All right, good evening everybody. We have a special meeting of the city council of the city of Cape May. Today is Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026. The time is now 4:33. Please join me for the pledge of allegiance.
I pledge algiance 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 Kate May 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 city hall bulletin board. Notice is hereby provided that city council meetings are audio recorded and or video streamed live. Live video streams are posted to the Kate May city website. The
city of Kate May is not responsible if audio recording or live video streaming of a meeting is unavailable. Roll call. Council member Baldwin >> here. >> Council member Bodner >> here. >> Deputy Mayor McDade >> here. >> Council member Myers absent. Mayor
Mullik >> here. >> City solister Gillan Schwarz >> here. City Manager Dietrich >> here. >> Deputy Clerk Turner >> here. >> We have, excuse me, resolution 9102 20226, a resolution providing for a
meeting not open to the public in accordance with the provisions of the New Jersey Open Public Meetings Act, NJSA 104-12. This is for collective bargaining negotiations for GW local 2327 Middle Management. >> Do I have a motion? >> I'll make the motion. >> Do I have a second?
>> I'll second. Roll call. >> Deputy Mayor McDade. >> Yes. >> Council member Bodner, >> yes. >> Council member Baldwin, >> yes. >> Mayor Mullik, >> yes. >> Public portion mayor, >> is anyone here wishing to speak on this resolution? Seeing none, we'll close public comment and move into close
session. >> Time is 4:34. >> All right. Happy birthday. You sure? >> You hit the presentation yet. >> I didn't switch the header. Did you want one?
I came early so I can figure out where I can sit here with my >> last did not work. That's why Peter doesn't come underath You still can't hear some of the people
very difficult. Good. >> Scotty, my oldest daughter just got her money. Yes. So, we're balancing all our options. It's between like
schools. So, a little bit of difference. So, we'll see. >> Hopefully, March 1st. >> March. I think >> yeah listenen
lose a lot of hurts agency for growth. >> To be honest with you, I know that it's in the plans. I know it's a hot topic. Yeah. Yeah. >> No, >> I know.
>> Connects connects. I think that helps keep >> agree. a little bit more difficult. >> Yeah. Oh yeah. >> Okay. >> Okay.
Okay. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Yeah, that's right. >> Okay. >> Mexico. Yeah. We just went
over my mother-in-law took all my sister my wife's sister. Okay. So, it was a whole big group of us that got together. New Year's Eve. >> Yeah. Yeah, it was a little crazy.
>> It was Everybody tires. Everybody else. 40. So we went to the New Year didn't expect
sweatshirt. So the only thing we like to see each other very It's like having fun. Yes. That's
your They're saying really encourage. Yeah. Martin >> so Yes. Yes. Eric. You got it. All right. Good evening everyone. We are
coming out of a closed session to discuss a uh union contract where we plan on taking no uh formal action. Do I have a motion to close session? >> I'll make the motion. Would
you would you like a vote on that? >> Okay, >> we're all good. All in favor? >> I I All right, time is 502 and we can open up the regular meeting. Mayor, >> with that, we'll open up our regular meeting of the city council of the city of Kate May. We are here in the Kate May city hall auditorium. Today is Tuesday,
February 3rd, 2026. The time is now 50:03. Please join me for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance 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 Kate May County Herald and the Press Atlantic City and a copy of the agenda was delivered to each member of city council and posted on the Kate May city
website and city hall bulletin board. Notice is hereby provided that Kate May city council meetings are audio recorded and video streamed live. Live video streams are posted to the Kate May city website. City of Kate May is not responsible if audio recording or live video streaming of a meeting is unavailable.
Roll call. Council member Baldwin >> here. >> Council member Bodner >> here. >> Deputy Mayor McDade >> here. >> Council member Meyer is absent. Mayor Mullik >> here. >> City solicitor Gillan Schwarz >> here. >> City Manager Dietrich >> here. >> Deputy Clerk Turner
>> here. Any additions or deletions tonight, council? >> Any additions or deletions? Council, >> can I can I just um under one of our reports on the consent agenda, there was the water sewer that was attached to that. Do we want to add that to there? >> Um I believe our tax collector includes
the water sewer information because her department processes that. So I do believe it's just part of her report. >> Part of her report. Okay. >> All good. >> All right. Updates and old business. City manager. >> Thank you. Um
I was going to give a brief uh redisussion regarding the first avenue pedestrian bicycle bridge. So I think >> if you could put the at least the the couple slides up. Um so I know last week we had the engineers from West Cape May
uh make a presentation. It unfortunately did not make the uh the written agenda so we reaggendized it the presentation for today. um as city engineer I'll make a presentation regarding that since it is a city engineering project as as well as a you know it's a joint project
between both uh municipalities um the West Cape May has gotten design funding through two different sets of grants and then they've gotten the final uh construction grant to move forward uh they're finalizing I'll say the permit
plans and are getting ready to move forward to have to submit the permits um they have made an application to our HPC uh we've met uh with our HPVC review committee got a favorable move on and uh
it is scheduled for the upcoming uh HPC meeting for review uh in uh this month um which hopefully we'll get a good favorable recommendation and with that recommendation we'll be able to make the application to the DP uh because they also need uh comment from the state
historic preservation office. The uh the bridge, I know we had some discussion last week. The bridge is essentially a 10- foot wide uh multi-use path and under the DOT uh design guidelines, a 10- foot wide multi-use
path is compatible for both bicycles and pedestrians at the same time for two-way traffic, so to speak. So, it it meets all the necessary safety standards for two-way traffic of bicycles and pedestrians together. Um, it is a
essentially a truss style steel trust bridge. Um, most likely going to be constructed out of a weathering steel. So, it'll have a brown uh weathered steel to it. So, it won't be painted. So, it won't have any long-term maintenance for painting. Um, here on
the the top picture is kind of what it'll uh look like. the the main structural arch bridge. And and we use arch. The arch description is more for the function of the structure, not the function of what's underneath of it. Though it will have a slight camber. It
it raises up about 8 to 10 in from the abupment to the highest point down back to the other abupment at the other end. Um but it's it's still considered an arch mainly because of the structural steel design of the bridge. Uh it'll
have a wood deck and also have metal uh pedestrian safety railings. The approaches on either side uh will be uh on the west Kate May side will probably be a pave cartway. Um they just finished
some soil borings on the Kate May city side and there's some unstable little unstable soils underneath. So they're they're they don't feel that they can excavate sufficiently to put a stable road base to have it paved. So most likely uh they're going to have to build
a um at bay uh timber kind of almost like at grade uh walk supported on on piles uh for a good portion of the stretch that would reach from the bridge out to the street end. Uh there will be ballards at either end so that you
cannot um uh drive up there. Uh, can you can you now pull up the other presentation PDF that has the site plan on it? Yeah, that one. So, you're going to say the span of the
bridge itself is about 50 feet in length. Uh, which will cross Cape Island Creek. Uh it will then connect uh at on our side 1 Avenue and then connect over to West Grant Street in uh West Cape
May. West Kate May has designed, you know, they're designing that will connect uh to their bicycle mapping as you would head at out to Sunset. Um we'll we'll probably as we move forward design bicycle share the road sharetses
to continue down First Avenue to to Beach Avenue. Um along there uh the road based on its low traffic counter will be sufficient to share the road. Uh we don't anticipate you know removing any parking uh along either you know that
entire stretch um of the road. Uh there are no other I'll say pedestrian amenities anticipated for this bridge. You know unlike our the nature trails where we had overlooks with benches and different things. This is essentially it's a pedestrian and bicycle movement
bridge. It's not meant to go up there and hang out to stay to loiter fish and do all those kinds of things. Uh so you know on our side we won't have any benches whether it's at First Avenue at
the end or along the bridge. Um but they'll there'll be an access to the sidewalk and then a depressed curb to for the bicycles to land and and come up off the street. >> Can I ask a question? >> Sure. >> Um it came up at our last meeting. Are
these bicycles going to be in motion or are they going to have to walk across? There'll be a motion because it's it will be >> because it's a because it's a multi-use path under the DOT's design standards as I stated that is fully conforms to safety standards to have um that width
and to have two-way traffic both bicycles and pedestrians mixed along that that route. >> Okay. Paul, can you discuss uh what um what proposal, if any, there is for lighting in the area?
