Herald - Lantern - Dispatch 4 December '85

|gSg?/ DIGEST 7; / The Week's JJ II II Top Stories (From Page 1) finance a state-mandated closing of its landfill here. Representatives of the company said they cannot afford to close the landfill and cap it using environmentally safe methods. The company has been negotiating with Philadelphia. Camden County and others to take enough of their trash to raise the money. Split Over Burning CAPE MAY — Congressmen William Hughes and James Florio, who have opposed ocean dumping of sludge and the incineration of chemicals at sea. now feel it may be better to burn toxics at sea than dump them in landfills. But State Sen. James Hurley and Cape May Mayor Arthur Blomkvest are critical of a plan to burn cancer-causing chemicals 140 miles off Cape May Point next year. "We are flirting with disaster near a tourist resort." said Hurley. "I can't conceive of them going ahead with this." said Blomkvest. Auctioning Lots WHITESBORO - Seven plots here will sold by Middle Township at an auction in Municipal Hall, 2 p.m. Dec. 13. Acquired through tax foreclosures, the parcels will go to the auction block with minimum bids of $1,000 to $4,800. A resolution, adopted last week by township commissioners, requires that, after a high bid is settled at auction, owners of land adjacent to the property have the opportunity to buy the property at the high bid price. If they decline, the parcel reverts to the highest bidder. Officials Tangle WILDWOOD — Councilman John Harden and Business Administrator Marc Pfeiffer are at odds over allegations of irregularities by beach patrol members. Harden has charged Pfeiffer with ignoring the allegations . Pfeiffer said a report on them will be made Dec. 13. Meets Flood Regs SEA ISLE CITY - Enactment of an ordinance last week by City Commission sets standards for the construction of breakaway walls and qualifies the city for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA placed the city on probation last year after finding 25 violations of flood insurance standards. Most of them were at shorefront properties with enclosed foundations that prevented water from flowing through the buildings. Driver Critical MAYVILLE — Edward Jones. 40. of Burleigh was in critical condition at Atlantic City Medical Center Monday after being pinned under his van in a crash Friday. Jones was hurt when his vehicle sideswiped another van. hit a fire well box and crashed into a house here on Route 9. police said. Middle Township police say he will be charged with drunk driving, and operating a vehicle while his license was suspended. School Addition Money SEA ISLE CITY - The Board of School Estimate here earmarked $100,000 from its budget to help fund the proposed elementary school expansion. Currently, school officials are considering a modular addition, which would cost $150,000 to $180,000, according to school board President Steve Libro. The elementary school, built in 1971 for 150 students, now houses 210 and projected enrollment for the year 1990 is 300. The school currently uses three temporary trailer classrooms to alleviate overcrowding.

