As you have most likely read or heard, during last week’s City Council meeting I announced that we will be hosting a Grand Opening Ceremony for our new Community Center on Saturday, March 28, at 12 noon. We are very excited about opening that important facility, and I am confident everyone will agree that it is an amazing addition to our town! Everyone is invited to join us that day on the Community Center’s front steps, as we cut a ceremonial ribbon and then welcome everyone inside to freely explore that important building – so please mark your calendar and plan to attend our Grand Opening on March 28 so you can tell everyone “I was there” when we ushered in a new era of recreation and community activities for Sea Isle City.
As excited as I am to welcome people inside our new Community Center, I hope you will also join us on March 28 prior to the Grand Opening Ceremony, when we host Sea Isle City’s annual Vietnam War Veterans Day Ceremony at 10:00 AM at Veterans Park, where we will show gratitude to our nation’s Vietnam War vets and thank them for their service to our country.
Also on March 28, the Sea Isle City Police officers who are participating in the annual Police Unity Tour bike ride to Washington, D.C. in May will be hosting a fundraiser to benefit the Law Enforcement Memorial Fund at 6:00 PM at The Tavern restaurant on Route 50 in Seaville. You can learn more about this event in this week’s E-Newsletter.
Following the very busy day we have planned on March 28, the Community Center’s first major event will take place on Sunday, March 29, when a collection of local business owners will host their annual “Bargains on the Bay” from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM inside the Community Center’s expansive Community Meeting Room. This event will offer shoppers tremendous discounts on a variety of merchandise – plus there will be some tasty food on sale, offered by local eateries.
With so much going on during the last weekend of this month, please plan to spend both March 28 and 29 in Sea Isle City!
One week after we open our Community Center (and enjoy the other events that are happening that weekend), Sea Isle City’s Division of Tourism will host their annual Spring Fling Family Fun Day on Saturday, March 4, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM at Excursion Park, where families can pose for photos with the Easter Bunny and enjoy a variety of other seasonal activities. If you are planning to be in Sea Isle City with your children or grandchildren during Easter Weekend, the Spring Fling is definitely worth adding to your list of fun things to do.
It was great to see so many people enjoying Saint Patrick’s Day in Sea Isle City – on March 17 and during the days leading up to that popular holiday. As usual, there were plenty of people decked-out in green attire and enjoying themselves in their favorite shore town on that special occasion.
And speaking of people enjoying themselves, we pride ourselves on providing worthwhile city-sponsored events every year – and working closely with the local civic organizations that also host events in town. One of those organizations is the Sea Isle City Chamber of Commerce, and last week Director of Community Services Katherine Custer and I met with some of our friends from the Chamber to discuss ways to make their local events even better. As we continue to work together to maintain Sea Isle City’s high level of excellence – and maintain good relations between the city and all our civic organizations – you can be certain that a top priority for us all is to ensure that everyone’s “Sea Isle City experience” is extremely enjoyable and memorable.
Smile…You’re in Sea Isle!
Mayor Leonard C. Desiderio
Due to the winter storm that impacted our area last month, the February 24 City Council meeting was cancelled, and each of the items listed on the February 24 agenda was added to the March 10 agenda.
At the start of the March 10 meeting, Mayor Desiderio announced that the city will host a Grand Opening Ceremony for our much-anticipated Community Center on Saturday, March 28, at 12 noon. The public is invited to attend the Grand Opening and explore all that our new Community Center has to offer. Council and the Mayor are looking forward to seeing everyone there to help celebrate the opening.
Also on March 10, the mayor introduced Sea Isle City’s municipal engineer, Andy Previti, who presented to Council and the public the existing components of Sea Isle City’s JFK Boulevard Playground, and also shared several possible options for adding shade structures to that facility. City Council appreciates Mr. Previti’s detailed presentation, and we will work with the city’s Administration to help determine which path forward is best for our community. To view Mr. Previti’s power point presentation, please go to the following link: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/635abcb70afbb03499eaefa5/t/69b16c8007d9c935af854d97/1773235328576/shade+sail+presentation+to+council+3-10-26.pdf.