>> I mean, at at this point, I don't I don't know if they've designed any. You know, at at most, I would say that that you could install some low-level LED down lights along maybe the curb line just to illuminate the curb line. Um,
but I would not anticipate any uh street lights. If either town wanted to put maybe put a street light at the end where the path intersects the street just to define, you know, typically at a street end like that, that would be a typical spot where you might want a
street light. So, it would not be inappropriate to maybe put a street light at the end, but not really to have too much lighting up and over the bridge except for maybe some low-level LED lighting. So Paul, I thought that we had discussed or at least asked for consideration around the ballards to
have some lighting in those so that people would be aware of that. >> Well, and and that would be at the end. >> Okay. Yeah. >> At at the street end. So like I said at at the street end at at First Avenue if we had a street light there that would illuminate the ballard would be
illuminate that area. Okay. you know, the transition from where you're moving from the street up to the path, I think would be appropriate to have a street light, but but >> not not to have elevated street lights across the bridge. I think that that would be something, you know, >> that would be more intrusive.
>> That'd be more intrusive, not only just for the viewed down the the um the creek, but for the neighbors and stuff like that. >> Yeah. Mhm. Agreed. >> Okay. Any anything else, Stephen? >> No. And and this project, as I say
before, is really being spearheaded, you know, by West Kate May. I know this is probably the third or fourth meeting that we've discussed it here in public. Um I know that it's made a public presentation at the bicycle and pedestrian uh committee
and I know obviously we're going to be at our HPC and I believe West Kate May has had a couple public meetings regarding the bridge >> and these are on our uh website. These are on our website and I think they've been on, you know, obviously we've been updating it, but we've had the schematic
plans of the bridge, I think, up since at least the summertime. >> Okay. Okay. Thank you very much. Any other questions, comments, council? Okay. Any other updates, city manager? >> I just wanted to update. Um obviously we've we've gone through a lot of frigid
cold weather. So um we've had to close uh all the restroom the public restrooms in uh throughout the city. Um you know where normally our our warmer climate during the winter has allowed us to keep them open this frigid weather. You know
even we tried to keep them open. It's just we didn't want to do any more damage to pipes or anything like that to try to keep them open. So they've all been closed. Uh, I would anticipate them reopening probably in March. Uh, we have the contractor has begun construction on
Harbor Road, uh, Harborview Park, I'm sorry. Um, if you've been down there, they've removed the I'll say the the boardwalk area along the the bay in the harbor and, uh, they've started to clean clean up and remove some of the other items. Uh, there are some memorial
benches that were located in there. um notices have been sent to those bench owners and we're following the same procedure that we did with the prominade with these bench owners and kind of following the same process and procedure with them. Uh and then all of our other
projects were moving along at a little bit slower of a pace just due to weather, but uh you know most of them are moving along. I think the the contractor at the police station building is hoping to maybe remobilize tomorrow and try to get a little work
done. >> That's great. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, city manager. Before I go to the city solicitor, I'll just quickly go to city council. Any updates or old business council? >> No. Okay. City solicitor. Um obviously we're about to go into ordinances for
introduction. Um if you had anything else obviously please give us an update but if if you could um maybe highlight those ordinances now if that's okay. >> Sure. Yeah. Um so it's not uh not ideal or or my preference to get these things
the day of uh to council or to the public like to get them out in advance. Um but fortunately this is first reading and and the reason for a little bit of a fire drill at least for the first three to get these on for first reading is because the city like all other
municipalities throughout the state are facing um the need to comply with fourth round obligations for affordable housing and the state statute and the program that's been established to replace COA really puts the city and other like
likely situated uh municipalities under the gun to enter into consent orders, adopt resolutions, adopt ordinances and updates. Um, and one of those deadlines is is March 15th. So, that's that's why, you know, let's get this on the agenda
and get it to the planning board and get it back to council and we'll have second reading um hopefully early in March to meet that deadline. But that's sort of the reason for getting this on and not having those drafts available for the packet. So, um, but I I'll just go through,
uh, I I'll start with, uh, 591. This is the overlay district, uh, to promote affordable housing in the C5 district. And as part of again the fourth round uh unmet need obligation that we adopted
and and discussed months ago um we we need to come up with an overlay district and some somewhere to put that and in in discussions with the city's planner uh who's Mr. Hurles who works as the city the uh planning and zoning
board engineer and discussions with our affordable housing council we came up with a and discussed a concept of where this could potentially go what the options were and it needs to be a reasonable you know practical option it can't be imagined we have to provide a an optual opportunity and look at what's
available and you know to the surprise of nobody in this room or at this table there's not a lot to work with in KMA there's a lot of things are built out um a lot of land is restricted so the C5 district seemed like the most practical candidate for this type of overlay. And
um it's it's providing uh the opportunity for affordable housing developments to occur with density and bulk regulations mirroring those in the um related R zones in Kate May. So these are familiar district regulations but in
the C5 specifically tailored towards affordable housing development. It's not, hey, go ahead and put a bunch of single family homes here. It's, you know, have a an affordable housing development. Um, and providing that as an incentive and a density incentive and
and a toolbox item that can be used to deploy and create affordable housing opportunities. So, uh, Mr. Hurles couldn't be here tonight, but fortunately, we're going to have two more public meetings on this ordinance and the other two that I'll get to in a second. So this if introduced by council
tonight would go to the planning board for master plan consistency review. Mr. Hurles will of course be at that meeting and and we'll go over the detail and the discussion of that in relation to the master plan and then if uh approved by the planning board it would come back here hopefully for the first meeting in
March for second reading public hearing and adoption and then we would be in in position to meet our obligations under the fourth round for that. The the next two 592 and 93, I would characterize these more as housekeeping. These are
the ones that weren't in council's packet, weren't in the public packet. These are more in the nature of housekeeping ordinances. Uh it's replacing the affordable housing section of the code and the development fee requirements, but these are largely
standardized requirements under the U-Hack and state regulations. And the difference between the new and the old is not going to look very different from what exists today. We're retaining things like the accessory apartment program, the development fee revenues
that are paid by developers when they do projects that goes into the affordable housing trust fund and and the requirements for developments. um specialized credit programs enforcement. Very familiar existing programs will
continue under this new ordinance. Like I said, these are housekeeping, but you're going to see maybe some incentives for accessory apartments go up. Um that's encouraged under the fourth round obligations. So, there's some subsidies in there in the current code for accessory apartments. This
proposes to increase those based on recommendations as part of that uh fourth round compliance. So, like I said, there are some modifications in here, but not rewriting or or reinventing the wheel. It's it's similar um concepts and framework, just with
some updates to conform to the current and updated affordable housing laws. So, that is kind of the overview, aerial view of of these three ordinances. And if council uh introduces uh them tonight, like I
said, we're going to send all three to the planning board. There'll be another opportunity to review and discuss them through the lens of the master plan and then hopefully back here again for early March for a second reading and adoption and opportunity for public comment hearing. >> That's great. Um before I open it up to
questions, I guess we should introduce it. So if you have any questions, we'll we'll introduce it and uh you're going to ask the solicitor. Is that good? >> Okay. We have 591-2026, an ordinance amending chapter 525 of the city code to promote affordable housing in the C5 zoning district. >> Do I have a motion?
>> I'll make a motion. >> Do I have a second? >> I'll second. >> Any questions or comments, council? Obviously, this is the ordinance that the solicitor just went through. Roll call. >> Deputy Mayor McDade. >> Yes. >> Council member Bodner, >> yes. >> Council member Baldwin, >> yes.
>> Mayor Malik, >> yes. 592-2026, an ordinance repealing and replacing chapter 59, article 5, entitled affordable housing of the city code. >> Do I have a motion? >> I'll make the motion. >> Do I have a second? >> I'll second. Any questions or comments?