Freeholders Name Pessagno

Layoffs Illegal DENNISVILLE - The state Public Employe Relations Commission (PERC) has ruled that the layoff of five union bus drivers in the 1983-84 school year by the Dennis Township school board was illegal. The board had decided to subcontract many of the district's bus rou " to private carriers. PERC said the boaro was attempting to circumvent the contract negotiations underway at the time and wanted to put a chill on grievances filed by drivers. The district must pay the drivers lost wages plus 12 percent interest. Right Use of Cops? OCEAN CITY — An arrangement in which about 10 policemen are detailed to the Wawa convenience market at Fourth Street and West Avenue was questioned last week by some City Council members. Wawa reimburses the city for the officers who work from 2 p.m. to midnight dispersing youths who gather there. "I don't think it's a good idea to have police officers ... using city equipment, guns and what have you, to protect Wawa." said Councilman William Meis. Trash Train (From Page 1) effort," but freeholders decided to wait for a Planning Board report. "We're asking (the freeholders) to take a look at the broader view, the county-wide perspective rather than the MUA point of view, to see if there is any long-range possibility of it happening." MUA spokesman Donald Hutchinson told this newspaper. "Then we will look at it for our part of the project and see if it will be worth the cost." "We would like to see the line upgraded," Freeholder-Director Gerald M. Thornton said, "not only for trash, but for commuters and industrial supplies to the county." The MUA originally opposed thelrain idea. At a resource recovery "regional roundtable" Oct. 15, MUA Solid Waste Manager Theodore F. O'Neill said "making a quantum leap to a new transportation system at greater cost is not practical." The MUA "is in the wastewater treatment business, not the railroad business." he added. O'NEILL SAID A "cursory" study of the train idea found it too costly to operate and maintain. He has been unable to produce details or findings of the study for this newspaper, however. But Hutchinson said public interest generated at such discussions, and at a Nov. 12 meeting with the Ocean View Civic Association, has prompted a new look at the proposal. "We wanted to take it a step further and see if there was a possibility of it happening." he said. Louis Weiner. association president, resurrected the train idea in a Sept 20 letter to the MUA. The idea was previously proposed by Wildwood Crest Mayor Frank McCall more than two years ago. Weiner suggested the train as an alternative to refuse trucks now going from the MUA waste transfer station in Burleigh to , its landfill on the Woodbine-Upper Township border The planned trash-to-energy plant would be located there. Weiner said the train would alleviate traffic on the Garden State Parkway, Sea Isle Boulevard, Route 9 and WoodbineOcean View Road and would "help eliminate the health, safety, and pollution problems in Dennis Township." I Part of the old Conrail line extends from Cape May Point to Tuckahoe and is owned by New Jersey Transit. Its tracks run within a mile of the transfer station and less than a quarter-mile from the landfill, according to the county engineer's office. The bike path was suggested to Thornton by U.S. Coast Guard pilot Edward J. DeWitt. Thornton, a biker, said if the rail bed were leveled and paved, it would make an excellent bike and walking path. But Freeholder James S. Kilpatrick Jr. warned, "the potential of future (insurance) liabilities could be horrendous."

work to the detriment of the public interest." Delventhal said Pessagno "was on the list, but may not have been rated No. I." Both Sturm and John Carpenter of IBC declined the opportunity to deny that Bayly. Martin and Fay was IBC's first choice. STURM SAID this summer that IBC was being retained because "insurance is controversial in the governmental-political world. In times past, some municipalities or counties have been accused of favoritism. But not us. This is to preclude that happening." Last week, he defended the selection of Pessagno on two grounds. "It's a countybased firm." he said, "and it has familiarity with the county's accounts because in the past it insured various types of county coverage." It was Pessagno who first proposed the insurance broker position in a meeting with freeholders last February. Lawrence D. Cohen, vice president of Bayly. Martin and Fay. said his firm proposed a flat fee "in the range of $50,000" and no commissions of premiums. "That avoids the inherent conflict of higher premium, higher commission." Cohen said. PESSAGNO'S CONTRACT sets a minimum pay of $19,500. but he can make more than that if his commissions run more. Pessagno was out of town last week and could not be reached to comment. But he told this newspaper in February that commissions on property and liability insurance run 10 to 13 percent. Sturm said the county this year anticipated property and liability insurance would cost $7:18.000. The low 10 percent commission estimate would net $73,800, And insurance rates are expected to be higher next year. Sturm and Delventhal said cost was not a key factor in deciding who to name broker. And Sturm said politics was not involved. Pessagno is a major contributor to the Republican Party and its candidates All the freeholders are Republicans CARPENTER SAID IBC first sent a "producer questionnaire" to 10 insurance agencies. Six responded and each had a personal interview with the county on Oct. 15. Doing the interviewing were Sturm. Delventhal. county Administrator Diane Rudolph and Carpenter. Carpenter said his firm's services "concluded" with his letter of recommendation the following day But. he said, "mine and other three opinions were different." Sturm. Delventhal and Rudolph then decided to invite National Associates and Bayly. Martin and Fay to appear before the entire board of freeholders That happened in a closed meeting Nov. CARPENTER SAID the original selection process was "extremely judgmental and opinionated. We whittled out as best as we could those that had poor marks It was more of a personal opinion than black and white All were highly professional and capable of providing the services. A rank ing had to be done We recommended one One was a winner and one was a loser ." Cohen of Bayly. Martin and Fay said he was not resentful "Congratulations to Charlie." he said "I wish him good luck; it's a tough market The six firms interviewed also included the J Byrne Agency of Wildwood ; Cape Insurance Center Inc of Wildwood. Steelman. Graves and Waters of Nor thfield; and Alexander and Alexander Inc of Philadelphia FREEHOLDER-DIREC TOR Gerald M Thornton said he was "not dissatisfied with our selection, "but bucked other questions to Sturm, as head of the Insurance Department The county was handling its insurance with the part-time work of Patricia Delaney, later named administrator of Human Services. She was paid $18,750 for her insurance duties. The county, like most municipalities, has been having difPaving Contract NORTH WILDWOOD - Arawak Paving Co. of Hammonton was awarded a $99,615 contract to repave New York Avenue from 10th to 26th avenues. The project will be funded by a $250,000 bond ordinance approved Aug. 6. Mayor Lewis G Vinci said the project will be finished by spring and that no plans have been made for the money remaining from the bond sale.

