All good. All right. Good afternoon everybody. We have a special meeting of the city council of the city of Cape May. We are here in the Cape May city hall auditorium. Today is Tuesday, March 31st, 2026. The time is
now 7 minutes past 4 p.m. 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 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 Kate May 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 Mcde here. >> Council member Meyer is absent. Mayor Mullik >> here. >> City solicitor Gillan Schwarz >> here. >> City Manager Dietrich >> here. >> Deputy Manager Rakes >> here. >> Deputy Clerk Turner >> here.
>> We have resolution 14503 2026. A resolution providing for a meeting not open to the public in accordance with the provisions of the New New Jersey Open Public Meetings Act NJSA 104-12. This is for 610 Beach Avenue appraisal review and Fenuda v city of Kate May
litigation update. >> Do I have a motion? >> I'll make the motion. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Roll call or uh we have Yeah, I'm sorry. Roll call. >> Deputy Mayor McDade. >> Yes. >> Council member Podner? >> 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 go go into close session. Time is 4:09. All right. Good evening everybody. We're going to get started.
We have our regular meeting of the city council of the city of Cape May. We are >> and the last one session. >> Okay. Okay. Uh before we do that, we're going to end our closed session. Uh, so do I have a motion to close the executive session? >> I'll make a motion.
>> I'll second. >> All in favor? >> I. All right. >> With that, we and that's with no action or there will be something on the agenda. Correct. >> Um, >> two resolutions to be added to the regular meeting agenda. >> Okay. There will be two resolutions added
>> and we'll explain that when we get to that. >> Okay. >> 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, March 31st, 2026. The time is now 3 minutes past 5. 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 and posted on the Kate May city website and Kate May 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. 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 Meyer >> here. >> Mayor Mullik >> here. >> City solicitor Gilwar >> here. >> City Manager Dietrich >> here. >> Deputy Manager Riggs >> here.
>> City Clerk Burke >> here. >> All right, council. We have a couple additions tonight. >> If you'd like me to read those. Uh before you do, Brian, uh I have the unfortunate uh task of u asking for a moment of silent uh silence for Barney
Dockerty who passed away uh I believe this morning. Um and but before we do, just to quickly say Barney um for for many of us knew him. I was kind of the fake mayor of Kate May. Barney was like the real mayor for so many people for
for many generations of mayor mayors. Um Barney has just been such an institution and Kate May and and such part of the fabric of our community and and I think all of us in this room knew him. Um I think he was the uh chief of the
volunteer uh fire department for over 25 years and was still a member of the volunteer volunteer department. um until his death today. Um he was just so influential in Kate May
for so many years and um could I really can't describe everything that he did, but he anywhere you look around Kate May, he has touched a portion of this community and um I I I speak for all of city council and saying thank you to
Barney. And if you would please just a moment of silence. Thank you very much, Brian. With that, if you could go into uh additions. >> Sure. Absolutely. We have resolution 15803 2026, a resolution authorizing a
professional service contract for Brown and Connory LLP as special counsel. And we have resolution 15903 2026, resolution authorizing application to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank to fund
improvements to the city's sanitary sewer system and water main improvements fiscal year 2026 drinking water application. If council is comfortable adding those in one motion. >> 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. Sorry. >> Council member Meyer. >> Yes. >> Deputy Mayor McDade. >> Yes. >> Council member Bodner. >> Yes. >> Council member Baldwin. >> Yes. >> Mayor Mullik. >> Yes. >> All right. On to updates.
Uh, pardon me. I'm guess I'm getting used to your new voice there, Brian. Not your new voice. A new voice. Sorry. >> Uh, sorry. Thank you, Brian. Uh, updates and old business. Uh, city manager, capital projects updates. >> Thank you. Um, I did a uh I kind of gave
council a new update on all of our capital projects that we have going on. Uh, both active construction and the uh I'll say the ones in the queue that are being teed up. This is also uh the list that's up on the website. Um, now that
we've kind of started the come out of the winter doldrums and we're moving into people are starting to come down more, I will be very much more keeping this list up to date. This is the the list that we have up on the the scrolls on the top of the website um to kind of update our residents of what's going on.
