12 Oct Borough Meeting Highlights 10-02-2019
Dear West Wildwood neighbors,
West Wildwood borough held its 10th meeting of 2019 on Wednesday, October 2nd at 3PM and was attended by approximately 45 taxpayers. Mayor Fox, Commissioner Golden, Solicitor Karavan, Municipal Clerk Donna Frederick & Deputy Clerk Carl O’Hala were in attendance.
The first order of business was second reading and approval of the ordinance below and also approval of the two resolutions listed below:
Ordinance # 575 (2nd reading): The CMCMUA recycling program has been revised. The following items will no longer be considered recyclable.
– Shredded paper
– Hard rigid plastics, for example, trash cans, toys, pvc furniture.
Please refer to the CMCMUA Waste Wizard for more information. It can be accessed from the BOWW’s website.
Resolution 2019-072: Trick or Treat will be held from 5 to 8 pm on Thursday, October 31, 2019.
Resolution 2019-074: A seven year renewal for a shared services agreement with the Cape May County Health Department for administrative support related to environmental health, chronic illness, communicable diseases, etc.
The Police and Public Works reports were read and are attached to this newsletter.
A bulk trash collection day is scheduled for Monday, October 21st. There is a limit of 5 household items and no construction debris or propane can be picked up.
Commissioner Golden recommended homeowners inspect their decks given the recent deck collapse in Wildwood.
A Clean Communities Day will be held on October 26th from 10am until noon. Participants will be given a trash bag to collect trash and debris on the island. Pizza will be provided afterwards.
A tax lien sale will be held on Tuesday, December 3rd at 10 am in the borough hall. Properties that have delinquent taxes and/or utility charges from 2018 as of 10/31/19 will be included in the sale. Buyers will satisfy the outstanding taxes and/or utilities on the property and in return earn interest on a tax lien. All properties subject to the lien sale will be advertised in the Herald and also posted on the BOWW website. See the attached tax sale bidder info provided by the municipal tax collector, Terrance Graff.
Public questions and comments included the following:
- A property owner questioned the vetting process of borough hires. The mayor said he would look into the property owner’s concerns.
- Delinquencies, grace periods and borough practices were discussed related to payment of taxes and utilities.
- Mawhinney lawsuit: Solicitor Karavan provided an update after speaking with the JIF attorney. Mediation was unsuccessful. They are in the discovery period which can last up to 180 days and includes exchange of information, production of documents and the scheduling of depositions.
- The Mawhinney lawsuit is the only current lawsuit for the BOWW.
- Mayor Fox said there is “no movement” on his ethics appeal.
- A suggestion was made to replace the police chief with a retired state police officer to save taxpayers’ money. Commissioner Golden said legally it cannot be done.
- The borough has followed up with the new trash company regarding collection issues.
- Mayor Fox confirmed monthly borough meetings will continue to be scheduled on the 1st Wednesday of the month @ 3pm. The soon to be elected commissioner’s schedule may require this to be revisited.
- Attendance by BOWW police officers to the Ocean County police academy was discussed. Commissioner Golden was not aware of previous payments to the academy nor would he identify the officers who attended or will attend. He cited security reasons. Taxpayers commented that we should be informed as to officers’ training.
- Much frustration was voiced over the lack of follow up to “old business” and response to questions submitted in advance of the borough meetings by the CTWWW. Mayor Fox stated “old business” refers to the governing body’s responsibilities, not topics discussed at previous meetings. The mayor would prefer the questions be asked at the meeting and if he does not have an answer he will have the clerk follow up with the individual who asked the question. Mayor Fox also stated the commissioners can accept questions; however, they are not required to provide answers. A taxpayer reminded the mayor & commissioner they took an oath of office to serve the taxpayers and as leaders they should answer questions and follow up on “old business”. Most in attendance agreed the monthly meeting is a forum and should include a section on “old business” where answers to previous questions can be shared and discussed at the following meeting. Solicitor Karavan stated he reviews the legal questions and comes prepared with answers. In the end, Mayor Fox and Commissioner Golden did agree to review the questions submitted by the CTWWW and be prepared to answer and discuss at the monthly meeting. It was also suggested the governing body include a “new business” segment where they would have an opportunity for share new ideas, plans, etc. for the BOWW.
- The voting process was discussed. The County Board of Elections appoints poll workers for each voting location. The county is responsible to collect and count ballots. Mail in ballots are addressed to the county clerk.
- There has been no resolution to the employee disciplinary action. A conflict attorney is handling this matter.
- Solicitor Karavan stated he has initiated a request for Mary Bitner to provide the document as referenced in Judge Pickering’s decision. He expects to receive the document in the near future.
- Living Shoreline update: There has been no resolution of the eminent domain issue, nor has funding been secured. Transportation, dredge spoils, rock pilings and peninsula build up will all impact the cost of the project. It was suggested that a presentation may be helpful so that residents can fully understand the project and impact on the BOWW.
- Beach/Police Department ADA ramps: Concrete work should be completed in the next few weeks for the beach ramp. The police ramp has not gone out to bid yet.
- A homeowner requested guidance with disposal of debris and navigational hazards he collects from the canal. Since these items cannot be left out with the trash or as bulk items, it was suggested he contact the borough office and Public Works would collect and dispose of the items.
- Mayor Fox and Commissioner Golden were asked what qualities the candidate for commissioner should possess. They believe the candidate should have heart and soul, be honest, sincere and public oriented.
- We encourage you to watch the video of the monthly meetings to fully understand the discussions. To view the videos go to the https://ctwww.org/ website. The latest video is always on the homepage. There is a separate page for the prior videos. Also the newslink page has articles and the communications page has all of the newsletters.We appreciate your support through becoming a member and your generous donations. We welcome your feedback as it helps us address the issues most important to you and your family.