Today is Community Day in Sea Isle City, taking place at our new Community Center on Central Avenue. This annual event is a favorite tradition where our city departments and local organizations gather to share information about the many programs we offer. It is an excellent opportunity for families to meet local officials and see firsthand the vitality of our town. A cornerstone of today’s celebration is our awards ceremony, where we recognize the winners of the Beach Tag Art Contest and honor several of our neighbors with the “Do the Right Thing” awards for their selfless service to our community.
In addition, First Bank of Sea Isle City will present the 2026 Community Partnership Award, and the Chamber of Commerce will present their 2026 Scholarship awards. We also have a city-wide yard sale taking place today, with about 60 properties participating.
At the last city council meeting, city engineer Andy Previti gave a detailed presentation on the proposed 46th street pump station and possible locations for the discharge of that stormwater.
We heard many concerns regarding this matter, with many folks recommending that we pipe the discharge to the intracoastal waterway. I want to assure everyone that the city is actively exploring options to do just that.
This pump station is an important improvement that will offer needed flood mitigation for the neighborhood surrounding our new community center, and we are working closely with our engineers to finalize a redesign that effectively channels stormwater while respecting the concerns of nearby property owners. I am confident we will have a solution soon that addresses everyone’s concerns and provides the long-term flood protection our residents deserve.
As we move closer to Memorial Day, our teams are working hard to ensure everything is in top shape for our visitors. Our construction projects on the promenade and our roads around town are wrapping up, with most remaining work to be deferred until the fall. One notable exception is the upcoming beach replenishment project. As most of you know, the timing of these projects is beyond our control. With only a few companies in the country able to accomplish projects of this magnitude, we must take the projects when they become available.
This past week, the pre-construction meeting for the beach replenishment project was held in the Community Center.
The Army Corps of Engineers is managing the project, with oversight by the DEP’s office of coastal engineering. The contractor is Norfolk Dredging out of Chesapeake, Virginia.
We can expect to see survey work on our beaches next week, with mobilization of some equipment prior to Memorial Day weekend. Beach replenishment will be placed between 29th and 55th Streets.
The replenishment work is scheduled to start around the first of June and is expected to be completed by the end of June. Work of this nature is very dependent on sea conditions, so we need to be aware of that when it comes to the schedule.
During the project, no more than a thousand feet of beach will be closed at any point in time, and the area of closure will move as the project progresses. This isn’t the first time we’ve had to deal with beach replenishment in the summer, and I’m confident that the work will be able to be accomplished with as little inconvenience as possible. As we have in the past, the city will issue updates on the project on our website, email and social media accounts.
As always, please remember that we are one Sea Isle City, and together we’ll be stronger than ever.
Before closing, I would like to extend my best wishes to Sea Isle City’s Director of Community Services and Public Information Officer, Katherine Custer, who is retiring today. It was my pleasure and honor to recognize Kathy during this week’s City Council meeting, and I wish her (and her husband Ron) every happiness as they begin this next chapter of their life together. –Congratulations on your retirement, Kathy!
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