So, I will be endeavoring to update this weekly or bi-weekly just so that as we get closer to the full start of the summer season, you know, if you have a project on your street, and I I really want to say a shout out to the residents on Illinois, Idaho, and Ohio Avenue, you
know, it's been a long winter for them. And uh we've got some road construction coming in. you know, it was a very large water sewer project that we took on and the contractor, you know, unfortunately because of the the severe weather we had wasn't able to kind of get some of his
rehabilitation reconstruction work done in a timely manner. So, he's starting to get back in there now. Um, you've seen just uh on Monday they yesterday they paved a good section of the prominade surfacing from Howard to uh Madison. You know, you're going to kind of see that
paving flip. you know, we'll be working on um uh from essentially Jackson down to the cove. You're going to see a little bit unique way they're going to be doing it. They're probably going to be building some earthn ramps to get up onto the prominade because you
can't back all the way down from the cove to get there. So, uh they will be doing some different things. Also in different areas, they'll have a shuttle um asphalt mover that they'll be dumping the trucks actually into a conveyor belt
on Beach Avenue and conveyor the the material up onto to Beach Avenue. So, you'll see some unique construction activity going on as we move through the rest of the season. Um I do want to announce uh Lifeguard Headquarters is moving along tremendously. Um, I
appreciate council allowing us to get going on that project and and because of of the schedule that we kept and the contract that we have, uh, we are going to be able to open up for the summer season, uh, we're eyeing for a ribbon cutting for the lifeguard headquarters on Friday, May 1st at 3:30. Um, and be
able to have that open in advance uh, for that. The only delay might be a couple of uh pieces of furniture and a couple lockers in there, but as far as everybody being able to get in there and start the summer season, um I think that the contractor has done a great job for
the city. Um but other than that, I have the project list up there, but those are the big projects that we have moving forward. >> Paul, can I just ask Stockton? Um what's the status of that for this weekend? I know Cape Island Church is >> so Cape Island Church the um their
parking lot will not be impacted. Um obviously the roads are going under construction so they're going to have that all cleared off and Stockton will be you know be able to be access to the church will be unfathered. Okay. >> Um to get to there. They're not going to do any work in front of the church
parking lot until next week after uh Easter. >> And they won't be trenching, you know, if other cars need to get in and out. They'll easy access >> easy access for they'll have everything cleaned up um before this Friday and then for the weekend they'll have clear access to the parking lot and then they'll be in front of the church next
week. >> Thank you. >> Yep. Uh and then I did want to I put a revised schedule. Uh so for resolution number 156 I'm asking that I've pulled three items off of that list that for
sale and gov deals. Um, after talking with council, instead of selling them directly on gov deals in the beginning, we're going to make one last effort to find some not forprofits or maybe another church that wants to find a loving home for one of the pews at the a
from the AM church. Uh, we have repurposed several of them. Uh, on the second floor outside the clerk's office is one of the pews. There are five pews went back into the AM church that will stay within the church. Um, but we have about 11 left that we're looking for a
loving home for. Um, and if you're a not for-p profofit want to reach out to myself or council, um, we're going to be over the summertime looking for a good home for them uh, before we find alternative methods and possibly maybe auction them towards the end of the year
if we can't find a good home for them. >> And I'm Paul Oh, I'm sorry. Councilman Bodner and I agreed to help with that work, too. So, we want to take a look at them and take some pictures and make sure that we've got dimensions that when people are might be asking, we we're uh,
you know, knowledgeable about what we have to offer. So, >> if if you got room for a 12 foot long pew. Okay. >> You got to have you got to give us a call. You got to have a little bit of space. >> Yeah. My concern is the altar because I believe that the altar was part of the
original um church. Um, >> so we're going to take a look at that to see if that can be >> somehow be incorporated back into the church somehow >> somehow. So we're we're going to take a look at that. Obviously we're we're looking at doing another phase starting design for another phase uh in there. So
we'll take a look to see if for some reason or for some way we can incorporate that. We'll try. >> And from what I understand, the pews were not original to the to the church. Well, they were from the church from the church, but they weren't the original ones. >> Okay.