Roll call. >> Deputy Mayor McDade. >> Yes. >> Council member Bodner, >> yes. >> Council member Baldwin, >> yes. >> Mayor Mulik, >> yes. and 593-2026, an ordinance repealing and replacing chapter 59, article 6, entitled development fee requirements of the city
code. >> Do I have a motion? >> I'll make the motion. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Questions or comments? Council. >> Roll call. >> Deputy Mayor McDade. >> Yes. >> Council member Bodner. >> Yes. >> Council member Baldwin. >> Yes. >> Mayor Mullik. >> Yes.
594-2026, an ordinance amending chapter 7 of the city code regarding meed parking fees at the Cape Island Baptist Church parking lot pursuant to city use agreement. >> 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. >> Deputy Mayor McDade. >> Yes. >> Council member Bodner. >> Yes. >> Council member Baldwin. >> Yes. >> Mayor Mullik. >> Yes. and 595-2026, an ordinance of the city of Gate May amending the revised general ordinances of the city to provide for a restricted
handicap parking space at or adjacent to 212 Stockton Place for Rebecca Walder. >> Do I have a motion? >> I'll make a motion. >> Do I have a second? >> I'll second. >> Any questions or comments? Roll call. >> Deputy Mayor McDade. >> Yes. >> Council member Bodner. >> Yes. >> Council member Baldwin. >> Yes.
>> Mayor Mullik. And moving on to ordinances for second reading and consideration for adoption, we have 585-2026, ordinance to exceed the municipal budget appropriation limits and to establish a cap bank for calendar year 2026. >> Do I have a motion?
>> I'll make the motion. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> And there is a public hearing this evening. Mayor, >> is anyone here wishing to speak on 585? Ordinance 585. Cap bank. >> Not cap. Yeah. Okay. Seeing none, we can
close public comment. Any questions or comments? Council, roll call. >> Deputy Mayor McDade, >> yes. >> Council member Bodner, >> yes. >> Council member Baldwin, >> yes. >> Mayor Mullik, >> yes. >> 586, 2026, an ordinance authorizing
conveyance of deeds and easement of easement to the county of Kate May to accommodate the Delaware Avenue Revetment Project. Um, block 1184, lot 1 and 1.01. Block 1195, lot 1.01. 01 block 1206 lot 1.01 block 1217 lot 1.01
>> Do I have a motion? >> I'll make a motion. >> Do I have a second? >> I'll second and a public hearing. Mayor, >> is anyone here wishing to speak on 586 conveyance? Seeing none, we'll close public comment. Do I have a mo I'm sorry. We have a
motion. Any questions or comments? Council, >> roll call. >> Deputy Mayor McDade. >> Yes. >> Council member Bodner. >> Yes. >> Council member Baldwin. >> Yes. Mayor Mullik. >> Yes. >> 587 2026. Ordinance authorizing utility easement agreement with the Atlantic City Electric Company to accommodate
relocation of electric poles, equipment, and overhead lines in the area of the new police station at Lafayette Street Park, block 1061, lots 42 and 51 with a public hearing. >> Do I have a motion? >> You have to public hearing. >> Oh, >> either way. >> Uh would is anyone here to wishing to
speak on uh ordinance 587? This is the relocation electric pulse. Seeing none, we'll close public comment. Do I have a motion? >> I'll make the motion. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Any questions or comments? Roll call. >> Deputy Mayor McDeade. >> Yes. >> Council member Bodner.
>> Yes. >> Council member Baldwin. >> Yes. >> Mayor Mullik. >> Yes. >> And 588-2026, an ordinance amending chapter 7 of the city code regarding on street parking permits to confirm a residency requirement.
Do uh is anyone here wishing to speak on 588? >> Sir Martin. >> Uh thank you. First of all, I wanted to provide all of you with a little fan mail. I I listened to the meeting the other day and um I made a statement today on social media about how my wife
and I take great comfort in the level of transparency that this administration constantly exhibits. It's a strength of this administration and I hope it stays this way for administrations to come. I think it gets overlooked sometimes. I think sometimes you get pun punished for
doing the right things. Um but uh it gives us as city residents a great deal of pride. Thank you. >> Um with respect to the um the the on street parking um the arguments that were made when we got to this resolution
um in oh I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself. Martin Van Walson 329 Congress Street um involved my street and therefore it kind of piqu my interest. Um don't tell my healthcare company but I have an occasional cigar as I walk around the
city of of Cape May. Um and after that meeting and during one of those walks, I did take a close look at Windsor and Congress, which was mentioned as being an area um that was of particular concern. And I found that there were on that on Windsor Street alone six
reserved spots >> that represents about 20% of all the spots in the city of Cape May. Mhm. >> So, it was um I think we all are subject to the things that we encounter in our daily lives. And I think since it's a
one-way street, if you have to pass those six spots every time you leave your house, um and some of them are empty, maybe the person is at work, maybe the person isn't here, we don't know the reasons why. Um it it may seem as if that's an awful lot. Um but if you
drive down almost every street in Cape May, there are no spots. So I applaud you for the um your decision to table this. I just have one residual um suggestion with respect to this issue. Um the objective of considering limiting
the number of parking spots that could be reserved was because parking is so precious. Um on Windsor I found and one Windsor and Congress I found 10 spots that could be reclaimed with restriping. >> Um there are for example three spots
south of of of South Lafayette by the San Piper Hotel that there's abs there. It's not a it's not a sight triangle. It's not a driveway. It's there's just three spots that that can be reclaimed by re by restriping. Would you be
willing to meet with our uh city engineer? >> I could take a look at it. >> Okay, that'd be great. >> Um I I also being on the corner of Congress in Clagghorn um which is a relatively desirable spot especially for many of the workers in the city of Cape May because it's a less than a
fiveminute walk to to where they work. Uh we get the opportunity to kind of observe behaviors and patterns and we know that the spots generally get filled between 7 and 8 in the morning and then turn over again. It's 3:00 in the afternoon for example. Mhm. >> Um, one thing that I've noticed is that many times people will leave significant
distance between the car in front of them and the car behind them. >> So, another another opportunity that I think we have is to I've thought about this from time to time and I don't think it really falls into the category of sign pollution, which we all find a
little objectionable, but more space parkings. I I I think that while it won't create parks, >> the city manager and I have talked about this and we've gotten this complaint, you know, >> that I think Larry David calls them pig
parkers, you know, the people that take over like two spots at one, right? >> Um, but the problem is, and you would you want to explain it? >> Yeah. So, when when we have to mark them, they call them the mark with the T's and the L's. When you mark out the
spaces, I have to mark it at a 22 foot space. So on a for yes, you have people that that I'll say hog up and take those extra spaces. Throughout the summer though, you'll get on average you'll get more you'll get
more parking without those markings because you'll get a lot potentially smaller cars and and they you end up parking in something a little bit tighter than you normally would want to park. it. It's a parking spot, so I'm going to fit in there. Um, so you
actually will get more parking on a long stretch. Now, if it's a smaller stretch, sometimes it might make sense to do the marking so that you can't, especially if it's a a two spot space and and somebody wants to sit in the middle of a two-spot space. So, I'll
say yes, there are times that maybe it warrants to to to mark it, but then there's other times, especially on a longer stretch, to not mark it because you'll actually get more spaces in there. So, um, we can definitely >> Martin, I I didn't believe that explanation until we went out and and
like looked at it and it's I think you said 22 feet, right? Yes. A lot of times we'll measure it and it'll be 60 feet, you know, and it's like, so are we putting two markings in 60 feet of, you know, it's it's >> Yeah. So there's probably an algorithm where it does make sense. I thought the
definition of a spot was 9 by8. So >> that that is true for a parking lot, but don't forget that's a parking lot where you're pulling in, but for parallel parking, you have to allow for the people that aren't quite as good at parallel parking as others. And for the
benefit of the front bumper and the rear bumper of your car, the standard for actually on street parking is 22 feet. So yeah, it's and everybody intuitives, oh, it's 18 ft and they go out there and measure 18T and but it's actually 22
feet that you have to >> Yeah, the parallel parking derby is something that we get the opportunity to enjoy living on living on Converse Street. Um, watching people try to squeeze in or even spots. >> And that's what I'm saying. So, as as people get tighter and you have a smaller car, you'll be able to squeeze a
couple more cars in and fit into a spot that you might not normally want to put. >> So, there probably is an algorithm that says that if it's a certain distance between sight triangles, it makes sense to put the put the >> for two spaces. It it sometimes does make sense to mark them because that's that's usually when it's easier for
somebody to, you know, go out and block two spaces with one. And then a lot of times a lot of times that is a resident blocking it for their >> friend or family to come in. >> Well, so that's and reserve it. You know, that's kind of
>> that brings me to my last point. >> A resident reservation. >> I actually um because of the length of my commute between Massachusetts and here, which we hopefully will no longer have starting in probably June, we'll be here full-time. Thing it's about time. Um,
I actually did listen to a book on parking and um, one of the points that was made in the book was that the only reason to the only reason to have a standard that requires parking spaces for off for for houses is to keep people
from parking on the street in that live in the houses. >> And there are great many spots that I see um that where the driveway is completely empty and the two or three cars are in the driveway. Um, I don't I've I've tried to think of a way to by
decals or some other means require that people actually use the spots that they're required to have by zoning law to to to have. I don't know how to do it, but if you put a couple of smart people in a room together, we can probably figure it out. And that would
be, you know, a hundred spots conservatively. So when we start talking about doing things that in this instance would have reclaimed >> five or six spots, we have opportunities to reclaim dozens of spots around the city by diligently looking at the way
that we currently do things. >> But I again I applaud you for deciding that the juice here wasn't worth the squeeze and deciding to table this ordinance. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Thanks Martin. And good points. >> Anyone else wishing to speak on 588?
