18 Herald & Lantern 3 October '84

Crest Eyes 18-Block 'Walkway'

1 From Page 1 ) tional areas such as the borough's Little League Field, basketball court. Public Library, and Gazebo Park, opened only this year. To supplement these facilities, it is planned to develop two borough-owned blocks, from Forget me-not Road to Palm Road, as a recreation area, and to complete development of three .blocks between Lotus and Rambler, which already accommodate Gazebo Park, as a landscaped commons area. CONCERTS AT GAZEBO Park were a hit with residents and visitors alike during the summer, with a wide variety of musical groups presented. Plans call for covering the vacant borough land with grass and planting trees or shrubbery to create mini parks, replacing sand, weeds, and occasional litter. Benches and recreational equipment would also be installed. The bike path, that would run alongside the walkway, may take the shape of a half street along existing Beach Drive, largely a paper street, which would provide access to the rear of the motels and accommodate bikers. A sample section of the walkway .has been constructed at Rembler Road on the ocean side of Gazebo Park, southern terminus of the pathway. The concept for the oceanfront park was developed over the past year by the Properties and Facilities Committee of the Wildwood Crest Planning Board, with the cooperation of Commissioner Frank McCali, head of the borough Public Works Department. Members of the committee are: Art Hall, chairman; John Christine, Dr. William A. Weaker, and Will Morey. The plan was unanimously approved by the planning board on April 5. Further action awaits a means of funding the project, which McCall said could come via the state's Green Acres Program and from the | U.S. shore protection program. I McCALL SAID THAT, after the commit- I tee has concluded a study of the com- | m unity's needs, the question of whether to I complete the project probably would go to j a public referendum The project drew favorable comment < from officials reached for opinions. ( "The beach park would be a tremendous i

addition to the Crest," said Dr. Weaker, pastor of the First Uoited MethodistChurch. "It will enhance the family atmosphere of the Crest The bike path will provide a safe place for bike riders off the street. Also, it will enable people to enjoy the dunes without damaging them." Equally enthusiastic was Mayor John Pantalone, who called the park a "wonderful concept His enthusiasm was tempered, however, by consideration of the problems involved in funding the project. "The park should be very beautiful once it is completed." said Pantalone. "But we have to take a good look at where it stands in our priorities. We have other obligations to consider." The mayor indicated his belief that considerably more work must be done on seeking funding sources before the commissioners give the proposal any formal consideration. TOTAL COST OF the project, as estimated by Ralph Petrella Jr.. borough engineer, is $1, 550.000. This includes $1,350,000 for construction and $200,000 for administrative engineering plus contingency cost of 15 percent. The major cost item is $675,000 for the wooden walkway. Cost of a five-foot bicycle path is placed at $37,000. Brick walkways for the park areas total $100,000. and sodding would cost $157,500. A sprinkler system is estimated at $50,000. and lighting at $60,000. Miscellaneous park equipment is placed at $35,500. Landscaping for 7.25 acres is put at $14,500. and trees, $20,000. The cost of benches is estimated at $20,000 Commissioner McCall said he is confident that the Public Works Department can handle maintenance of the park areas. He pointed out that his department, over a three-year period, has restored the formerly depleted dunes along which the walkway is to run. He also pointed to the maintenance job performed by Public Works on the shores of Sunset Lake, at the western edge of the Crest. McCall praised the Wildwood Crest Garden Club its aid in establishing flower beds and plantings in that area. Other members of the Planning Board are: Jules Gold, chairman; Harry Greiner, secretary; Carl Aspenburg Jr. and Dr. Robert Furey

NOTICE OF FILING OF PETITION PROPOSING NO INCREASE TO FUEL ADJUSTMENT CLAUSE AND OF PUBLIC HEARING THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO ATTEND, MAKE COMMENTS, AND ASK QUESTIONS IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION OF SOUTH JERSEY GAS COMPANY NOT TO CHANGE THE LEVEL OF ITS RAW MATERIALS ADJUSTMENT CLAUSE, B.P.U. DOCKET NO. 848-937 O.A.L. DOCKET NO. PUC-06785-84 o hefeby 9lven South Jersey Gas Compart, has filed with the Board of Public Utilities a Petition m the referenced matter seeking to reestablish the existinq level o» its raw materials adjustment chorges (RMA). The existing level which South Jersey Gas Company seeks to maintain is 15.52* per therm for the Cape May Division ana 0.00* per therm for the balance of the service territory The Company has olso proposed to roll-in to base rates the RMA charge applicable to the Cape May Division, making the proposed RMA charge 0.00* per therm throughout the Company's service territory. The proposed RMA level and subsequent roll-in will not increase ony customer's bill. This RMA douse wiH be effective as to service rendered from November 1, 1984 to October 31, 1985. Copies of the Petition are available for inspection at the Company offices. The Board of Public Utilities has the statutory authority to establish the RMA at a »han that pioposed by South Jersey Gas Company N.OT'CE 15 forth®' given that the Office of Administrative Law has scheduled a public hearing on the Petition at the following time and place: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1984, at 7:00 P.M. VOORHEES MIDDLE SCHOOL LECTURE HALL HOLLY OAK DRIVE VOORHEES, NEW JERSEY 08043 SOUTH JERSEY GAS COMPANY By: William F. Ryan, President

News Digest • From Page 1» / it* Superior Court Judge John Callinan last month ruled the GOP primary tied betU ween Betts and incumbent Commite teeman Leonard Migliaccio. That allowed y the party to choose its standard bearer. So far, two independents are listed to run i against Betts next month. \ See Above TUCKAHOE - County Democrats ? don't want him in their column next