>> I'm not I we we don't believe so. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. So, that's that's a revision for uh resolution 156. Uh so, it's those three items removed from the list, but I have a corrected the clerk's office prepared prepared a corrected list for you for that. That's all I had. Thank
you. >> Great. Thank you, city manager. City solicitor, any updates or old business? >> Nothing tonight. Thank you. City Council, any updates or old business? >> Just mention one thing. Um I did I asked the manager if we could uh have an
analysis of our electric bills um last year as well as this year just to see um how the rates if they have impacted the city. So um we'll get something hopefully soon and maybe you know be able to act on that if there if there's
a reason to. So, we we've um accumulated all of our last months of 12 months of bills. We're meeting with both um Lance Electric and uh a couple energy audit companies to look at them. Uh then we'll also be looking at uh sending those bills to some different co-ops that have
some maybe some discounted price for aggregation with uh other purchasing co-ops. So, we'll we'll take a look at that, see if we can fine-tune some of our bills. Um obviously, our bills are quite expensive. Just as an example, our typical bill for the monthly bill for
the at the U diesel water plant is around 46 to $48,000 a month. Just to give you a little snapshot of just one of the bills. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Um on to uh ordinances for
second reading. Yes, we have ordinance 600-2026, a bond ordinance providing for various water, sewer, utility improvements by and in the city of Kate May in the county of Cape May, state of New Jersey, appropriating 17,220,000
therefore and authorizing the issuance of 17,2 I'm sorry, 17,220,000 bonds or notes of the city to finance the cost thereof with a public hearing. Mayor, is anyone here wishing to speak on ordinance 600?
>> Thank you. Uh, good evening. Jules Rash, 1010 New York Avenue. Um, do we do we have an estimate of what the rate is going to be on on on that particular issue? >> So, these this is not going out for permanent financing. So, this is this would still be short-term ban financing
and it probably won't be for another year before they actually get rolled into actual debt once it comes online. >> Okay. So, we know it won't be long-term. >> This is this is not long-term debt at this point. No.
>> Okay. when when those items are are known, could they also include what the annual principal and interest payment would be if it's going to be for a period of of time? >> Yes. >> I think uh one of the things that uh would be good for for this community to
know is every time we approve a bond issue, not only know what the the uh the amount, the term, but also what the annual payment is for that uh for that loan. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Roush. Anyone else on
600? Seeing none, we'll close public comment. Do I have a motion? >> I'll make the motion. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Roll call. I'm sorry. Any questions or comments, council? Roll call. >> Council member Meyer. >> Yes.
>> Deputy Mayor McDate. >> Yes. >> Council member Bodner. >> Yes. >> Council member Baldwin. >> Yes. >> Mayor Mullik. >> Yes. >> Thank you. Public portion. Mayor. >> Okay. And resolutions only.
>> Am I on the wrong here? >> Consent agenda >> for the consent agenda >> doesn't say, but it should >> um >> it's not on there, but we usually do a public portion on on resolution. >> Okay. I apologize. Um is anyone here
wishing to speak on resolutions this evening? Public comment on resolutions this evening. >> Stacy Sheen, 928 Columbia Avenue. Um, I have a question or actually I
guess a question about resolution 1560326. It has to do with the surplus auction. I noticed that the AM church pews are on there again. >> Stacy, you just missed the discussion. >> Sorry. >> That's okay. We just we just pulled them.
>> Yeah. So, we >> I'm sorry, but Stacy, just so you're aware, we pulled those as well as the altar and the four chairs. We're taking a look to see if there's other opportunities before we put them out to auction. >> My my comment was maybe reach out to the some of the members of the AM church.
>> We are going to be talking to some of the nonprofits in town, some of the other churches, and anyone else who can accommodate a 12-oot pew. I saw that they're upstairs which looks nice. >> The one is upstairs. Yes. Yeah. So, thank you. You're welcome. >> Okay. Any anyone uh go ahead uh 1010 New
York back on money again. Uh 146. This uh application is there. There's no there there's no designated number of dollars in that application for uh for the I bank loan. Do we do we know what that
>> Yes. So, let me look it up. It is I believe it's 3.2, two. But let me >> Yeah, I believe it's 3.2. >> Okay. >> 3 million which would be under principal forgiveness. >> Pardon me. Three million of that would
be principal forgiveness from the New Jersey infrastructure. >> Yeah. Thank you very much. >> Welcome. >> Thank you. Anyone else on resolutions this evening? >> Seeing none, we'll close public comment on resolutions. Uh council, does anyone want to remove
anything from the consent agenda? >> Just so council's aware, we will be removing 156 in order to amend it. Right. >> Um is there anything else council would wish to remove? No. >> 151.