Seeing none, we'll close public comment. Uh, I don't believe we have a motion. Do I have a motion? >> Do not. >> Do we want to motion this to table it indefinitely? >> A motion to table. >> Table it. >> To table indefinitely. >> I'll make a motion to table indefinitely. >> It down. What do we
>> table it with extreme prejudice? >> Yeah, table it with >> you could table it indefinitely. >> I'll make a motion to table with extreme prejudice. >> Do I have a second? Second. >> Any questions or comments? So, obviously
a a yes vote would be to table. Do Do I um We have a motion. We have a second. Roll call, please. >> Deputy Mayor McDeed, >> yes. >> Council member Bodner, >> yes. >> Council member Baldwin, >> yes. >> Mayor Mullik, >> yes. >> All right.
>> And moving on to public portion on resolutions only. >> Is anyone here wishing to speak on any of the resolutions on the agenda this evening? Please come come to the microphone. State your name and address for the record if you would. >> And mayor, I do have one comment be
after >> after the public comments. I do have one comment before council votes. >> Go ahead, bro. Paul, you want to comment first? >> No, no, no. Go ahead. You >> uh regarding the resolution ordinance number uh 591-2026. >> Excuse me, sir. Could you please state your name and address? >> Uh yes. My name is Paul Johnston. I
reside at 11 South Broadway, Kate May. >> Thank you. >> And uh I have a question. Uh C5 district refers to C5 he's only C5 for affordable housing. C5 district is only district to my knowledge is the wetlands between the
end of Mire Street and the public works area building. Is that correct? >> That's that is a portion of the C5 portion of it. >> Yeah. the if you want to think about where the C5 is, it's the corridor of
Bank Street around uh where the city's parking lot is and where Bank Street Commons is and where Swaines is. >> Okay. >> And then it kind of loops around and and there is some portions of of land that are in the wetlands area, but there's also >> Okay. >> That's the general area of where C5 is.
>> I saw the map and it looked like it was entirely on the wetland section, but I I'll stand by your answer. Uh, here's an idea. The federal government owns land adjacent to the Coast Guard base. You drive by, you see signs saying federally
owned land. Why can't the city cooperate or approach this federal government, Coastg Guard based Department of Homeland Security, and ask them to build more public housing next to that facility? >> Uh, where exactly are you talking? >> I'm talking around um Del Avenue.
>> Okay. >> And u people gonna hate me for saying this. This is controversial, but the area around the u >> the lost fisherman's memorial. >> Okay. Okay. >> There's about three or four or five lots there. >> Kill me for saying that. >> Yeah, I know where you're talking.
>> But uh there is fally owned land there, right? >> Signs saying it's and it's all cattails. Yep. >> It's high ground. >> Yep. >> But it could be utilized for that. >> Yeah, Mr. Johnson. >> Every single apartment, every single bed that goes to affordable housing is is a positive.
>> Yeah. Go ahead. And I I I think that's a good good thought. And um the the problem with this is there's so many ways to to try and think about and slice this onion like where do we create these opportunities. The problem that we're facing with these ordinances is a
practical one. It's that we are put under the gun along with every other municipality to make a decision and come up with some kind of practical solution that might provide these opportunities. And that's where this came from. It didn't come from even months of plan A. It came from like weeks of having to
just come up with something to make sure that the city's in compliance with really I'll say it. I don't know that other people would agree with this, but I just think arbitrary deadlines of like come up with something by this date that might not be able to you might not have the time to come up with all these
solutions that you >> say you're you're you're doing a legal formality to to justify something and to do some paperwork. No, >> you're just on law. No, I'm I'm trying but I'm thinking in practical terms. >> I'm trying to give credit to what you're saying. >> I'm thinking in practical terms. In practical terms, the federal government
HUD does a lot of housing >> and I haven't done a housing project in Cape May County in my since 1968 >> in this in this city and I maybe in Wildwood, but not since 1968 has HUD built a a single unit. >> Mr. Johnson, to respond to that directly, we don't have four weeks to
come up with that that >> Well, you got my idea. Someone someone should approach. Not a bad idea. >> Someone should approach a congressman and put pressure on them. >> It's a good idea. >> All right. Thank you. >> Obviously, we'd have to convince the the feds to to go along with it, but it's a good idea. >> That's your job. That's That's your That's your job.
>> I agree with Y. >> All right. Thank you. >> Thank you, sir. >> Anyone else on resolutions this evening? >> Nothing on resolutions. Seeing none, we'll close public comment on resolutions. And mayor, if I could just make a comment regarding um so regarding
the um >> the 95 uh hazard mitigation plan. So obviously this is a plan that was here before and the draft section which author you know and we did a resolution where we were recommending that the to submit it our portion to the county and
then the county submits it to NJEM and then submits up to FEMA. We're now at the process where all the state and FEMA have signed off on it. It's back now to us to finally endorse and come in. Um, I talked to uh Miss Baldwin about uh the
the couple items that have gone through HPC, especially real recently that were kind of I'll say in the works be like kind of at the same time that this plan was being drafted and and kind of when when if you think about the the Columbia
study that we just did that talked about resiliency and and all the work that the HBC did on that. Um, and so we can't really change that plan for now. But what what I my recommendation would be is just to acknowledge that and say that every fall I do a update to the hazard
mitigation plan as part of our CRS program and an update to that that I will make a plan you know recommendation to acknowledge you know the the work that the the HPC did and that the um Columbia University report did to be incorporated that as one of our planning
documents for hazard mitigation and I can I'll do that as part of the uh uh annual update that I do for I just wanted to obviously let council know that that's what that's where the that point is for the hazard mitigation plan and how we can address that planning
effort that we did do with Columbia University which which is a great effort. Um I you know once we get that final report and be able to put that online it's going to be a great asset for us. >> But that's I just wanted to make that comment. >> Thanks Paul. Okay, with that, do I have
um >> is there anything anyone would like to remove from the consent agenda >> this evening? >> Anything council? >> No. >> All right. Do we have a motion to adopt the consent agenda? >> Do I have a motion? >> I'll make the motion. >> Do I have a second? >> Second.
>> Roll call. >> Deputy Mayor McDade. >> Yes. >> Council member Bodner. >> Yes. >> Council member Baldwin. >> Yes. >> Mayor Mullik. >> Yes. Moving on to the mayoral appointment to the environmental commission mayor.
