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Vol. 21 No. 27 ' "®5 TJw Won Corp. AH righto rotorvod

July 3, 1985

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Excluding the Public — Weekly

By JOE ZELNIK COURT HOUSE — County freeholders concluded their regular public meeting at 5:08 Tuesday. June 25. Then the press and public left, the freeholders locked the door, and "a meeting excluding the public" began. It was the freeholders' 24th such session — last year they were called "private meetings" — in the first six months of this year. Thus the board feels the need to exclude the public from its deliberations almost once a week. The state Open Public Meetings Act, commonly known as the "Sunshine Law," gives 12 "exceptions to requirements that

meetings be held in public." The freeholders generally cite two: "personnel matters" and "possible litigation." A REPRESENTATIVE of the state Department of the Public Advocate pointed out that "protection of the rights of the individual," not protection of the freeholders, is the justification for discussing "personnel matters" in secret sessions. Other topics the freeholders have discussed in closed sessions include contract negotiations, pay increases (which, if granted, later appear in public salaryresolutions), property acquisition, the

Williams toxic dump in Swainton. employe performance, the judiciary budget, liability insurance, Container Decorating, the Purchasing Department (Purchasing Agent William C. Deaver subsequently resigned), and others. It also has used secret sessions to interview some, but not all, persons for some, but not all, county positions. THE SAME LAW that governs the right to hold secret meetings requires please of the minutes of those meetings "promptly." The law states that "a matter should be released to the public when the reasons for discussing and acting on it in closed session no longer exist." (Page 4 Please)

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Building Beyond Reach Of Firefighters Okayed RIO GRANDE — Middle Township planners have approved a 36-foot-high office building despite strong objections from local firefighters who said it would be dangerous because their equipment limits them to 30 feet. Planners voted unanimously June 27 to approve variances for a twostory professional office building ^t Routes 9 and 47 to be con-

News— ~ DlPPSt Week's ^ ■ o T°P Stories We're Celebrating COURT HOUSE - The staff of this newspaper will celebrate Independence Day tomorrow by closing the office at 106 N. Main St. Deadlines remain the same for next week's issue, and there's a huge mail slot in our door. More Summer Jobs ERMA — One hundred forty-five jobs remain to be filled in the county's Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). Joseph Haggerty, Private Industry Council (PIC) administrator, said that 60 more youths were slated to begin work Monday, bringing the total to 205. PIC received >476,988 in federal funds this year, with which it can employ 350 summer workers. Haggerty said PIC will continue to accept applicants "until we reach the limit." The program started June 24 and runs to Aug. 22. Interested youths may apply at state Job Service offices in Wildwood and Ocean City. Tuiice Per Drop STONE HARBOR — Local water customers will be paying twice as much (Page 69 Please)

structed by Dr. Robert Benzel and KimTab Inc. They also are the builders of the adjacent Village Shoppes of Rio Grande. And they have proposed a three-story, 86, 000- square-foot professional building on the site of county Social Services building across Route 9. That's waiting on a response from the freeholders. liie building okayed last week would have ground-level parking beneath the structure. The variances okayed were from parking buffer requirements and a 30-foot height limit. PLANNING BOARD Secretary Carol Nicoletta said the township's proposed new zoning ordinance would raise the height limitation to 35 feet from 30. And she said the height variance granted Benzel was contingent upon meeting fire code requirements. But other sources indicated the code has nothing to do with heights. Rio Grande Fire Chief Ralph J. Porch had written the Planning Board in May that "the 30-foot height limitation is in keeping with the fire protection for this fire district as we do not have a ladder truck in this district and any increase in the height can be dangerous." Assistant Chief Larry Forsyth, who represented the firemen at the meeting last week, said a Kim-Tab representative told him it would "donate ladders ... just so we can read the top." ROY HESS, FIRE COMPANY president, notified the planners June 26 that the company membership voted unanimously that the 35-foot height "variance requested be denied." "... Understanding the building to be (Page 4 Please)

Problems Mount in Backbays

CREST HAVEN — The county's ocean waters continue to be great; the backbay 's not so. That's the result of the county Health Department's survey of 43 ocean and 92 backbay sites June 24, 25 and 26, reported exclusively in this newspaper in a chart on page 67. The previous week's backbay problem off West Wildwood was gone this week, but a new one popped up in Stone Harbor. WITH A STATE fecal coliform bacteria standard of 200 MPN (Most Probable Number), the Health Department found readings Monday. June 24, of greater than

2,400 (the highest measurable) off 81st and 82nd streets and between 84th and 86th streets. County Health officer Louis J. La manna said his first thought would be that the sewage treatment plant, which puts effluent into the bay at 81st street, was not using enough chlorine to compensate for increased sewage from the weekend tourist population. But Ira Dillyn, superintendent of public works and sewer plant operator in Stone Harbor, said there were "no problems with our chlorine feeding. (Page 69 Please)

gKa Fireworks Two Nights Fireworks fans get two shots at the shots this week. Some communities are holding their celebrations tomorrow, July 4th, others on Saturday, the 6th. Traditional celebrations are set in Wildwood. Ocean City and Upper Township. Wildwood, at 26th and the beach, the border with North wildwood. Upper Township, on the beach at Willard Road in Strathmere. Ocean City, at the 6th Street football field, with what is advertized as "the largest display in the city's history featuring a 300-shell finale." But if one finale isn't enough, there's still Saturday : Cape May, on the beach in front of Congress Hall. Middle Township, at its Goshen Road sports complex, culminating a day of food, games and country and western music. (Page 4 Please)

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Contract | Negotiations I Stymied By JOE ZELNIK ! COURT HOUSE - What a mess Negotiators for county employes and their bosses can't even agree if they disagree. Seven hundred employes have been working without a contract since Dec. 31. They rejected, on May 24 by a 283-111 vote, a proposal their negotiating team had recommended. * The county says that's it, the two sides are at an impasse, and a state mediator is needed. "WE'RE NOT going back into negotiations." Lawrence A. Pepper Jr. of Vineland, the county's labor counsel told this newspaper. "We negotiated a contract to its conclusion." The union, Local 1983 of the International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades. AFL-CIO, disagrees, of course. "I don't think we're really that far apart." said Ralph Williams, union general representative. "Both sides have to declare an impasse and I say absolutely not." And don't forget Sam Kelly. The former business manager of Local 1983 is trying to pull members into another union. He says the Local 1983 negotiated contract is "one of the most disgraceful pieces of paper I've ever seen..." KELLY SAYS he has the required 30 percent of membership signatures and will (Page 4 Please)

Clear Court Move to Erma E. J. DUFFY ERMA — Starting this fall, and for the next two years thereafter, this Lower Township community will be the county bench. Township planners last week cleared the way for Superior Court to move into temporary facilities at the county airport while the 1927 court house in Middle Township is being renovated and expanded. Despite concern that the planners would link approval of the temporary facilities to payment of airport taxes and sewer bills, planners only attached one condition to the plans. (Page 4 Please)