>> Is 151 in the consent agenda? >> Yes. >> Okay. Are you okay with that? >> It's in the resolutions. >> It's in the res. >> Oh, somebody want that removed. >> I mean, at that point, we have to appoint the person. At this point, I'm not assigning any stipen allocation at
this juncture in time. You know, so that resolution doesn't doesn't allocate a stipen for that, but but may have in the future, but at this point, there's no stipen involved with that. But because of the change in personnel that we've had, we've lost, you know, the person that was handling the claims no longer
put in the town with the city. So, we have to appoint somebody else so that that GIF knows who's communicating with them. >> Okay. So, it's not a siphon position. I mean there is a stipen available but at this point I haven't assigned it and I'll notify council before I would do that do such
>> and this resolution does not address that issue with it does not address that issue visual right >> okay >> okay all right do I have a motion >> just there are some abstensions from minutes >> oh okay
>> all right so >> now the time to say it's to them or now during the vote Good morning. >> Okay. I'd like to abstain from uh the meeting minutes of the closed session of the uh December 16th, January 21st
special and then the special closed regular for February 3rd. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Anything else? >> And yeah, there's um just the special meeting on uh December 16th, but I was here for the close session and the regular meeting. So,
>> perfect. Okay, roll call. >> Uh do we have a motion? >> Do we have a motion? I'll make the motion >> and I'll second. >> Thank you. Roll call. >> Council member Meyer. >> Yes. >> Deputy Mayor McDate? >> Yes. >> Council member Bodner? >> Yes. >> Council member Baldwin? >> Yes. >> Mayor Mullik?
>> Yes. >> All right. Moving on to resolution 1563 2026. A resolution authorizing sale of surplus city property no longer needed for public use through govdees.com public online auction. And this would be a motion to amend.
>> Do I have a motion to amend? I'll make that >> I'll make that motion. >> Do I have a second? >> I'll second. >> Um, do you want to go through the It's It's the removal of those three. >> It's a removal of the three items. The the 11 AM benches, the uh four chairs,
and the um altering from railing for the AM church. >> Everyone understand that? >> Yes. >> Any questions or comments? >> Uh we have a motion to amend. Thank you. Roll call. >> Council member Meyer. >> Yes. Deputy Mayor McDade.
>> Yes. >> Council member Bodner. >> Yes. >> Council member Baldwin. >> Yes. >> Mayor Mullik. >> Yes. >> All right. And then a motion to adopt as amended. >> I'll make a motion. >> Do I have a second? >> I'll second. >> Roll call. >> Council member Meyer? >> Yes. >> Deputy Mayor McDade?
>> Yes. >> Council member Bodner? >> Yes. >> Council member Baldwin? >> Yes. >> Mayor Mullik? >> Yes. >> All right. On to resolution 15803 2026. A resolution authorizing a professional services contract for Brown and Connory
LLP as special counsel. >> Do I have a motion? >> I'll make the motion. >> Do I have a second? >> I'll second. >> Any questions or comments? >> Roll call. >> Council member Meyer. >> Yes. >> Deputy Mayor McDade. >> Yes. >> Council member Bonner. >> Yes. >> Council member Baldwin. >> Yes.
>> Mayor Mullik. >> Yes. >> All right. Resolution 15903 2026. A resolution authorizing application to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank to fund improvements to the city's sanitary
sewer system and water main improvements fiscal year 2026 drinking water application. >> Do I have a motion? >> I'll make the motion. >> Do I have a second? >> I'll second. >> Any questions or comments? >> Mayor, if I may. Um, just from a cost standpoint, because there is no cost in
that. That's um to make the application for what the uh ordinance number 62026 was. So um it's for that 17,220,000. So it's it's for that project to be submitted to the I bank.
>> Great. Any any other questions or comments? Council roll call. >> Council member Meyer. >> Yes. >> Deputy Mayor McDate. >> Yes. >> Council member Bodner. >> Yes. >> Council member Baldwin. >> Yes. >> Mayor Mullik. >> Yes. All right, on to new business. Council,
>> new business. City solicitor. >> Nothing tonight. Thank you. >> City manager. >> Uh, nothing. >> City clerk. >> All right, a couple announcements. Um, the next regular city council meeting is scheduled for April 21st at 5:00 p.m.
Um, parking meters turn on citywide tomorrow, April 1st. Um there it is not April Fools. No, do not be fooled. They will be turned on. The city uh in conjunction with the Kanas Club is having their annual Easter
egg hunt on Saturday, April 4th. So come on out. It's a great time. Um I have four kids and it's a blast. So bring the family out and uh you won't regret it. Um, finally, uh, don't walk, don't run, but stroll to the, uh, Easter fashion
stroll on Sunday, April 5th at 1:00 in Rotary Park. It's going to be a blast, fun-filled holiday weekend. So, everyone, come on out and, uh, have a good time. That's all I have. Thank you. >> I think you should do this more often, Brian. Watch out, Aaron. Watch out. >> Give me a rain editorial at it. Aaron,
you're going to have to step up your game. By all means, Brian's got it. Are you bringing your kids to the Easter stroller? >> Yeah. Okay. >> All right. >> You can't talk right now. >> Oh, yeah. We have a good excuse.