That's um Miss uh Jennifer Fleamini to the alternate one position. I believe >> that's great. And um I want to thank Jennifer for her uh willingness to volunteer for the environmental commission. And just announce to everyone tonight too, we are still
looking for one more uh we have one more vacancy on the environmental commission. So, uh, and I have to say it is state law that that that person has to be a resident of the city of Kate May. We got a couple volunteers that were nearby,
but they're were not residents. Um, so we are looking for a resident of the city of Cape May for one more person on the environmental commission. So, uh, if you can think of somebody, please let them know that we're looking. Uh, but Jennifer, thank you very Also, if I may, I believe there's one or two vacancies
on the shade commission with the same residency requirement. So, if anybody is interested in serving, please just reach out to myself in my office. >> Okay. >> Got that shade tree commission as well. Jennifer, thank you very much. Uh, do I need a motion? >> No, that's just an appointment. You're appointed.
>> We'll get you to sign it. >> On to new business. Uh, city solicitor, any new business? >> Nothing tonight. Thank you. City manager, >> nothing. Thank you. Uh, city clerk, >> nothing tonight. Thank you. >> All right, Councilwoman Baldwin,
>> I'll go with nothing. >> Okay, Councilman Bodner. Um, >> mayor, I I do. Um, I'd actually like to comment on a recent letter posted um by you, our mayor, on social media addressing the ICE situation in
Minneapolis and your call for peace and democracy. Uh, mayor, you stated so eloquently the the call to adhere to principles of fairness, respect for the law, respect for constitutional principles, and local authority.
As a city council, our focus is on local issues and our local community. And I gather that the the local officials in Minneapolis would be prefer would prefer to be doing the same thing. the events that unfolded there as well as the removal of our history, our um in in
Philadelphia are sobering reminders that we all need to be vigilant for our community. And I mayor, I just want to commend you for taking the lead in your capacity as the mayor of Cape May. >> Thank Thank you, Steve. Thank you. Thank you, Steve. I appreciate that.
Deputy mayor, >> uh nothing this evening, but um I echo Mr. Bodner's sentiments. It's um I'm very proud to be able to sit next to you um for uh the work that you do, the protection that you s um put forth for
our community uh each and every day and the fact that you were willing to step out there because many people don't. So, thank you for that. >> Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate that. Um I'll uh just quickly say a big thank you to our Department of Public Works. Um, as you all know, there's still snow
on the ground out there. But, uh, and it's almost easy to forget now that our roads have been really clean for a while now, but they got out there very quickly and and did an excellent job. And thank God they did because you all know that rain came and it became a big sheet of
ice everywhere. So, >> that's why I think I think we don't classify it as snow anymore. I think it's just classified as ice. It's just white ice at >> this. Exactly. and and same same goes to our first responders, our police and firefighters. I know they've had uh a lot of a little tougher time in regards
to all this weather. So, it felt like uh the tropics out there at 32 degrees today. So, um with that, we'll open it up for public comment. Anyone wishing to speak on any and all matters, please come to the microphone, state your name and address for the record. >> Good evening.
>> Jules Rous, 1010 New York Avenue. I'd like to echo what you said about the public works. >> I think uh we should be very proud of our streets. They they did a great job. >> Um we're coming down the final stretch for the seaw wall, the the long wall along
Beach Avenue, and that probably is one of the largest visual things that we all see on a constant basis right now. It's a it's a patchwork of every color that you could think of. Um, and I I noticed
that there is a a couple of samples of colors down towards the the cove. And um I think it we should plan on painting that entire area of concrete. Uh maybe even some of the area that's that's wood
and have it a consistent color so that it frankly is uh not objectionable. The patchwork to me would would be object objectionable and I would encourage you to lean towards a a sand color or the
color of concrete as opposed to something that would be a more dramatic uh presentation. Thank you. >> Thank you. Appreciate that. >> Mayor, can I um >> please >> Okay. There there was um Mr. Rous, >> just just to follow up on what you said. Um yes, there were a few colors that
were put down close to the end. Um, uh, Council Member Bodner and I, uh, as well as the, um, the manager, the deputy manager, the engineers, we met down there, um, and a couple of other, uh, people. We we're waiting at this point for a year to see how things are going
to patina a little bit. Um, and as you know, as this year is coming up, they're finishing things. We're going to look at that again and revisit that. Yeah, I think it would I think it would be great to have it finished and finished so that when we open up the city to to the
tourists this summer, we have a nice blend throughout the the entire town and it's all consistent rather than the patchwork. >> Thank you, Mr. Roush. >> Good evening. >> Go ahead. Stacy Shan, 928 Columbia Avenue. Um, my question is on the
ordinances that were passed tonight concerning 592 and 593. Um, did council have a copy of those changes before the meeting? >> We got them when we >> they were introduced tonight. Council did get a copy and I did update the
website earlier today to try to give as much notice as I could to the public. >> Oh, yeah. Cuz I was on there last night. I didn't see them. >> Didn't get them till this morning from our affordable housing council. >> So, they are on there now? they are. >> Okay. Because that was my concern, you know, to to try to make a comment when
there's a lot to both of those >> ordinances on what changes were going to be coming in and going out. >> That's Yeah, that that's what I indicated. First thing I said was I I don't I don't know if you were here, Stacy. >> No, I was here. Oh, okay. >> I was here. But my the thing is is
>> they're both very long. They're most over a page and a half. So your your short description, I wasn't sure really what was coming in, what was going on. >> Right. So just to recap, the one that was included is like the more customized. Let's dive in and look at
this. It's the C5 overlay district and that's going to go to the planning board. The other two >> The other two is what I'm concerned. The other one was in the packet. >> No, I know. And and what I'm saying is that the other two are more in the way of housekeeping updates. >> Yes. that's it's very similar language
um and very modest updates to conform to the updates in the U-Hack and the affordable housing law. So like I said when earlier things like the accessory apartment program development fee revenues the require >> you mean when you say accessory apartments what do you mean by accessory
apartments are going to be more allowed there in the town we we already have under the under the prior the third round settlement agreement from 2018 we have an accessory apartment program that's the the spending plan from 2018 was completely dedicated to let's do accessory apartments and
>> but when you say accessory apartments just I'm trying not to I'm trying to understand what you mean by accessory like not garages change into apartments. >> Yes. >> Yes. Yes. >> Oh, so >> but but subject to deed restrictions and affordable housing requirements, not just turn it into an Airbnb, it's turn
it into affordable housing unit, >> but only on the C5 area. >> No. >> No. So, why I'm asking this is because I'm on the zoning board and a lot of times we've been saying to people you can't be putting, >> you know, plumbing and heating in there to to make an apartment to rent out. But
now you're saying they can. Well, if they want to commit that to the city's affordable housing program, that that's precisely what's in the code. >> The deep history. >> So, it all Thank you, Marine. That's what I was trying. >> I I know there's that tension, but that
we we actually and there's a a planning movement pointing towards accessory apartments. even be even now after the city's been doing it for years. We haven't had a lot of success with it, but it's still a program that we think is it's one of the options and one of
the tools in the toolbox to promote the goal of affordable housing. And that's why in combination with an overlay district and set aides for five or developments with five or more units if somebody does a subdivision, it's one of the tools. So, it's not the solution,
but it's part of a package and that's been in there since 2018. >> Right. So, but so it has to be d-restricted then. And when they say d-restricted, can the owners use it? >> No. No. It's got to it's it's got to be marketed for >> for just that and under the conditions
of marketing for affordable housing, meaning you know, income verification, all of those things. So, yeah. >> So, thank you for that. >> And Stacy, I'll add to that. Mhm. >> I I'm usually not the one that's like saying, "Let's throw something on the agenda really quick and get it out there
without it being on in a public uh packet and with the council being able to see it." But I I'm promoting these being on tonight for the sole reason that we're under a a deadline to get these things and I understand >> and there's going to be more public there's going to be a planning board review of it and then a second reading
of this. So there'll be more opportunities for the public. I think you it was in November I think that that the state came down and said that you had to get this plan in place. Correct. >> Uh right. And and >> in November >> and right in November and um you can see the breadth of these documents. They're
not like two pages. It's it's a lot of work and planning that has to go into a very short period of time. >> Yeah. Cuz when I was going through, you know, what those ordinances were looking at, it was a lot of information. And that's why I was concerned about what it was going to um go after that you're still
keeping that people have to put money into the affordable fund and things like that. >> And that's why yeah a lot of the major mo major pieces of the structure of affordable housing in Kate May and statewide are not changing. It's just being updated. It's you know
>> so is it going is it being updated and changes made to um incorporate that new C5 part of it? That's gonna that's up for discussion. That's going to be a component of the city's compliance with fourth round obligations. >> Okay. So, these two ordinance that I
thought these two ordinance were coming into play because of the C5 being >> No, we would do this anyway. These are these are updates comply with state law. Yeah. >> Okay. So, they're just they're they're not part of that C5 then. >> No, but I'm I'm talking about them together, Stacy, because it's all part
of compliance, >> right? But it's not it's a little different because you're not changing things to to make it compatible, >> right? We would do we would do the 592 and 593 regardless of whatever we did in 591. 591 is this is the best we could
come up with from a planning standpoint >> to to present to council and to the planning board and invite their comments and discussion. >> Right. And I was surprised that um the C5 is the Swain's area backing up to Bank Street, I guess it is, or coming
out to Bank Street and where Marsh McLaren building is. Correct. >> And then the other C5 is back behind Broad Street, not Broad Street Court, back behind that. And those that development there between Elmyra and
Over. Correct. >> Yep. And that's the wetlands. I think somebody had referenced >> the old Mars Nut House um storage building and things. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Thank you for the clarification. >> Sure. >> Thank you. Anyone else this evening? >> Hello, Ros
Johnson, 826 Lafayette Street. Um I believe in the power and the responsibility of communication and educating our citizens. And it's in this spirit um I'd like to ask you, mayor, um to give us a short briefing on the role
of Kate May's law enforcement as it pertains to issues of homeland security. >> Sure. >> And immigration. I did ask um Deacon if he could come um because I thought he would be a little >> You can't hear me? Really?