/month, Upper Township's clerk) says he's ( not the Democratic candidate and the township solicitor says he can't be anybody's candidate in the local committee contest. But Republican Bruno Tropeano vowed last week to fight at least the solicitor's ruling in court. Although Tropeano came in last of three GOP committee contenders, he collected several Democratic write-in votes during the spring primaries. He doesn't want to become a Democrat but does want to run as the Democratic candidate in November. Dogs Destroyed WOODBINE — More than 20 dogs were destroyed by the end of last week as the result of borough council decree Sept. 4. According to Mayor Ernest Materio, the decree followed state officials, concern about the possible spread of rabies from out-of-state. Since many of the dogs are said to be abandoned here by out-of-state vacationers, council approved the decree to destroy dogs that run at large without wire muzzles. $45,000 Saved SOUTH SEAVILLE - Dennis Township Mayor Frank Murphy said Friday that the township will abide by a court order to close the municipal dump here, but may appeal it. The state notified Dennis officials last week that the court order was on its way. Local dumps were ordered closed May 15 when the new county landfill opened in Woodbine. Nevertheless, Dennis Township has since avoided some $45,000 in tipping fees there by hauling trash here as usual. Spout Off Soon COURT HOUSE — A reminder that the Herald and Lantern publish no political %. letters in the issue prior to the Nov. 6 electiqn, in order to prevent unanswerable charges. So the Oct. 24 issue will be the final for political letters, and the deadline for that is Oot. 18.

NotPDQ I ^ i From Page 1 > puter system is step two. Planning DirecI tor Elwood Jarmer told freeholders last week. ' First the county requires one consultant i to tell the EDP consultant what needs doing. That's one of three options, he said. The other two include doing it in-house, or entrusting it to the same firm trying to sell the county a computer. Freeholder James S. Kilpatrick Jr. didn't like the latter suggestion much. "I'm reluctant to pay a consultant to recojnmend to us what we should do in the futifre," he said. He compared that to "a rabbit in a hat." Jarmer said he had a proposal from one firm to make EDP recommendations for a price of $4,000 to $6,000. His problem, he said, is that no one knows what the county needs. "Department heads need some assistance in assessing their needs," he said. "We all have a feeling some departments need it badly and others do not. It's ^too much to ask the department heads to do this on their own. We're not computer experts. We need to bring on a good consultant to assist the department heads to do an assessment." Jarmer said the problem is "... we don't have a list of departments, the number of people, the paper they process, what they generally do, their scope of work. "We ought to have this now." said Jarmer. "as part of the administrative manual the'county is preparing." Data processing and an administrative code were among recommendations of a management improvement study for the county completed 11 months ago. It said data management would "in the long term" achieve "significant savings in personnel ..." And it said an administrative code, for which Jarmer was to develop "a plan of action," would make up for the fact that at this time, "In most cases, there is little or no formal definition of departmental goals or responsibilities. The orfly formal rules and procedures are set down in the union contracts and appropriate civil service procedures." Jarmer told the Herald and Lantern that the manual, or code, "is under way with the assistance of the state Department of Community Affairs." If ready, he said, "Some of that might be a big help." "There must be some company willing to evaluate us," said Thornton. "The (state) computer printout of firms is that thick," said Jarmer, holding his thumb and forefinger an ipch apart "There are 200 to 300 firms that do that And it costs $5,000 to $10,000 just to come in here and find out the basis of making a proposal." "They might be willing to take the risk (of doing it for nothing)." said Thornton "We should put out the concept that we are trying to go to complete computerization of county government." "They will have to talk to each county department," said Jarmer. "Would they put in that much time just to make a proposal?" Jarmensaid he'd come back after reconsidering 4 "beefed up" proposal from the firm that already has submitted one, an inhouse study, or "talking to other firms to see if they'd do this up front, then submit a proposal for the big job." Jermer heads a task force recommended by the management improvement ✓study to develop a data management and processing system. Other members include William C Deaver, purchasing agent; William Brannon, shelter coordinator for Emergency Management; Kathryn Willis, administrator/clerk of the Board of Freeholders; and Andrew Vaden, detective in the prosecutor's office. ' ^7 - — %

Wildwoods Flunk — i From Page 1 ) V well "on balance" this summer, although North Wildwood and Sea Isle City had closings because of sewer line breaks. He said that next year there will be an emphasis on a program for cleaning out and chlorinating catch basiAs in Wildwood. Wildwood Crest and North Wildwood. "WE'LL WORK very cicely with them." he said, "because lCs been demonstrated by Cape May that itKpossible to reduce bacteria counts inoo^an waters that way." The ocean and back bay water monitor- . ing program, which was reduced to only the ocean after Labor Day, cost "the majority" of a $144,345 total which Lamanna reported to the freeholders last month. The total included the sewage treatment plant monitoring, tests for sodium and / chlorides, etc. ( Lamanna arrived at that figure by in- f eluding portions of salaries of nine people, ' including one-seventh of his own and 100 V percent of three lab people. THE TOTAL INCLUDED expenses ranging from the monthly payments on a cbjjy machine to two major pieces of new equipment not yet in operation. One is an autoclave that cost $15,797 and has been on hand since August, but still isn't connected. The second is a $11,650 Spec- ✓ trophotometer not yet delivered. That's the equipment that will make it possible for the department to do its own testing for everything from sodium to heavy metals. Freeholder Gerald M. Thornton said the county now has "the most modernly equipped health department in the state of New Jersey." AT LAST WEEK'S freeholder meeting! Ruth Fisher, president of the Citizens Association for Protection of the Environment (C.A.P.E.), asked Thronton if he could "lay out your plans for next year" in testing, especially for pesticides. Thornton said that would be done at 1985 budget hearings. Fisher asked how the public would know the results. "We plan to make public every study that we have, regardless of the results." said Thornton.