>> I have a voice, everybody. That's why Brian's here. Okay. >> No, I do. >> You don't have to listen to this. >> Aaron has lost her voice. >> Has lost her voice. >> Okay. Uh, Councilwoman Baldwin. >> Um, nothing tonight, Mayor. Thank you.
>> Councilman Bodner. >> Yes. Um, as part of Kate May's spring festivities, there's going to be a new event on May 9th. It's going to be the inaugural run through history 5K is going to be a running event in uh in
Kate May. Um the start finish is going to be at Lafayette Street Park and a really I a great and creative route has been uh has been designed that's going to take runners and walkers past many of the historic uh landmarks in Kate May as
well as down um our historic streets in Kate May. Um it's going to have be an 8:00 start on um on uh May 9th. The slogan for the race is run the past, race the present, be part of history. So Paul, I don't know who came up with that
slogan, but it's fantastic. Um, I do know that our >> Was that you, Steve? >> It was not No, I would No, I would It was not me. Um, I do know that our Department of Civic Affairs and Recreation Department have been working really hard on the race. Um, so I I
would strongly suspect that uh Casey Ratigan had a lot of input into into that. Um, I would add that online registration is open uh for the race. It's at runsignup.com. Um, hope to see a lot of people out. Um,
it's the day before Mother's Day, so should be um, nice weekend down here in Kate May. A busy weekend down here in Kate May and uh, hope to see a lot of people out. >> Thank you. Great. Deputy Mayor, >> nothing tonight, Mayor. Thank you,
>> Councilman Meyer. Just happy Easter. >> Yeah, happy Easter. I just quickly want to thank um you know, you go around town right now and you see a lot of work going on. Uh Paul just went over a lot of those projects, but um you know, I think with that snowstorm that laid for
a little while there, we're we're kind of jumping right back into a lot of work. So, thank you to our Department of Public Works and and all the different u contractors that are out there getting things done. We we appreciate it. Um there's a lot of activity and the and
the prominade does look great, Paul. The the I saw the paving looks looks really nice. Um I know we'll get questions about this getting the sealer down on that before it gets too hot, but um >> so the so just to touch on the sealer, so the sealer on the asphalt coat, it
has to um cure for 30 to 45 days. So we're looking that the section that they just paved will probably get a coating before summer, right? >> The other portion >> might not get a coating before summer uh just because of the timing. Um
>> let's see if we can push >> and see how because because we can't do it too late because if the temperatures are too hot then we can't put the coating on. So we'll we'll play that by ear and okay depends on how many people we want to >> push off the prominadon. Paul, I hate to
throw you a without giving you a heads up, but I I keep forgetting to bring this up to you personally. The the um w the fire hydrant that was hit coming on into town, it looks pretty terrible. >> So, so if you're traveling through uh
trying to leave Cape May this evening, uh there'll be starting starting this evening around I think 8 to 9:00. I think they're mobilizing out around 8:00. around nine o'clock they're going to implementing >> I'm going to remember to start asking you these questions in public more often Paul >> they'll be alternating oneway traffic
and kind of you know kind of moving people around there so that uh the water department feels that it's going to take them about an hour and a half to two hours to get that new meter installed. Um it was hit during obviously it was hit by one of the the DOT snow plows um
during the snow event. Uh and we just kind of been evaluating it when they they did a little test thing and they thought they were going to be able to just rehook the hydrant up but we have to take it all the way back to the main which is out in the middle of the road. So that's why we're looking at doing that. So, that should be buttoned up.
