We’re less than four weeks away from Memorial Day and we’re looking forward to another great summer season. Our Public Works Department is hard at work preparing our beaches, grounds, and facilities for the tens of thousands of visitors we’re expecting; and our Community Services staff are ready to host all the programs and activities we have lined up. With our new Community Center, we have more options than ever, in addition to having a great place to go during inclement weather.
Speaking of community, please mark your calendars for Saturday, May 9, when we will host our annual Community Day event, to be held in the Community Center. As usual, all our city departments along with many civic organizations will be on hand to meet with our citizens. It’s always a wonderful opportunity for neighbors to come together and celebrate everything that makes Sea Isle City such a special place to live and visit.
I want to mention that today’s meeting is being live streamed as part of our ongoing efforts to continue the city’s longstanding policy of engaging with the public. We coordinated the incorporation of live streaming with our recent upgrades to the council chambers audio system. The live streaming process will allow anyone to remotely view (and hear) the council meetings. It’s a simple process to access the live stream, by going to the city’s website and clicking on the “City YouTube (Live Stream)” link near the top of the home page. In addition, once the meeting is over, anyone can also view the recording by going to our website.
In a few moments, our City Engineer, Andy Previti, will be giving a presentation regarding the 46th Street pump station project. We made a commitment to look at the options for locating the outfall for this pump station, which is an important piece of infrastructure for our island, and I look forward to Andy’s update on the progress of that project.
On a more bittersweet note, today marks Kathy Custer’s last meeting with us before she enters her well-deserved retirement. Kathy has been a dedicated public servant and an outstanding Community Services Director; and while we are going to miss her tremendously, I am very pleased with our transition plan. At our next meeting, I will be bringing forward a resolution to appoint Christie Ostrander as our next Director. Christie has performed very well over the past several years as Kathy’s second-in-command, and I have total confidence that she is the right person to lead the department forward.
Finally, I want to provide a quick update on our shoreline. The Army Corps of Engineers officially took bids for Sea Isle’s beach replenishment project last week. We’re hopeful that they will be awarding a contract for the work within the next few weeks. Once that contract is finalized, we will be able to share more specific details regarding the timing and schedule of the sand placement.
As always, please remember that we are one Sea Isle City, and together we’ll be stronger than ever.
Smile…You’re in Sea Isle!
Mayor Leonard C. Desiderio
Recently, the city completed the installation of new audio-visual equipment inside Council Chambers, which now affords us the opportunity to live stream City Council meetings – and our first live streamed meeting took place on April 28, with approximately seventy (70) remote viewers logged-on.
During the April 28 meeting, Municipal Engineer Andrew Previti spoke about the proposed 46th Street Stormwater Pump Station, including options for the location of the pump’s bayside outfall. City Council would like to thank Mr. Previti for his comprehensive presentation – and for addressing the many questions and comments from property owners that followed. Council and the city’s Administration will take everyone’s concerns and suggestions under advisement, and we will review the two options that Mr. Previti outlined, along with the third option that was suggested by residents during Tuesday’s meeting.
To view the documents and images that Mr. Previti displayed during his pump station outfall presentation, please go to https://www.seaislecitynj.us/media/CityProjects/outfall-presentation-to-council-4-28-26.pdf.
Also on April 28, Ordinance 1738 was introduced with First Reading. This ordinance, which allows the city to accept a donation of two parcels of land in the marshes at 35th Street, will have Second Reading and Public Hearing (and possible adoption) during the May 26 City Council meeting.
Following the introduction of Ordinance 1738, City Council adopted Ordinances 1735 and 1736, following their Second Readings and Public Hearings. Ordinance 1735 amended the existing ordinance related to Planning and Zoning Fees, thus increasing the fees to developers to ensure that escrow accounts have sufficient funds; and Ordinance 1736 amended the existing Zoning Maps, so they are consistent with Sea Isle City’s Master Plan and previously adopted ordinances.
Each of the resolutions on the April 28 Consent Agenda was approved, including…
Resolution 051, which authorized a Raffle Application from the Knights of Columbus, of Saint Joseph Catholic Church.
Resolution 053, which authorizes Sea Isle City to accept grant money from Cape May County’s “Land of the Free 250” grant, which will help pay for community events during this year’s July Fourth celebration.
Resolution 054, which authorized a Raffle Application from the Yacht Club of Sea Isle City’s Sailing Foundation.
Resolution 055, which authorized a purchase in the amount of $56,043 for a Chevrolet Silverado from Gentilini Chevrolet, of Woodbine, NJ, for Sea Isle City’s Division of Recreation, replacing an older vehicle that is near the end of its useful life.
Resolution 056, which authorized an Entertainment Contract in the amount of $126,000 with Go Events, of West Berlin, NJ. This contract provides live concerts during Sea Isle City’s 2026 Saturday Night Concert Series, Skimmer Festival and Fall Family Festival, as well as entertainment during this summer’s Family Fun Nights on Monday evenings.
Resolution 057, which authorized the Finance Office to provide the Division of Recreation with a “Change Fund” for the city’s Pickleball Courts, allowing the attendant on duty to make change when receiving cash payments.
During the “Citizen Comment” portion of the April 28 meeting, four residents stepped to the microphone to comment on a variety of topics, including…
• A request for additional indoor pickleball sessions in the Community Center.
• A request for additional stationary bicycles in the Community Center.
• A request for a pumping station that would alleviate flooding near 33rd Street.
• Praise for City Council’s new live streaming system.
Our next City Council meeting will take place on “Community Day,” Saturday, May 9, at 9:00 AM on the third floor of City Hall – and we hope to see you there!
To view future City Council meetings remotely, click the “City YouTube (Live Stream)” link on the home page of www.seaislecitynj.us, and then click the “Live” button. For more information about our live streaming process, please go to https://www.seaislecitynj.us/citycouncil.
Best regards from the members of City Council,
Council President Mary Tighe
Ian Ciseck
Frank Edwardi
Michael Jargowski
William Kehner
