Commissioners table Park & Zoo entrance improvement contract after presentation, request for site review

The Cape May County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 9 tabled a contract award for entrance improvements at the Cape May County Park & Zoo after a presentation and requests for further review. The resolution to award Contract No. C5-145 to R Maxwell Construction Co., Inc. (Resolution 493-25) was removed from the consent agenda and tabled for two weeks. Why it matters: The Park & Zoo entrance is part of a multi-phase improvement program at a high-traffic county property. Commissioners said they wanted time to review the newly provided plans in person before approving construction contracts. What happened at the meeting: County staff presented plans in a slideshow and answered questions. Commissioner Morey said he expected to review the plans before a vote; Commissioner Barr requested a walk-through of the site. Following the presentation and a brief Q&A, the board voted to table the resolution. The board’s roll-call recorded the motion to table and the item was postponed for two weeks. Recusal and transparency: Commissioner Bulakowski removed himself from the dais and recused from the matter; meeting materials indicate the recusal stems from his primary employment with the Carpenter’s Union, which he said can create a conflict in construction-related votes. Members of the public asked for clarification about why the item was moved to the regular agenda and why the commissioner recused. Next steps: Commissioners said they will schedule a walk-through of the Park & Zoo entrance area and make the updated plans available for review prior to the next meeting, when the tabling period ends. No contract was awarded at this meeting.