And uh what we're anticipating doing is doing some enhanced uh pavement restoration in the fall uh to kind of further test that uh patching technology >> at that location. >> Yes. >> And I just lastly want to um again
express our condolences to Barney Dockert's family and and the Bazera family and uh thank you for sharing him with the community for so long. So, thank you very much. And with that, we'll open it up to public comment. Anyone wishing to speak, please come to the microphone. See who gets there
first. >> There there's a pecking order here, chief. And >> you're not on it. >> That's great. >> I hadn't planned to say anything. Dennis Crowley, 806 Lafayette Street. I just did want to make two comments based on
what happened here. And I the first of them is that I want to personally suggest that u every town should have a Mount Rushmore. And uh I don't know who else is going to be on it, but Bernie Dert is should be the first person on
that list because he's done more actually he's done more for the city than nobody I can remember. But also he's done more for me because I've worked with Bernie on a couple of projects and I found him to be not only supportive but but pretty creative. So he'll be missed not not so much by me
but by everybody in Cape May. So if you do want to do a Mount Rushmore, put him first and we'll see who else goes on it later. Second thing is based on the the history of this run that Steve talked about. uh what's next on our list and I suggest
that the Steven Smith house should be next on our list because that's right in the middle of town and it's it's u losing its battle with time. So, let me put that on your advanced radar. Please don't spend any money until you check
with the taxpayers association. But that's all I want to say and thanks. >> Thank you, Doug. And I do absolutely agree with mayor and council and yourself as well as far as Barney Dockerty a good man good man when I came into the fire department many many years ago um 30 something years ago Barney was
there along with some other fire chiefs and um very good man just Barney Wister dockerty that name is just synonymous so to the Bizer family and to Barney's family as well our condolences from the police department um wanted to just steal the thunder again from Brian the
meters are on tomorrow um it's not April fools like everybody said, um, we do have a lot of meter signs in town that are up. So, we're working, the manager's office is working with public works and getting the boardwalk done. So, I encourage the public if you don't see a meter sign, assume there's a meter and
kind of spin around and look for it. It might be down the street. It might be on a cone. I don't know what they're going to be doing there, but it might be on a a ballard or something for a little while until we get some of these projects done. So, um, and we'll work with that in court, uh, if we need to. Uh we are also with help of city council
and the manager's office. Uh last year they they afforded me the opportunity to um hire an accreditation firm who was working along with um our police department specifically uh Lieutenant Scott Christinger uh who spearheaded that uh after Captain Bobic left um and
has been working with that. So April 9th and 10th uh we will have the state association here with the New Jersey State Chiefs of Police Association here in our building. um they are currently reviewing our files, our SOPs, our our rules and guidance um and and taking our
um our best practices and making them whole. So, uh we with fingers crossed we shall pass and uh they'll go through our building and uh make sure we have everything. We do have a couple issues there, but >> just a question, do they um provide you with an exit interview and let you know your um status?
>> Yes. Good. So, good. >> Uh what happens there? So after the 9th and the 10th, we'll have um the review. Two assessors from the state chief's assessing team will be here. Um they will be in the conference room and uh in and about on the premises doing ride alongs with the officers. Um and also
from 10 to 11:00 they will be doing call-ins. So if you have a concern, a question u something we've done or something we've done helpful for you over the years or the opposite uh we encourage you to call in with good and bad, negatives and positives to 6098849533.
Um that line will be open. People can call during that 10 to 11 hour and just weigh their you know their love or their hate for the Cape May Police Department. Um I know we're loved by everybody but yeah the accreditation will be done and then after that myself the accreditation team will have to go to Trenton actually
Middle Sex and we will sit in front of a a panel and they'll tell me what we did right and wrong and if we passed. Um so hopefully by this summer I should have a plaque hopefully. I knock on wood and I don't want to toot my horn, but uh to bring back to you and show that we're credited. So, the manager's been all
over me with this for uh almost a two years now. So, I asked him to do it and it's finally coming to fruition. So, um also we've had a lot I missed the last meeting. I apologize, but I did watch it afterwards and get review and comment. There was a gentleman here that a question about ebikes and different
