Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident OPRA figures on beach-patrol building and public-safety spending draw questions at Wildwood Crest meeting
Summary
At the Dec. 4 meeting residents cited OPRA records alleging the Beach Patrol building exceeded its $2 million budget and that public-safety departments spent roughly $14.8 million from Jan. 2022 to Nov. 7, 2024; commissioners responded, noting contract increases and planning details but did not provide a full accounting in the public session.
Residents used the meeting's public-comment period to press commissioners on municipal spending and enforcement.
At the podium, resident Mike Carino said two OPRA requests showed that the Beach Patrol replacement project, originally budgeted at $2,000,000, required multiple change orders and 'the final cost was over $2,200,000.' He also presented an OPRA-based figure he said reflected total public-safety expenses of about $14,800,000 for the period Jan. 2022 through Nov. 7, 2024, which he described as an average of more than $5,000,000 per year and roughly a 33% increase compared with prior four‑year terms.
Carino asked whether the borough planned additional full‑time public-safety hires or further building renovations; he also urged the borough to adopt measures to avoid similar cost overruns on future projects. The transcript records him saying: "The final cost was over $2,200,000...the current public safety commissioner had spent $14,800,000..." (public comment). The board did not dispute the OPRA numbers during the meeting but offered explanations: a commissioner said construction timing and subsequent locker-room requests led to additional work, and that contract and labor costs have increased. The commissioner emphasized that capital decisions require multiple votes and that project management and change orders involve several parties.
Mayor and commissioners encouraged residents to file OPRA requests for precise documentation; one commissioner said details about timing and approvals should be directed to the project manager (Mark de Blasio) or to code enforcement for construction issues. The meeting did not include a detailed municipal accounting to confirm or refute the resident's figures; commissioners pledged to provide records on request.
What remains unresolved: Carino's OPRA-derived totals were not confirmed or corrected on the public record during the meeting; municipal financial records and contract change-order documents would be needed to substantiate the numbers cited.
Next steps: residents asked the borough to make project records available via OPRA; commissioners said they would provide additional paperwork and contact the project manager for construction-specific questions.