>> Stop speaking. >> Oh, I'm sorry. Um, apparently he had um other engagements >> and he did send Lieutenant Walker at >> um so um here are just a couple questions. Um
what determines if federal officers come into our city? >> Do you know the answer to that? >> I I'd rather professionals answer this because truly I don't know this like these these folks do. And Roz, you were nice enough. >> Hi, how are you?
>> Wonderful. Can I join you up here? >> I'd love it. >> Okay. Excellent. Um my name's um Joseph Walker. I'm the administrative lieutenant with the Kate May Police Department. The chief did ask me to be here tonight cuz he's got a family emergency that he had attend. >> Thank you. >> So, I'm here for him for being here. >> Of course. Um I think first just um let
me begin at the be at the beginning to explain that the attorney general's office issues directives and guidelines on a yearly basis. The directives and guidelines set law enforcement standards throughout the state and the police officers are mandated to follow these directives and guidelines. Uh in 2018,
New Jersey came out with the New Jersey immigrant trust directive which gave police officers and agencies a roadmap on how to handle working with ICE and how we serve members of the immigrant community. Uh the goal of the directive is to promote trust in our state's diverse immigrant communities and to ensure that victims and witnesses feel
safe uh in reporting crimes to the police. prior to answering uh any questions or any other questions, if you just give me a few moments, I could review some of the important pieces of information in the directive because it may answer questions for everybody that's in the audience. Um, first and foremost, you know, if you're not a citizen and you are a victim or a
witness of a crime, please come forward as our priority in any of our police departments here locally is to ensure the public safety. No one should suffer in silence out of fear of being identified as a non- US citizen. New Jersey law enforcement will not ask an individual about their immigr immigration status unless in limited
circumstances that information is necessary and relevant to pursue an indictable criminal investigation. New Jersey is not a sanctuary state for anyone who commits crimes in New Jersey, which means that New Jersey law enforcement officers will investigate all state New Jersey criminal offenses.
Any person who violates New Jersey criminal laws will be arrested and prosecuted for their actions regardless of immigration status. So, anybody who commits a crime is subject to the state laws. No state, county, or local law enforcement officer shall stop, question, arrest, search, or detain any
individual based solely or actual or suspected citizenship, immigration status, or violations of federal civil immigration law. New Jersey law enforcement officers will not assist federal agents such as ICE with enforcing civil immigration activities. New Jersey law enforcement officers
cannot provide ICE with access to state or local enforcement resources, including equipment, office space, databases, or property. New Jersey law enforcement officers can assist federal agencies with the enforcement of criminal investigations, or when exigent
circumstances exist, the safety of fellow law uh officers or public or the public is in jeopardy. New Jersey law enforcement will comply with and enforce arrest warrants only signed by a judge and not by ICE officers. The state of New Jersey has a lot of information on
their website and if you'd like to review the full directive and then any additional information from the state's attorney general's office, you should visit nj.govtrust and I can write that down for you. There's they the state has really done a good job at providing information
especially all in one place. So, it's there in multiple different languages and it's the dos and don'ts of law enforcement. I could show you like I printed out just like a couple different handouts like that they have examples of. >> Yeah. >> So, if you've seen them Yeah. So, so
essentially to answer the one question that you have about ICE if they show up um you know they're a federal law enforcement agency. You know, usually we respect each other in the fact that if we're coming into somebody else's jurisdiction, even if I'm going into another town to call for, you know, a background investigation, I would
usually call ahead and say, "Hey, this is, you know, at the time it was Detective Sergeant Walker. I'm here, you know, in Lower Township and I'm be out of this address." I would hope that they would contact us and give us the same kind of courtesy. Um, but in the same vein, you know, that might not be the
case. Um I I know a couple weeks ago the uh US Marshall's office did come down and they did reach out to us first and they made us aware of where they were. They didn't need any assistance and that was you know that was kind of the end of where that was left at. Um but to answer
your question, we would hope that we would be notified in advance. However, that might not be the case. >> What determines whether they're here or not? I I think orders from like they like every agency they get orders from their bosses and that would determine
Yeah. I I can't answer that exactly to say, but I mean if they came down here for an enforcement operation, you we would not be assisting with that immigration enforcement operation, but they may be directed to to be down here. That I can't speak to as to why they would be here.
Yep. Um, I think the most important thing to take out of it is that, you know, that directive is pretty specific as to the dos and don'ts for law enforcement. So, and that's not a new directive. That directive has been issued since 2018, I believe. And correct me if I'm wrong, counsel, I
think it's been issued since 2018. So, it's a longstanding directive. You know, all of our officers are very well trained with it. Every year, we prepare annual reports for the prosecutor's office for any of our, you know, involvement with ICE investigations. And I believe as long as I've been preparing
the report maybe for the last 5 years, I want to say that there hasn't been any involvement in those annual reports. So, hope that answered your question. I know it's a little bit of a of a lengthy one there, but >> No, not at all. Okay, >> you covered that. >> Okay. >> Anybody want to
>> Anybody else have any questions? >> Okay. Okay. >> Ros, thank you, Lieutenant. Thank you very much. and and and hearing you say that too. I I just want to assure our the our public, you guys just do such a wonderful job. >> Thank you, mayor. We appreciate it. I'll
let the chief know. >> You you do a wonderful job and and take care of our community. So, we can't thank you enough. So, >> excellent. Thank you, >> Roz. Any other questions for us? >> I don't and and thank you very much. And thank you. Thank uh Chief Deacon for me.
>> Okay. Um, one other thing. Um, uh, I'd like to ask council, um, to schedule a 2026 town hall meeting in May. Uh, two years ago, I requested one and it came
about in November of that year. Uh, last year, I requested a town hall and it never happened. this year. I'm going to ask again. Uh I realize any resident at any time can come to a city council
meeting and express their opinion. Uh the people who show up usually uh come to express their concern on a specific topic. But this is not the same as a town hall.
