a protected group are 100% low income um handicapp persons as a group are viewed as 100% low income if this where the city of Wildwood or Woodbine those communities are primarily low Moder income so anything they do Citywide or burrow wide qualifies we don't have that opportunity here so I have to pick my shots carefully and I try to focus on the two groups that I know that are automatically eligible so that the um if I were to propose anything in Wildwood City since they're something like 70% low moderate income it's eligible you have to hit at least 50 1% the 2020 census shows that we're supposedly 45% low moderate income so if I propose something with Citywide benefit in Cape May City I run the risk of being turned down cold because you didn't qualify so we have to stay within the requirements of the Housing and Community Development act which is a federal act that funded this program and US HUD distributes the money to the States but pass passes along all the rules of Hud as part of that so if our propos your structure of your proposals put together and submitted and it was questioned or audited for the fact of how many lowincome people will be participating in on the tenants courts do we have a response to that or we don't really doesn't really matter it's not a we're not measuring the number of people who come out play tennis if we have a facility that's a public facility that's not accessible to the handicapped it's out of compliance and we need to bring it into compliance so any so if you have a city hall that is not compliant in terms of access or bathrooms you're out of compliance whether or not anybody shows up with a wheelchair ever you need to be in compliance and that's what we're striving to do we don't have to do a census of actually who uses the facility if you if an engineer architect States in a report and that's how we do it that a facility that they saw is out of compliance with the Americans with Disability Act then they say so and that they propose a project and then their conclusions are the proposed project will bring bring the facility into compliance with the Americans with Disability Act so it's not so much a matter of who's playing at the tennis court perhaps somebody wants to accompany somebody to the tennis club who's themselves handicapped or can't play tennis but needs to use the restroom they have to have a Ada compant facility to be able to use uh I use in a similar sense when you have a recreational facility it might be a soccer field but you know the grandparents may not be playing soccer but they want to be able to be there with their grandchildren and have an accessible facility so they can use a restroom can use a water fountain can use a picnic table would have an accessible uh spot for uh viewing the game so it's not so much who's playing the game all right I I get it um the um the post office wouldn't qualify as something that such money could be invested in is that correct it's already owned by the federal government right the federal government is responsible to make their own facilities ADA Compliant it's that's not a city responsibility okay um if you have a facility that's federally owned that you don't think is ADA Compliant you might want to call your Congressman I know well I'm just there there's been a solid proposal made in the past and it didn't work out but I didn't know if this might be a way you can kind of uh get in the side door like you're doing with the tennis courts I can't use this money on a federal facility okay that's fine thanks okay thank you anyone else on this topic seeing none we'll close public comment on this and we'll go to this is the resolutions all within connection of the application um to this Grant and that's resolutions 303 through 306 is that right clerk yes and if you don't mind I will will'll read them for the public so we have 30311 2024 resolution for the adoption of a state model citizen participation plan for DCA small cities program 30411 2024 resolution identifying a small cities fair housing officer 30511 2024 resolution approving the public facilities Grant Management plan and 30611 2024 resolution approving submission of a fiscal year 2025 small cities public facilities application if council is ready to act on them we can do so all at once unless you'd have further discuss is everyone okay with that as a group um do I have a motion I'll make that motion do I have a second I'll second and and to be clear this is 303 through 306 yes okay we have a motion in a second roll call council member Yer yes yes council member Meyer yes council member mcdde yes Deputy Mayor bobwin yes and mayor mullik yes wonderful okay thank you Mr Blau and again we really appreciate it I mean it's made a big difference to the city so all these projects yep thank you wonderful okay so now we're on to the safe streets and Roads action plan program presentation from GPI hello thank you very much for coming in we appreciate it and uh I know you've been hard at work with our bicycle and pedestrian committee and our liais on here Mike joerger and gentlemen if you'd be so kind as to move those closer to you and speak into the microphones for us thank you they do move very good thank you so good evening everybody I'm Dave with GPI and my colleague Dale Foster who many of you know also with GPI so we have a a a presentation uh some slides go through you each have a should have a hard copy of the slides in front of you so um if we can move through these slides quickly um so we're asking for two things U tonight we're asking for approval of the Safe Streets uh for all action plan as well as approval of a goal uh to reach Zero fatalities and serious injuries by 2040 so a local Road Safety plan is a an action actionable plan that is uh this is this action plan was developed out of a grant from the US do Safe Streets for all program that the city of Kate May obtain the Grant and uh this action plan serves a purpose of providing a a foundation for applying for future grants that could be for implementation implementation means design or construction of projects or it could be for supplemental planning grants for additional planning work but uh to apply for those kinds of Grants through the US do Safe Streets for all program you have to have a qualifying action plan so this action plan uh is for all of Cape Island not just for the City of Cape May so it's for all four uh the municipalities that are on Cape Island and it's not just about uh infrastructure it's also about uh other types of efforts uh to improve driver Behavior pedestrian Behavior Etc so we can reduce fatalities and serious injuries it also focuses on the roads the streets themselves not off uh Road facilities next so our steering committee members uh started