Ventnor City introduces $3 million bond ordinance for Winchester Avenue sewer replacement and adopts I-Bank loan resolution

Ventnor City commissioners introduced Ordinance 2026-012 on June 25, 2026, a bond ordinance appropriating $3 million to fund phase one of the Winchester Avenue sanitary sewer main replacement project and adopted Resolution 2026-186 to apply for a short-term construction loan from the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (I-Bank).

A city staff member described the work as a replacement of a large trunk sewer line running down Winchester Avenue that carries wastewater to the treatment plant and is pumped out to ACUA. "This is a sewer main replacement. This is a large line that runs down Winchester Avenue… It’s a main trunk line of our wastewater that comes through the city, goes to the plant and gets pumped out to ACUA," the staff member said.

Commissioners said the I-Bank is commonly used for local water and sewer capital projects because it can provide low-interest loans and, in some cases, partial loan forgiveness or favorable financing terms. The staff member noted Ventnor previously used I-Bank financing for a water project and that some design costs for capital projects had been paid through I-Bank programs.

The commission moved to introduce the ordinance and recorded a roll-call vote on the motion to introduce; Commissioner Langraph and Mayor Creable voted yes. The governing body opened public comment on the companion resolution; there were no public speakers on the matter, and the commission adopted Resolution 2026-186 by recorded roll call with Commissioner Langraph and Mayor Creable voting yes.

Under the schedule set at the meeting, a public hearing on Ordinance 2026-012 and its possible adoption are set for the regular meeting on July 9, 2026. The ordinance and the resolution are companion actions: the ordinance authorizes the appropriation and issuance of notes or bonds up to $3 million, and the resolution authorizes the application for I-Bank construction financing to cover the project’s short-term cash flow needs.

Next steps outlined at the meeting include completing the loan application process with the I-Bank, final design and bidding for the replacement work, and a public hearing and vote on the ordinance on July 9. The commission did not provide a detailed construction timeline or contractor award at the special meeting.