concerns on the mall and staffing and levels like that. Um we're working hard. We're detective division um and command staff are working hard to get some new employees here. We're not having a lot of success. We're we have low numbers and we're working to get that up. Manager's office as well. So working with the high schools, we've been to
several job fairs. We've been out and about. So we will tunnel and funnel our our our manpower, women power, our staffing to the mall area to and deal with any violations or issues with ebikes and everything like that, dogs on the mall, skateboards, u and those
violations. Um, along with that, I would encourage anyone who has questions or concerns to visit the New Jersey um DMV or the NJMVC u.com or.org gov maybe.gov pardon me. Um, right when you go on there to renew your license, your registration,
anything else, it pops up ebikes and it tells you scan this QR code, click into the link and you can get all the information. So, we are working along with Steve Bodner and the bike safety commission or um committee to come up with some rules and regulations. We've
had them um for, you know, we did do some changes this year, but um as usual, the state will roll out something with limited information for enforcement. Here's what you're supposed to do. Here's your insurance. Here's, you know, and then not not give us that. I have a state chief's meeting tomorrow. I hopefully we'll get some more direction
from the attorney general's office. Um she will be there in at our meeting and we'll we'll discuss that. So stand by to stand by on that one. But you know we are this year we're going to work at an enforcement not enforcement pardon me an educational level I think is what we've come up with to enforce what we have not enforce but educate the public. The
problem we have we have such a turnover rate of of people coming and visiting from other states that you know I might hit a whole group of people but they're just down for the weekend and then the next weekend it's a new group of people. So we're going to be dealing with that. Um along with that we're moving back into our LSV season. Uh, Deputy Mayor
McDavid and I and this and the team. We'll probably meet again with them or maybe do a Zoom call with the with the with the local vendors. Um, again, that issue there, we the vendors are really good. We have a solid relationship with the vendors. It's the people that visit and rent the carts and kind of do their own thing. So, I know there are rules
and regulations that the vendors do give the LSV renters, but sometimes they just do their own thing. So, we're we're already embedded in that project. So, we're just going to go out there and just freehit that. If we see violations, we're going to take tag them, ticket them. um seat belts and and child seats and uh too many passengers on there,
we're definitely going to hit them. So, our numbers will be up on that portion. Any questions for me? >> Okay. >> I just have a comment. Uh when you mentioned going on to the NJMVC website.gov. >> Yep. >> You know, but I just want to put out there that, you know, there's a there's a NVC NJMVC fake website.
>> Yes, there is. Yep. >> I've seen it. I almost got scammed by uh renewing my license online and it looks just like it. >> It does. Yeah. actually when you call there cuz I actually had the call today to get a couple days ago to give some stuff for the registration. It says that we are experiencing a scam. We have some issues going on. So I forget exactly
what they said to recognize it but fishing scams and emails are are fluent are current. So definitely >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you very much, Chief. >> Anyone else? I'm here to ask for license
to my house once a week. really nice to have that parking spot. I'm not really asking for a little street down their
most outcing for I think it's very reasonable. I live here. I'm a res. I'm here. I live here with my family on Windsor Avenue. So, I think it's pretty reasonable. I understand that there's
certain situations where this makes sense, but you know, being that my dad's an 80 almost 82 year old Marine, I feel like one of the things that maybe he would deserve his parking spot in front of my house for when he comes to visit me. So, that's what I have today.
>> Um, Paul, we've obviously received a email on this. Um, and the just just so I'm clear on it, the ordinate there is no ordinance change that changed the the commercial aspect of it. I mean, is that >> correct? Yeah. If if you had a
merkantile, >> right? If you've had a merkantile license, you know, you're not eligible to have it. And, you know, we've been there are a couple people in Mr. Davies kind of same situation and you know
unfortunately we have not been able to issue it uh where people have can issue one we issue it but under the ordinance unfortunately Mr. Davies doesn't qualify. >> So Mr. Davies we we've had this conversation with other folks and let me just say I'm sympathetic. I understand
it. You you're and frankly you're being much more forthcoming than some of the other folks that we've dealt with. And just to be I'm being very blunt about it >> in that um I hope you understand the other side of this is there are people who are saying why are rental properties
being allowed to purchase parking spots in front of other people's homes and things like that. So that that that was kind of the genesis of of where that started by the way and again didn't change up here recently that it was a conversation but didn't change.
