Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Emergency Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council debates LEAP ambulance grant and who would house the vehicle
Summary
Council members and residents pressed for clear terms after the borough agreed to participate in a $300,000 LEAP grant intended to fund a new ambulance, with questions about which municipality would own and operate the vehicle and how costs and responsibilities would be split.
Seaside Park Borough Council discussed participation in a LEAP implementation grant intended to fund a new ambulance, and residents pressed officials for clarity on ownership and long-term responsibilities.
At the meeting, a council member summarized the proposed grant as "for $300,000" and said participating municipalities would share a portion of costs, calling the award "a considerable benefit for everyone." The council and several residents repeatedly asked whether Seaside Park would receive the vehicle or if it would be owned and operated by a neighboring municipality.
Tom Joseph, a Seaside Park resident, urged the council to explain the mechanics of the arrangement: "So it comes to them? ... Who's gonna end up with this ambulance?" Joseph said he wanted to know whether Seaside Park would pay toward a vehicle that Seaside Heights would own and operate.
Council members and staff said Seaside Heights is handling the grant paperwork and that participating towns would contribute toward the local share (one council member described the town share as roughly 15 percent of certain costs). Officials also said the grant was included as part of earlier shared-service discussions, but they did not provide a final ownership arrangement at the meeting.
Resident Don White asked whether Berkeley Township would contribute toward the ambulance and whether the town would receive any funding because Seaside Park covers parts of Berkeley. Council leaders acknowledged the question, said a three-member committee had met with Berkeley, and reported that no final agreement had been reached.
The meeting record shows the issue remained unresolved at adjournment; council members said more detail would be provided as paperwork and interlocal agreements are finalized.
The council did not adopt a final ownership or operations agreement during the meeting; the LEAP grant participation was described in a set of resolutions read as part of the consent slate, with one memorandum of understanding referencing Berkeley Township later withdrawn for separate consideration.