So why have a town hall? The main reason for me is uh I see is communication first because it's a time where our city government can paint an overall picture of ongoing projects and projects planned
for the future. And secondly, and it's of equal importance, you're creating a time for community engagement. And I I uh stress that community engagement a time when residents get to hear each
other residents views on issues that affect the community. Such feedback allows you to hear this feedback and include it as any part of your decisionmaking.
Such communitive openness in a town hall fosters trust that leadership is accessible and responsive. Um I hear all the time how most people in Kate May are just interested in a
safe beach, clubs, shopping, restaurants, and a beautiful sunset of course. But there are many of us including some of these people I am sure um who do keep their eyes on the
ordinary everyday issues clean water safety schools sorry this is important keeping a balance between what is good for us and our homes and what is good for commerce
keeping a balance between those of us who have a loud voice and those who have a softer one. We must watch out for the ordinary to be able to enjoy the extraordinary such as that beautiful sunset.
Therefore, again, I'm asking council to schedule a town hall in May, not November, since um many residents are here in May and they're not here in November. Um as part of a healthy community where the
residents have the opportunity to be educated, I stress education always, and take an active role. Um, Council Member Baldwin did reach out to me uh with um something that she and my
understanding Councilman Bogner were working on and that was um an open house in May at uh the convention center. I thought that was a fantastic idea. The
first part being that the mayor, a couple council people and also the committees such as historic preservation committee uh planning zoning would attend this um open house
and give feedback to PE not feedback would educate people as to how things are done and what is being done. But it's the second part that needs to be included in this. Besides the education, you need to hear
the feedback. And you need to hear the feedback from not us going to a table, a specific table and talking to a someone on the committee about what they're doing. But
it needs to be an open forum where residents can express their opinion because I particularly love to hear what other people have to say and um it also and it also lends to more uh
credibility. In other words, if someone is asking a question, you know, I can think back afterwards and say, "Yeah, this question was asked." you know, are we doing anything about it or you know, what's happening with that? So, um,
>> excuse me, mayor. I applaud that um Councilman Baldwin and Councilman Bogner were thinking along these lines and um I do appreciate that. But I do think a town hall where the first part
of your thoughts is included, but the second part needs to be um an open discussion with residents. >> So >> agree I'm we'd be fine to do that. I just want to make sure I don't want to tell you May and then that doesn't fit the schedule for any reason, whatever.
But I'm I'm happy to do that. I think it's it's wonderful that we're due to have one. I agree with you. >> I bring it up now because it'll be May before we know it. >> It is. Okay. So, sounds like May 13th is basically already scheduled. I'm happy to make that more of an open format as
you're suggesting. Yeah. You know, I mean, I do like the idea of people being able to break out only because some people don't like to come to the microphone and talk in front of the whole town. Um, but I'd be happy to add the the bigger portion with the town. Well, >> so maybe have both.
>> Exactly. Exactly. Yeah, I'm fine. Totally fine with that. Let me let me just say this. I It's uh >> as a resident, I always felt like sometimes it's a little bit of a dog and pony show. >> Yeah. uh as as mayor, I think it's a nice opportunity to tell people about
how what what we're doing, you know. Uh so, but I don't I know people don't want to just see a bunch of everything's great. Thanks for coming, you know. I mean, we we we want to uh answer those questions that people have. So, um I think we probably should then have a
little bit of a hey, this is what we're doing. This is this is what we have going on right now. just so everybody knows um feel free to ask any questions about it and then maybe break out from there if people want to have a more intimate discussion or whatever. >> And at the last town hall meeting
um I believe the different committees weren't represented. I think that it's a fantastic idea because it gives people >> more of an idea how decisions are made. In other words, it doesn't put the onus on, you know, the um the five of you. It
shows that you know there are committees that look into these uh you know specific issues and then you give them excuse me they give you their feedback and findings. So I think um ha you know having committees u represented would be
eye openening to people. >> Sure. I'd love to be able to blame our uh MTRA committee or our zoning or our HPC. I'm seeing the members in in the audience that are here. No, I think I think it's an excellent idea and for everyone to be able to learn from that is is is great. So,
>> and Raj, you brought up a good point when we had our discussion. Um Oh, >> just having suggestions or having, you know, uh questions that could be answered >> in a log, some type of a log. Okay. Exactly. So, we we took that under. Yeah.
>> Thank you so much. Thank you. Okay. Thank you, Ross. Mr. Johnson. >> Yeah. My name is Paul Johnston. I reside at 11 South Broadway, Cape May. Uh, regarding the uh the Cape Island Bridge, bike bridge, pedestrian bridge over 1st
Avenue. I grew up in that neighborhood all my life. I've been there since 1960 and I knew the area very well. As a matter of fact, they used to trap minnows there and believe it or not, trap muskrats and then skin them and sell them to a to a trapper for for
ferris huckleberry fin kind of activity. But I've been there a long time. I'm very familiar with that area. Uh I know it's very sensitive if I'm really sensitive and I guess it's being done it's being proposed because of obviously because of pedestrian safety because of the accidents we had on Broadway. That
that'd be a correct assumption, right? >> Yes. >> Some tragic accidents. One lady died. Yes. West Kate May and I think a young man had an accident. >> Yeah. >> Um which is understandable and I think that um the the idea is to
is to build a bridge in lie of removing some parking spaces on Broadway. There's about three parking spaces on Broadway. The second block uh give you an address. It's uh about the 20 205 block of uh South Broadway. the three
parking spaces as you turn the corner of West Grant making a right to Beach Avenue on Broadway. There about three parking spots there which would uh obstruct a bike path. So instead of removing those parking spots because everyone loves parking
spots. There's a desperate need for parking in Kate May and no one wants to remove parking spots. You had a presentation here earlier by Mr. Wome about we need more parking spaces, which is true, but I think the idea that the city council has and the and the bike committee has is let's not remove any
parking spaces. Let's build a bridge instead. Is that a correct assumption? >> Um I would >> a partially correct. >> I would disagree with it to be honest with you and I'll just tell you why and then you can you know say whatever you think but that's not how they came to this assumption. um they came to the
assumption and and um Mr. Mr. Bodner can can talk on it from in regards he's he's the liaison to the bicycle and pedestrian committee. They looked at and had um several studies done. I mean and very good studies. They were expensive.
Took over a year to complete and looked at basically what are your hot spots for the most difficult areas for pedestrians and bicyclists in the town. And you could look at the whole study. I'm sure some people would agree or disagree with certain port parts of it, but I think
any rational person is going to look at the study and say, "Hey, this makes sense." One of the biggest hot spots was Broadway and obviously part of that, as you mentioned, was we actually had a fatality and several other accidents that were really bad.
They looked at it and and frankly the parking issue didn't come up on Broadway because their thought was get everybody off Broadway as much as possible. So, um, the plan became to use Pacific
Avenue, uh, in West Cape May, which obviously had an issue where it came to Sunset, right? And then crossing over to you had to go back onto Broadway to get to the beach, which obviously was a lot of the traffic. So that was when they
said, "Okay, listen. If you had a bridge here, you could direct traffic basically through, you know, 80% of Westgate May on Pacific Avenue all the way down to the beach without getting on Broadway." So that was the thought. And I look, I don't think anybody thinks it's perfect.
And part of it too, just to know, is uh a extensive portion of their plan is actually the the the um bike paths uh on Pacific Avenue as part of this whole thing. And then also remember on Sunset Boulevard, the county, we hope that it
happens sooner than later, but has a major plan to go all the way down the left side of Sunset Boulevard. And and it's an extensive plan. It it actually is basically a a boardwalk to the left of Sunset Boulevard on the um Nature
Conservancy side all the way down to um you know the concrete ship. So basically this would connect to that. So if you were on that bike path you'd be able to make a right, not have to go on to Broadway and make it all the way down to the beach. So that's that was the idea.
