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 – The police department reported the following statistics for December 2024:
116 motor vehicle violations, 13 summonses, no arrests, 44 total emergencies (15 alarms, 16 fire, 13 medical), 37 other complaints/reports, 27 open doors, 6 heat/light requests, 2 open records requests, 10,062 miles were driven (the average in 2024 is 12K per month). There were 3 senior citizen contacts, 24 financial institutions communications, 15 maintenance communications, 11 investigations communications and some officer trainings.  

Office of Emergency Management – A National Weather Advisory was in effect on December 11th from 10am to 8pm. December was very cold; code blue advisories were issued for 13 days. Plans are being updated for emergency management due February 2025 and hazard mitigation due February 2026. 

Beach Patrol – New guard applications are being processed, along with paperwork for the returning guards, and they are conducting repairs and maintenance as needed. 

Recreation and Tourism
Recreation – The updates to the 97th Street playground are in progress (the materials have been received, preparation is in progress and a break in the weather is needed to continue. The air temperature needs to be 50 degrees and rising to install the safety surface.) The playground will likely open in April. A grant for updating the 82nd playground is later on the meeting agenda. This will be an all accessible, all-inclusive playground using grant funding from Jake’s Place. Sample designs are on the website and there is a public survey online to solicit feedback.  

Tourism – The Shiver Polar Plunge is scheduled for March 15th from 11am to 3pm. This is a fundraiser for the Chamber of Commerce.

Natural Resources
Point Road – Emergency repairs were made a few years ago and the sand has since eroded, exposing the rocks. There are conversations among multiple groups and agencies on how to restore this area. They are exploring whether the old emergency permit is valid and could be used for this work. 

Go Green – The committee thanked the Avalon resident who spoke at the January 7th meeting to raise awareness for trash blowing out of dumpsters on trucks leaving the island and for the disposal of floating docks dumped on Nummy Island. Changes to ordinances are needed to address these issues.  

Regular Meeting 
Swearing in a new Council Member  
Ken Biddick was nominated to finish Mayor Tim Carney’s Council term, serving out the remainder of his term. To fill vacancies, the Council interviews candidates and chooses a nominee. Mr. Biddick has been a full-time resident since 2015; he is a certified public accountant and holds certifications in financial forensics and fraud examination. He has audited municipalities and school districts. His accounting firm is based in Stone Harbor and he has experience serving on various boards and committees. 

Public Comment 
Spencer Smith from the police lodge, representing local officers, commented that Stone Harbor officers have worked without a contract for 13 months. Smith asked Council to commit to beginning negotiations by March 2025. Mayor Carney said that all conversations should go through the Borough Council. 

Ordinance to Change the Construction Code 
A revision to the Borough Construction Code was introduced to establish a Department of Construction Inspection and a schedule of related permit fees (no further discussion or votes taken at this meeting; a public hearing is scheduled for February 18, 2025.) 

Resolutions Approved 
All items on the consent agenda were approved, including prior meeting minutes and resolutions on affordable housing obligations, bill payment, contracts, and a grant application for recreation funds. Council added a re-vote for Zoning Board members to the regular agenda (the original vote was at the 1/7/25 meeting) since a Council member inadvertently voted who should have recused themselves. Nominees are listed here.

Public Hearing Jake’s Place Playground 
The hearing, a requirement to apply for state funding, consisted of three presentations and public comment:
Jake’s Place Foundation – The foundation creates inclusive play experiences for kids and adults of all ages and abilities. A law was passed in 2018 to provide grants for new inclusive playgrounds to counties and townships. Inclusive play experiences promote play between children with and without disabilities. Features include accessible surfacing (non-latex surfaces that are poured in place), ramps to everywhere, sensory features, and equipment with different levels of challenge. Their playgrounds exceed ADA requirements and include shade, bathrooms, and fencing. Gov. Murphy made $40 million available in the state budget for 49 projects in 2024. 
Strategic Communications – The borough is required to get input on how the playground will be used and what it should look like via the online survey. They are working with constituent groups, including SHPOA, to get the survey out to as many people as possible. There are 459 responses so far and the goal is 600 in time for the early February application. The survey will stay open until August to continue collecting input, including input from summer visitors. 
DeBlasio and Associates – The project’s engineering partner confirmed that a summary of the process and preliminary numbers are online. A 25% match of state funding is required, and the application is due in February. They believe the borough is in a good position for a substantial grant.  

Public Comment 
A parent and Stone Harbor resident suggested data gathering, in addition to the survey, via observation and targeted interviews of existing playground users. She encouraged imaginative design, such as the playgrounds designed like pirate ships, and including bathrooms. Council noted that there will be bathrooms at the 97th Street playground.  Council approved a resolution to apply for a grant for the 82nd Street Playground.  
 
The work session agenda, regular session agenda, and recording are online. 

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/