During the “Council Report” portion of the March 10 meeting, Council President Tighe responded to a previous comment made by a resident, who indicated that Sea Isle City is the only community that does not offer senior citizen discounts for water-sewer bills. After further review, it was determined that no other towns in Cape May County offer senior citizen discounts – however, American Water Company does give discounts to seniors but they are based on income levels.
Additionally, President Tighe made a statement regarding Legal Public Notices, at which time she reminded everyone that on March 1 a “City Official Public Notices” link was added to the home page of Sea Isle City’s municipal website (www.seaislecitynj.us) and all current local publications are now available for viewing on that page. The following is a direct link to the City Official Public Notices page: https://www.seaislecitynj.us/CityOfficialPublicNotices
Two ordinances were Introduced with First Reading during the March 10 meeting:
• Ordinance 1733, which creates a “Cap Bank.” This is a routine annual ordinance that is written in conjunction with Sea Isle City’s Municipal Budget to allow the city to "bank" (or preserve) for future years any appropriation limits not utilized, thus allowing the city to more effectively manage our budgets over several years.
• Ordinance 1734, which establishes fees for Open Public Record Act requests that involve the processing and redacting of police body cam footage and other police videos, due to the labor-intensive nature of that process.
Please Note: Ordinances 1733 and 1734 will each have Second Reading and Public Hearing (and possible adoption) during the April 14 City Council meeting.
Additionally, two ordinances were adopted on March 10, following their Second Reading and Public Hearing:
• Ordinance 1731, which was written to implement the terms of the Fair Share Housing Agreement and resolve a discrepancy in the language used in the General Requirements for Maximum Building Height, thus implementing minor changes to the Zoning Ordinance and keeping the city in compliance with state regulations.
• Ordinance 1732, which was written to amend the city’s “Fair Share Housing” ordinance and implement the Fair Share Housing Agreement, thus complying with a state mandate regarding the method of how Affordable Housing will operate in the future.
Also on March 10, Sea Isle City’s 2026 Local Municipal Budget was Introduced through Resolution 019 (which was listed as a stand-alone resolution). The 2026 Budget will have Second Reading and Public Hearing (and possible adoption) during the April 14 City Council meeting.
Each of the resolutions listed on the March 10 Consent Agenda was approved, including:
• Resolution 022, which approved the appointment of Sea Isle City’s new Tax Collector, Jessica Gibson.
• Resolution 024, which authorized a Closed Executive Session immediately following the March 10 City Council meeting, to discuss legal matters regarding 380 47th Place Condominium Association v. 384 47th Place Condominium Association and the City of Sea Isle City.
• Resolution 026, which authorized a Professional Services Contract for Labor Counsel with Mark Ruderman, of Ruderman & Roth Associates, at a rate of $235 per hour.
• Resolution 027, which authorized the Acceptance and Execution of a Grant Agreement between the City of Sea Isle City and the State of New Jersey for the “It Pays to Plug In: Electric Vehicle Charging Grant Program,” for approximately $400,000 in grant funds.
• Resolutions 028 through 031, which were written to coincide with our Fair Share Housing Agreement Ordinances 1731 and 1732.
During the “New Business” portion of the March 10 meeting, Councilman Edwardi, who serves as City Council Liaison to the Sea Isle City Planning Board, asked Council to review the existing ordinance related to the requirements of planting trees and shrubbery on new construction properties.
Several topics were mentioned during the “Citizen Comment” portion of the March 10 meeting…
• Mike Monichetti stepped to the microphone to thank the city for its support during the 2026 Mike’s Seafood Run-Walk for Autism – and to report that his organization raised approximately $234,000 this year.
• Numerous property owners near 46th Street and Central Avenue spoke about flooding issues in their neighborhood. They discussed challenges they faced during the recent flood, the current drainage project that is taking place near their homes, and that they want to see the proposed water pump station installed at 46th and Central. Several of those individuals also spoke about issues they have faced during the construction of the new Community Center.
Our next City Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 24, at 10:00 AM on the third floor of City Hall – and we hope to see you there!
Best regards from the members of City Council,
Council President Mary Tighe
Ian Ciseck
Frank Edwardi
Michael Jargowski
William Kehner
