The Herald »nd The Uinteni

Wedneedey, October 22, HM

PKeM

Interviews with Sturm & Evans-

(From Ptfp 35) economy. Face the world the way it te, not the way«you'd like it to be. A* long as governmental regulation has placed these kind of limitations upon people drawing Social Security or retirement, whatever the case may be. there's no freeholder — I, my compatriots on the board, or those who are challenging us this year - will ever be able to change that. Those things must be addressed at the federal level Realize the limitations of a board of freeholders And I think you're going to continue to see it be that way, as long as you have a resort-based economy. And I don’t see it changing. Mr. Evans: That’s a good question. That’s a complicated question. I feel, of course, that senior citizens should be able to work the amount of time that they'd like to work. Now. I don’t think it’s quite fair to give them a lot less money than you would give anybody else that would be working. But it may be. many times in many instances, senior citizens'

county,] partially by our senkr citizens’ bus sendees, the things that we are doing for the seniors. And, of course, with Casino Gambling now, all that money’s to go to senior citizens and that will, in turn, help them, I’m sure, with their energy bills; gasoline, gas, oil and so forth, electric. And I think that this is one of the ways we can help our seniors down here, especially if there’s no available employment. But, I think, that, basically, was why the gambling casinos went into effect, to handle our senior citizens’ problems, partially. Q. Speaking of health care and educational systems, do you believe they are adequate in our county, or could they stand improving? Would you explain. Mr. Sturm: At the county level, we have increased the size of and added many, many programs to Vo-Tech. And we have created and are building the new Special Services School, which serves many needs of the people who are closer to It. The one weak spot — and because of the state law; you know, we’re regionalized

‘One of the biggest problems we have is a shortage of doctors, dentists and people in health-related fields in the private sector.'

— Bill Sturm

with Atlantic County for a two-year community college — we don’i have the ability, we’re not allowed by law to form our own. And it wouldn't be wise for us to do it because the enrollment would be so low that it’s not really viable. We must do it in consort with ACC. And we are

like to work to keep themselves occupied and busy so they don't get old, so to speak. 1 think it does a world of good for senior citizens to get something to do and have something to keep their minds occupied., I think we have addressed it I the high concentration of senior citizens in the

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Cape May Washington Mall at Decatur St. 884-4568 Daily 96: Fri. 99: Sun. 96

preMntly engaged In e itady wtlh ACC to extend thelrtocllltlet Into Cope Key County. I con foresee within years an outreach, an actual building, e branch of Atlantic Community College in Cepe May County. And it'e good. I Just finished putting two girls through college, and 1 know what the tremendous coetis. And en awful lot of young people, you know, they lake those first two years to make up their mind. And it's expensive. If it's close to home and nearby, and they can gain the credits and the experience that they need while they're going thru that

hai forced state and federal government to come in and taka a look at. I think that some type of federal and state regulation ia in order. But It should he. perhaps, a IMJe more moderate and should take some sensible input from elected local officials. Itcsn't be all one way. If you leave if all up to Home Rule, It Isn't going to work either, because you know what's going to happen. Mr. Evans: We have a Planning Board that started many years ago and spends much, much Ume on these problems that we have here In Cape May County. And I

‘I think local rule is very important. We’re losing too-much of it. ’ — Ralph Evans

decision-making period, I think it’s advantageous to us to get some type of facility in Cape May County that would be easy to get to and low in coat. Health Care is a constant problem in a county where you have the numbers of senior citizens that we have. We have an excellent facility, and it’s being taxed very hard, in Burdette Tomlin Hospital. One of the biggest problems we have is a shortage of doctors, dentists and people in health-related fields in the private sector. To me, the answer to that, once again, has to be addressed at a federal and state level. There are very severe limitations placed upon the numbers of students that are accepted in medical schools. Many times, it appears to me, that profession is controlling the supply of those that would like to enter it. Every doctor I know has got all the practice he can handle. And, the only way I can see it be improved upon is an increase in the number or amount of facilities that are equipped to train people in this field. Mr. Evans: You've got to remember that I’ve been here a long time and I’ve seen the time we never had a hospital in Cape May County. Let me say that Burdette Tomlin Hospital has done a marvelous Job for the people of Cape May County. I do remember traveling over to Somers Point, the closest hospital there or was around here, which would take up to an hour to get there sometimes. With Burdette Tomlin now, I think maybe a couple satellite areas in the county — especially in the southern part, maybe emergency area, where we can take senior citizens in case of heart attacks and stuff like that — may be a big help; which we are, I’m sure, going to start • exploring in the next year or so. Educationally, I think we’ve worked on a little bit of that, too, thru our satellite for the Atlantic Community College. We do have a good educational system with the Vo-Tech and with our Career Center. ..The only thing we don't have is a college — and, I think, with our setting up the satellite college from Atlantic Community, which will, I think, eventually be a good thing. It’s, of course, in its infancy right now. I’m all for education if we can do it without costing the taxpayers an arm and a leg. Q. There has been a hue and cry for

