As a courtesy to our SHPOA Members, we’re bringing you a summary of each Stone Harbor Work Session and Council Meeting. Intended as summaries, these intentionally don’t have a lot of details and are not a substitute for the official Borough minutes.
Work Session
Public Safety
Police Department – The statistics for the month of January were as follows: 35 motor vehicle stops, 15 motor vehicle summonses, 2 parking summonses, 2 motor vehicle accidents, 1 suspicious motor vehicle, 3 animal complaints, 33 opened doors/windows.

Recreation and Tourism
Playgrounds update:
96th Street playground – With a $1.1 million grant, Phase 1 (retaining wall, concrete base and playground equipment) are scheduled to be completed by the summer. Phase 2 (widening of basketball court, construction of new tennis administration building, and public restrooms) are planned to be completed in the fall 82nd Street playground – The borough applied for a $750,000 grant for all-inclusive playground, 650 people responded to a survey regarding playground with 98% approving.

Natural Resources
Stone Harbor Point Road – The point access road eroded and was closed after an extreme weather event last year. The borough is awaiting approval to purchase gravel so it can fix the road.

Discussion items
Councilmember Bunny Parzyck discussed Ordinance 1678 which would send business property owners to a site plan review process if they wanted to convert from business to residential uses as a stopgap measure when the issue is studied. (Council voted to introduce that ordinance later in the regular meeting.)
Infrastructure work – Road work on 3rd Avenue is set to be finished before Memorial Day, gas main renewals between 83rd and 91st Streets should be started soon.

Public Comment
A Stone Harbor police union representative reported concerns about the lack of progress of contract negotiations. The police contract expired in 2023. There were several comments from residents in support of the police and all emergency services. Members of the public also said they opposed outsourcing positions rather than having employees in positions in recreation, tourism, public works, and public safety departments,

Regular Meeting
Ordinances
*Ordinance 1677 repealing the Board of Health and its powers and duties was passed on first reading.
*Ordinance 1678 amending the zoning code for residential standards in the business zone was introduced. A public hearing is scheduled for March 18, 2025

Resolutions
Council approved all items on its consent agenda including those to refund overpayment of taxes, payment of payroll and bills, sewer improvements, providing meeting closed to the public, approving a raffle license for the American Legion, approving special events’ applications, and awarding a professional service contract for affordable housing planner to Jennifer Heller, of Polistina and Associates, to address the state requirement of 26 new affordable housing units.
 
Special Note on Borough Finances
Subsequent to the meeting of February 18, 2025, Councilmember Gensemer has provided a report of the Borough Administration and Finance Committee discussing the Annual Debt Statement, Finance Department Enhancements, Departmental Reorganization, and 2025 Budget Preparation. Her report is attached here for your reference.

Borough of Stone Harbor Council Meeting
Report of the Administration and Finance Committee, Presented by Jennifer Gensemer

Good Evening Mayor and Council,
The Administration and Finance Committee continues to make significant progress in strengthening the fiscal health of Stone Harbor. As we work toward closing the 2024 budget year, I would like to highlight the following key updates:

Annual Debt Statement
The 2024 Annual Debt Statement has been filed with the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Division of Local Government Services (DLGS), meeting the January 31st deadline. I am pleased to report a reduction in net debt by over $18,000,000. This reduction is attributed to the cancellation of authorized but unissued debt—specifically, uncommitted, old, completed, and unnecessary ordinances—as well as the continued paydown of both funded and unfunded ordinances.

Looking ahead, the Borough remains committed to further reducing debt and carefully evaluating capital expenditures to ensure that only necessary projects move forward. Fiscal responsibility remains a top priority, and we will continue to scrutinize future spending with this in mind.

Finance Department Enhancements
The Finance Department has successfully implemented a new payroll and human resources software system. This transition brings these functions in-house, enhancing internal controls and improving reporting mechanisms related to employee benefits, accumulated absences, salary tracking, and digitized procedures. These improvements will increase efficiency and accuracy in financial and personnel management.

Departmental Reorganization
We are in the process of reorganizing and consolidating the Administration and Finance Departments. As part of this restructuring, some employees have increased their weekly hours from 32.5 to 40 hours per week. This change is expected to enhance productivity and improve customer service for residents and visitors conducting business at Borough Hall. These strategic adjustments will help us manage the challenges presented by staff reductions while maintaining high service standards.

2025 Budget Preparation
The development of the 2025 budget is well underway. This process involves numerous moving parts and challenges, and we are working closely with the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Local Assistance Bureau (LAB), department heads, and other key stakeholders to formulate a balanced and responsible budget. Additionally, we are looking beyond 2025 to assess potential financial impacts in 2026 and beyond. The Finance Department is currently preparing the 2024 financial statements, which are required to finalize and introduce the 2025 budget. These financial statements are due to New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Division of Local Governmental Services (DLGS) by March 7th. The introduction of the budget is required by March 31st, or at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the governing body, which is Tuesday April 1st for the Borough of Stone Harbor, with final adoption scheduled for April 30th or the next subsequent regular meeting, which is Tuesday, May 6th for Stone Harbor.

Conclusion
In summary, the Administration and Finance Committee remains committed to maintaining the Borough’s financial stability. We are making progress in debt reduction, internal efficiencies, and budget planning, all of which will contribute to the long-term fiscal health of Stone Harbor.

Thank you for your time. I welcome any questions on these matters.

To read resolutions and ordinances from the meeting, please click here:
https://stoneharbornj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/02.18.2025-Regular-Meeting-Agenda-and-Documents.pdf
To view a video of the meeting, please click here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RezL97-Enkg

NOTE: The Cape May County Herald recently had  articles related to topics covered at this Council Meeting. These articles can be found along with others as part of their coverage of Stone Harbor.

As you may know, our friends at the Cape May County Herald are offering SHPOA members only an exclusive discount for Herald subscriptions — 25% OFF with code “SHPOA” — and they are also providing your association advertising space in print and online for us to promote the association and the initiatives important to our members.

To subscribe and use the discount, please click on https://capemaycountyherald.com/subscribe/ and use promo code “SHPOA” at checkout to claim your 25% discount. Only valid for new subscribers.
To read past Stone Harbor Council Meeting summaries, please click here: https://www.stoneharborpoa.org/category/borough-meeting-summaries/

To watch recordings of past meetings, please click here: https://stoneharbornj.org/agendameetings/watch-mayor-and-council-meetings-online/