>> Um so but you to be clear rent for two weeks a year. >> Two weeks. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Okay. >> In August when it's the busiest season and the people that we have come stay at our house spend a lot of money here when they come here for the week. a lot more than, you know, I live here 50 other
weeks of the year, so I'm fortunate enough that I can go spend my money the other times of the year. >> I just hope you understand that that that rule should be affecting everyone equally. Um, that anyone who has a mercantile license is not entitled to
get the parking space. Um, I hear you. I'm going to discuss with council your thoughts and and get back to you. >> I really appreciate it. >> Okay. >> Thank you very much for the consideration and time. >> Appreciate it. Thank you. >> Stacy Sheen, 928 Columbia Avenue. Um,
one I I I thought I saw something on Facebook about the city workers aren't going to be picking up storm debris. Is that just for this storm or for the future? >> It was just this storm. I mean, there's still, you know, you can still bring the debris like you typically would to
Canning House Lane, but, you know, we rented a chipper to kind of handle the storm. You know, we kept it for a little over a month. And so, it's kind of was just at a point where we had to return to Chipper and and and had other maintenance stuff. So right obviously, yeah, if we have another storm 2 weeks
from now and big windstorm and we got to re visit that situation. >> I just want to make sure that cuz a lot of these older people don't really have that availility to take stuff to the yard if something breaks in their yard. So in the future if there is a storm, they can still put it out. It's just for this one. >> I think we're going to Yeah, it's just for the storm. And if anybody gets in a
into a sticky situation, have them they can feel free to call my office and if I can work something out on a one by one >> case basis, but we just aren't didn't want to be we can't send the truck out on a roving patrol day, you know, daily to kind of keep picking up these piles
at this point. We've had a couple good weekends where people have had the opportunity clean up and I think most people have gotten their stuff. >> It's been long enough. >> Yeah. Um, my next thing has to do with the fishes fisherman's memorial, blessing of the water is on Saturday the
11th at 11:00 a.m. Just making sure people are aware of that. It's a really nice program they have for blessing of the waters and recognizing the men that died on the boats out at sea for commercial fishermen. The second um is also about the Jacob Jones. Do we have a date for that or we
haven't moved forward with that? I had that date. Um, he was supposed to confirm with me. He does have a date. I think it is April. Pull it up on the calendar.
They're going to have a public presentation regarding the Jacob Jones on and we'll post the uh the Zoom link online, but it'll be on April 15th at 6:00 p.m. 6:00 to 7. >> Thank you. I appreciate that.
>> It's a Zoom meeting. It and it's not a council meeting. This is the Jacob Jones group is going to be putting on a presentation to kind of propose their next steps. And after that meeting, they'll determine if they have sufficient information to bring it back to a subsequent council meeting after
they've received public input at at what they want to present. >> Thank you. >> Good evening. >> Good evening, council. Peter Cole, 1075 Michigan Avenue, president of the TPA.
The TPA would like to acknowledge the sad passing of Barney dockati. Barney was a lifelong citizen of the city of Cape May and a founder and president of the TPA itself. He was president for
many years. He served in the city in many capacities and was truly a great man. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family. This is a proposal made by the TPA to you, the council. Uh something for you
to think about and I'll give you a copy of what we've written here after I've read it. At the Cape May Taxpayers Association board meeting on March the 19th, 2026, a resolution was unanimously adopted to
make a written request for the city of Cape May city council to adopt an ordinance for an annual long-term bond debt reduction plan. Currently the only debt reduction is
based on two pay payments annually for each outstanding bot in debt. And this payment program is a direct reduction amount calculated on each bond debt amount of interest amount of interest and
return of principle to pay off liquidate redeem each debt within the prescribed term. In 2025, the total debt reduction for all bond debt was $5,322,000. Kate May has bond terms that vary from 5
to 50 years. With all the long-term debt varieties, variables, and plans to increase our debt, it is therefore understandable that the city of Kate May needs a debt reduction plan going forward. The current long-term debt is
approximately $47 million and proposed to increase annually primarily for city-owned infrastructure and utilities. In addition, there are three major projects in planning that are proposed to cost approximately $130 million
and the financing to be composed of federal and state grants, low interest loans, and city debt. The TPA strongly believes the budget can support accelerating debt reduction by an annual lump sum payment in the amount
of 15% to 25% from the budget surplus account at the end of each year and for the CFO and auditor to determine the most beneficial debts to be reduced. The surplus amounts have increased each
year from $4,551,592 in 2018 to $14,600,000 in 2024. The 26 budgets, the 2026 budget is scheduled to use $6,49500
as revenue and 7,7493 carried forward as surplus based on the TPA proposal. 15% of the 25 surplus of 14,195443 is 2,129316.
and 25% is 3,548860 and represents the amounts payable to reduced existing debt. The 22 26 revenue does not need to change and remains at 6,49500
and the surplus carrier forward would be 5,575 627 to 15% and a reduction of 4,153 087 to 25% reduction. I hope the city council will give this
this TPA proposal serious thought as it will increase both the financial strength of the city and may achieve a higher rating for our bonds providing lower costs. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. We'll be happy to
uh go over all of that with uh the city manager and and CFO. >> Thank you. I didn't memorize all of it, but I will. >> I appreciate that. >> Thank you, sir. >> Any anyone else this evening?
>> Seeing none, do I have a motion to adjurnn? >> I'll make the motion. >> Do I have a second? Thank you everyone. Have a wonderful evening. >> Time is 5:51.