with the uh the city's uh bicycle and pedest and advisory Council along and then it was supplemented with uh representatives from other the other municipalities uh so we've had a great uh group of people uh to have these steering committee discussions so there are eight uh components that are required as part of the eligible uh action plan I won't read all those but we we made an effort uh to make sure that we were addressing all of those so this will meet those requirements moving forward this is just a uh quick history on uh on some of the on the crashes in in on Cape Island on the left are all crashes uh we have from 2017 through 2021 and you see there was uh looks like one fatal crash in 2021 uh fatal or Serious injury crash um and then on the right uh side you see the chart there U the Fatal and serious injury crashes only the one on the left are all crashes so um point I was trying I just lost my train of thought while I was going a point I was going to make about that oh then I was going to note this so this plan is being done now in 2024 the data that we had to develop the plan the latest we had at the plan development was 2021 and that is because uh the crash data comes from new Jersey DOT they collected from all the the crash reports from the from the the Municipal Police or the state police that they have uh and that is the last four years of data that we had to work with so uh we don't didn't have anything more recent than 2021 um when we were developing this plan so I spoke of a goal uh as part of the uh qualifying action plan the requirement is that uh the leadership adopt a goal for either Zero fatalities and serious injuries or for a significant reduction in fatalities and serious injuries by a certain time frame and the steering committee uh discussion recommendation was to uh set a goal of Zero fatalities in serious injuries by 2040 oh sure I'm sorry yeah yeah no thank you this chart shows you uh the different uh crash is by the different crash attributes so a crash may have uh differing factors or attributes that are attributed to it so one crash May May relate to multiple factors so a crash that's reported the the police officer might not note that it's an unlicensed driver and it's a younger driver Etc so a crash may may be counted in more than one of these categories but we use this as a tool to look at where should the Plan Focus to do the most good and the committee selected those items highlighted in blue as the plan's emphasis areas so drowsy and distracted drivers Lane departure intersections and pedestrians and bicyclist so that's where we zeroed in on this plan excuse me what's what's a PDO property damage only crash okay yeah so that's a significant portion of that chart right so property damage only and and this plan focuses on fatal and serious injuries crashes that's the point of the plan so not about every crash but where are the Fatal how to reduce fatal and serious injury crashes I just wanted to confirm the plan to go to zero would not include those typ that's correct okay that is correct so I mean it's all crashes but it's fatal and serious injury crashes of what the goal is to reduce fil and serious injury crashes So the plan also requires that there's an assessment of uh underserved populations uh Equity assessment and we used the tool that us EPA has online to look at uh underserved populations and their representation on Cape Island and what stands out is that the 65 and older population as as an underserved population uh is 29% of the of the population on Cape Island and this is from the 2010 or 2017 to 2021 uh census uh but when you look at it as a percentile compared to the rest of the census blocks around the country that's a large portion uh when comparing it to other other census blocks so um what that tells us is that's an area that we needed to make sure that we listen to and we need to make sure that as we're going forward with any kind of uh implementation that we're considering uh 65 or older in any kind of counter safety countermeasure works or anything that goes on in the future stakeholder and public engagement so there are four steering committees that we had uh they were open to the public uh we had virtual focus a virtual focus group meeting uh July 30th it was an online virtual meeting uh and we we got some input on Behavior but also uh stakeholders had an opportunity to talk about uh their concerns uh for roads and and safety uh on the island we attended the cape M National Night Out August 6th I had a table there uh to to try to gather any comments that that folks had and then we had a public meeting right here on October 17th uh to present uh the elements of the plan and get get input so getting to uh the results of the plan uh there were two two processes that we used uh to and this and this to get to the results of the plan in terms of uh priority locations It's a combination of data and it's a com combination of stakeholder analysis and on the data side there's two pieces here there's what's called a hotspot approach and the hotspot approach is really looking at where is there crash history if there an intersection or a corridor segment of road where there's a history but then there's another approach which is called a systemic approach where uh understanding where the history is you look at the roadway characteristics and you look at are there similar roadway characteristics uh that present the similar opportunity even though there may not be a crash history may uh provide may show that there may be a risk there for a future crash so we looked at those two uh processes together um and uh developed up developed a way to prioritize that and discussed with the steering committee and stake and stakeholder feedback to identify what the priority locations would be for this plan understanding that you had to have a manageable number to go forward you couldn't have uh you know a whole bunch of priority locations so we needed to try to drill down and and identify those most important so uh next slide please so these are the locations that came out of the plan the first is Lafayette Street running from Jackson Street uh and then uh just past shinger Street next is Washington Street from Ocean Street to Sydney Avenue the city and then uh the intersection of Lafayette Bank and dear and then L Lane was was uh included with that since it's close by as a priority location Seashore Road Broadway in Central Avenue uh was a was a big area of discussion with the steering committee uh how we look at that there is some bicycle pedestrian traffic out there and how how we look at uh moving people safely through that area area Leeming Avenue Elmyra Street Ocean Street at lison Stewart Lane so that crosses West Cap May and the