I understand that the parking thing came up and and frankly that could be a separate discussion. And I'm not I'm not saying that it couldn't, but I think the idea >> a parking plan of removing those three spots did come up or did not come up. >> We I've heard that I've heard it come up
uh since this bridge plan. And look, if you were just to get rid of three parking spaces and it makes it safer, I I don't I don't see the major issue there. However, the whole point is to get people off of Broadway. That that was the whole solution of the the
bicycle and pedestrian plan. >> Okay. >> Mayor, if I could just add to that. I mean, it's when talk when we're talking about the traffic on Broadway, it's just not the direction in one in the flow in one direction. It's also going back as well. >> So, there's issues as far as the safety
for people who would be returning and going going in the other way um during at the end of the day as well as crossing over Broadway as well. So, those were additional safety concerns that were taken into consideration regarding Broadway. >> Okay. I'm not a direct uh neighbor of
that project. I'm two blocks away. Uh so I think it'd be important to uh notify the which you did by the way. Uh you notified it on on the agenda this discussion. I mean thank you Paul for doing that. Thank you city council for doing that. >> Last time I wasn't notified. It wasn't published. This time it is. I don't know
why it wasn't done previously. And I have to say this. I have to say this, but uh I wish other projects were published for transparency. Specifically, the project in front of my property on Beach Avenue, the Bowards. I did not get the same opportunity discuss
this that project like I'm doing now with this one. I want to put that out there. U also I want to ask Paul, what is a bike sharette? You mentioned on on first you after the bridge you would enter going south there would be a bike sharette. Is that a Bards? Oh, a bike
sharet. So, those are the um bike symbol with kind of the the arrows that are on the pavement. >> They're bike sheros. Sherets, I call them. The they're on Beach Avenue. >> The reflectors that stand up. >> No, no, there it's it's painted. It's
paint on the the street. >> Paint. So, pipes red is a instead of paint, it's a a vinyl layer of >> Yes. Yes. >> Okay. All right. You said that I would understand. Okay. >> Mhm. >> All right. Then my last question. I'm sure I'm sure you're tired of listening to me. You didn't give me the five-minute notice like I do normally,
but uh she's laughing. >> I'll let you know. >> It's coming. >> But uh I'm thank you for that. Normally you say your time's up, Mr. Johnston. You had five seconds. Get it. Get out of here. Uh when is the introduction for for the resolution for this uh project for the funding or for the approve it
>> for which >> for the um the bridge project? So from a funding standpoint, West Kate May has secured the funding for the project through uh through two different grants. The final grant they got was from a local transportation grant from the DOT. So
they've secured the funding to build the project. Um after today's presentation, I'm going to be asking council, there'll be a resolution on for the next at the next meeting uh to authorize uh us to sign the the grant or the permit
application to submit the project to the D to get permits, you know. So that that's really just it's not approving the project to go to construction, >> but we've already even approved the agreement between Kate May and West. >> Well, we don't we I mean we've we've talked about it. There's no there's we
don't have a formal written agreement, but we've we've we discussed that we yeah, we're going to share costs and and do those kinds of things at here. But >> have to pay for the permit, our share of the permit >> at this point. Yes. >> Okay. >> So, that's what we, you know, that's what I'll be looking at. you know, when they get me the actual permit
application, I'm anticipating that I'm going to have that later this week, early next week, that they'll present that as a resolution to authorize us to sign because we're a co-owner of the project to submit that for a permit to the D. It would not be for authorization
to construct a project that, you know, we have to get final plans and and work all that out. It just would be to submit the plans to the D to see if they can get a permit. >> So, it's in the future. It's not really final yet. The resolution will be in the future sometime. Not in two weeks.
>> Hope hopefully hopefully it'll be at the next meeting. >> Okay. All right. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> How you doing? Brett Ble, 1313 Messages Avenue. Paul, question for that bridge. Uh since
>> I'm sorry, Brett Ble 1313 uh for that bridge. Now, since Westgate May, my understanding, they're being they're going to pay for except for the permit that we're going to I guess our portion of permit. Is it going to be pressuret
treated and are they going to maintain the bridge down the road? >> So, there's going to be no pressuret treated. The decking is most likely going to be a um an epi type of hardwood similar to what we used around convention hall up on the prominade.
It'll be a similar wood to that. Uh we have not worked out, you know, or had discussions with West Kate May as far as long-term maintenance uh of the bridge. >> Uhhuh. And what type of use the timeline of that wood that you're referring to?
What what what is the >> the life the lifespan of that wood decking? 50 70 years. >> Okay. Okay. Uh next question. Uh, mayor um January 14th uh with the wave you mentioned about you know how we did well
with uh revenue from beach badges and occupancy. How uh what kind of re interest are we making on that? Uh 1 million some was it 1% >> three. We've we've uh we've been
averaging between I'll say up to a little over three uh right now it's just under 3%. >> What do you have CDs? What do you have in CDs? because in in interest at a bank they're not going to pay that >> if you look at you know so we have funds both in NJRM and uh at our local bank
and um we have a you know I say a blended rate of just about over three with our different >> but is it in treasuries is that because >> what what is >> they just give us they give us an interest rate for the business I mean when you have several million dollars in in the
>> so they give you a better rate yes >> okay now what about uh what is debt. Why you mention our our debt per ratio? What is our debt >> presentation? The um we did we did just do the >> and I think the pres I think we also had
that presentation on the web page. Um just to give you an update. So at our next meeting I didn't I was going to not mention this but I since you're here um at our next meeting I'll most likely be making a capital budget presentation. So we'll we'll hit on a lot of that information.
>> Will that be printed in the paper too? I mean >> after it'll be it'll be printed in the paper after I give you after after we do the presentation at the next meeting. We hope >> I mean we don't know if they'll pick it up. Typically they do. >> Well I mean you had it about the tags
and everything else choice. >> Well I know but it's glitz and glitter but my families won't get the whole picture. >> Yeah. Sure. I I I hear you. Yeah. the website >> and our website and and fairness and in previous years I have put my budget presentations and capital budget
presentations on the website a you immediately after we have the meeting. So >> yeah, >> but my thought is and I you know that's I'll accept your but you know to me it's about perception you know we have one but I I think if we get a full picture of everything
>> I would I would look at our our our website is a wealth of information um especially from a budget standpoint all of our budgets are are we have a lot of debt information on there so I think the questions that you're asking I don't have it right here at my fingertips but but it is up on our website.
>> Okay sounds good. Thank you sir. >> Thank you sir. Anyone else this evening? >> Stacy Shen, 928 Columbia Avenue. Um, I just went on the website to look at those ordinances. They don't have any bold or crossouts on them,
>> right? Because they've, if you look, they're repealing and replacing with the language that's in the body of the ordinance. So every everything that is in the current ordinance for those sections is being taken out and replaced with >> Okay. So there's no crossouts. It's all
brand new wording for all of them. >> That's why I went over the those particular ordinances are very similar to what's in place now. The the methods and systems that are in place, the affordability requirements, they're just
being modified to be tailored to the updated. >> Okay. because usually there's cross outs and then they say what's going out and what's going in. But that's not how it's being done this time. It's just all >> No, the recommendation from affordable housing council was to adopt a repeal
and a replacement so that we this is a very similar framework that is being adopted statewide. These are sort of like offtheshelf uh provisions of the ordinance that we have to adopt pursuant to the fourth round obligations. It's a model
ordinance from the >> Yeah. >> Okay. Because I just usually when we do an ordinance change like that or it's cross outs and bold at what's gone in, what's coming out >> when you're doing little revisions, that's what happens. >> That would be the case if we were really like kind of tailoring this to the city >> like the first one is and that's where
the bold and underline language comes in. These are like I said really standardized for state >> requirements and we can't do any tailoring because I know there's some ordinance we have tailored that we want to put extra wording in or or change that. They're they're tailored in the sense that a the same ingredients that
were there before are there now with some updates to conform to updated statutory requirements and regulations. So, we're really not getting creative other than making sure that they conform with updated affordable housing state regulations. That's what those updates are.
>> And and keeping the other stuff still in there, >> correct? Okay. If in other words, if you liked what was in there before, you're going to love this. I >> I'll see. All right. Anyone else this evening? Seeing none, motion to adjurnn.
>> All right. Have a wonderful evening everyone. Thank you very much. Time is 623.