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Stone Harbor council wrestles with fire-department restructuring, CAP limits and shared-service options
Summary
Councilmembers and fire volunteers debated proposed changes to the Volunteer Fire Company, concerns about moving to more paid firefighters, the borough's CAP constraints and the possibility of shared services with neighboring towns; no formal change to fire staffing was adopted.
Stone Harbor — Mayor and Borough Council members on Aug. 5 heard a series of public comments and internal debates over proposed changes to the Volunteer Fire Company and longer-term budget pressures tied to the borough’s CAP restrictions.
Public speakers from the Volunteer Fire Company urged transparency and opposed any plan to eliminate the volunteer force. "The members of the Volunteer Fire Company are strongly opposed to this notion without complete transparency by all parties," said Lou Domi Jr., identifying himself as past president and current lieutenant of the Volunteer Fire Company. He said the department wants to be included early in planning and to build collaborative partnerships.
Council members and residents raised competing concerns about staffing models and fiscal limits. Councilmember Frank Dallahan said a fully paid model employing staff on a 24-hour-on, 72-hour-off schedule is ideal for continuous coverage. Mayor Timothy J. Carney urged caution, saying increasing paid staffing (he cited going from nine paid firefighters to twelve as an example) would raise taxes and add healthcare costs.
Treasurer Frank Vaul of the Fire Department said there were no formal reports from the DCA and that a four-platoon schedule, while described as a "gold standard," was not endorsed by the Fire Department because membership had not been consulted. CFO Cynthia Lindsay said experts had weighed in, that captains and leadership have been included in discussions, and that the proposals were preliminary while staff look for budgetary solutions. Councilmember Jennifer Gensemer said a referendum is planned for April (moved from February) to allow time to gather the hard numbers the State requires, and she warned the borough is over the CAP from the outset and must choose between cuts, shared services or a referendum.
Councilmember Ken Biddick urged exploring shared services — for example, working with Avalon — as a way to address CAP limits and control personnel costs; CFO Lindsay described a lead-agency structure for shared services and cited existing arrangements (Construction Official with Wildwood Crest and Municipal Court with Avalon) as precedents.
No formal action was taken at the Aug. 5 meeting to change fire staffing. Speakers and officials asked for more transparent engagement with the Fire Department and for clearer financial analysis before any structural shift. The meeting adjourned at 7:23 PM.