ficulty getting insurance coverage. And rates are escalating. A representative of an insurance company who asked not to be identified said the county "really needs some help." UNDER THE TERMS of Pessagno's one-year contract, his responsibilities include recommending coverage, placing insurance. and a number of risk management duties such as recommending pro perty conservation programs and working with accident prevention Pessagno also will investigate a "self-in-surance program" which the freeholders are known to be considering. Self-insur-ance really means having no insurance and paying claims from the money nor mally used for insurance premiums That only covers smaller claims however Pessagno's contract says that if he institutes a self-insurance program, the freeholders would employ a "an experienced. fully staffed, professional administrator." Pessagno would not. at this time, have anything to do with the county's $2 3-million employe benefit package That is primarily Blue Cross-Blue Shield Pessagno's firm had that employe benefit package through Pacific Mutual three years ago. Sturm said however, it was possible that Pessagno would "review" that employe benefit package. Eyes Addition ( From Page 1 > "one of the finest examples of the period following the Revolutionary War to 1840. an era of prosperity We'd like to have this" preserved." Way said that "era of prosperity." when boats took farm products, fish and lumber to markets in Philadelphia, ended when the railroads came and made other areas competitive. Way said the genealogy library, where "people can trace their roots back before the Pilgrims, is a big drawing card" and needs additional space. The museum has more than 1,000 members who have already been solicited to contribute to the cost of the new building. Way said. "We probably have $20,000 in dollars and pledges." he said. Other persons and businesses also will be canvassed by "personal contact." Way said. During the discussion with freeholders Nov. 21, it was brought out that the museum has an $85,000 endowment and a $50,000. six percent mortgage on which it is paying $5,000 a year. Way was accompanied by museum president Virginia Wilson and past president Charlotte Bouton. The muse m is on its fall schedule : open from 10 a m to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday It is closed in January. February and March, except for special tours, but the office will be open Genealogist Hannah Swain is there Tuesday. Wednesday and Friday and other times by appointment The museum, which had more than 5,000 visitors this year, charges adults $2 admission. 75 cents for children 12-18. Public Works i From Page 1 > May ; and $400,000 for Cape Island Creek in West Cape May Clarke's list also included these Road Department projects from its capital budget : Reconstruct the access road adja cent to Sea Isle City Bridge. $50,000; reconstruct and pave a portion of Reed's Beach Road that flooded during Hurricane Gloria. $40,000; resurface a portion of Ocean Drive just south of Wildwood Crest in Lower Township. $75,000; and widen Stone Harbor Boulevard to four lanes bet ween Route 9 and the Garden State Parkway. $50,000. Freeholders appeared somewhat taken back by what Clarke called "some big ticket items in this year's budget ." "These aren't all carved in stone." said Freeholder James S. Kilpatrick Jr.. who heads Public Works. "We don't want to be like London Bridge." smiled Clarke. "The road projects are not major when considered separate," he added. Freeholders said they would "prioritize" the projects during their 1986 budget deliberations.