hate to see Big Brother come in and say, ‘Well, this is the way we’re going to it,’ without conferring with our local planning boards, our local planning people. Just to walk in and say, ‘We're sorry, you’re not going to be able to do this, this and this,’ and not confer with the iooal planners who have been here for years, and years, and years; and talk to the people in this area who know what afteas this is and has been doing. I feel that we need that local rule. I think local rule is very important. We’.re losing too much of it... I think locally, if we can’t handle a particular situation, we should be able to call on Big Brother and say, ‘Big Brother, we need a little bit of help. Can you help us out in this area?’ But, I don't think they should come in and tell us, ‘This is the way it’s going to be. This is the way you’re going to live with it.’ We Just don’t want to go that route, I don’t think. Q. What U the greatest problem facing Cape May County today, and what’s being done (or what has been done) about it? Mr. Sturm: The greatest problem facing Cape May County today is growth. Growth in population and the problems that come with that growth - such as water supply, waste water treatment, solid waste treatment, transportation, and items of that nature. I personally believe that county government —- and I’m criticized sometimes when I say this — is the vehicle that is best equipped to handle many of these problems because they have the legal basis in law and the ability to attack these problems on a regionalized basis — which we are doing with an MUA. The MUA is often criticized - and many times criticized by myself — but it is a regionalized approach. I think it only follows when you have Five-Mile Beach, for instance, with four communities; the Cape, with three communities — that these things must be approached on a regionalized basis rather Uten everyone going out on their own. Number one, the funding laws at the federal and state levels make it so; and Number two, in the long run, it’s more economical to do it that way. Mr. Evans: I think our services to our people — which they many times kind of demand that we, as county officials, try to give to them — is one of the biggest problems we have. And, of course, with

‘...these things [growth-related problems] must be approached on a regionalized basis rather than everyone going out on their own. ’ — BUI Sturm

Home Rule in dealing with regulations protecting Pine lands and Shorefront. How can Home Rule he relied upon to establish adequate shorefront protection and building regulation! when the record indicates an inability of separate local governments to deal with the problem? And given the fact that massive outside government disaster aid has been necessary, ahonldn't state and federal governments have some say in the regulation process? Besides, doesn’t Home Rule lack technological/ecological expertise in such matters? Mr Sturm: There are two ends to the spectrum. There are some communities in Cape May County that have had excellent ordinances and enforcement of them in beachfront and dune protection. Avalon is one, incidentally. I serve on the South Jersey Resource St Development Council and I know whenever I have attempted to gain a grant for them from U.S. Dept, of Agriculture for stabilization, dune grass, anything of that nature; it’s not too difficult to do it, because they have an excellent ordinance and follow it thru. Unfortunately, some of the munictpalities do not. They’re undetremendous pressure from developers and have given in many times. And this is what

our 5 per cent Cape, that has been initiated in the last three or four years — which, by the way, is a good thing if the state would go along with the same thing; if they had a 5 per cent Caps. What happens, we have so many mandated issues by the state that we have to follow, that to stay within our 5 per cent Caps is almost an impossibility. I think our budget is the toughest thing that we have within the next two or three years to keep within — unless they take some of the costs out of it, like energy and insurance which are really going sky-high now and which we have no control over. Q. If you could go door to door, what would you moot want to say to the voter in Mseconds about Bill Sturm? Mr. Sturm: Tve served for nine years. I’ve tried to do my best. I enjoy being a freeholder. And I'm going t<f continue to try doing my best.' Mr. Evans: I feel that I was elected to do a Job three years ago that I feel, in my own heart, that I have done to the best of my ability. I will continue to do such a Job. Of course, with the knowledge now I do have in running local, county government, I feel that I'm qualified to handle situations that three years ago I couldn’t have handled because I didn't really know what was going on.