On Council’s agenda today is adoption of the 2024 budget. The administration and council have spent a considerable amount of time reviewing all of the proposed expenditures, along with the projected revenues for this year. This budget will continue to provide all of the services our residents and visitors have come to expect, as well as the multitude of planned capital improvements to our city assets and infrastructure.

Right now, one of our most important projects – replenishment of city beaches – is ongoing at the southern end of Sea Isle. Beaches from 83rd to 94th street should be completed within the next week, after which beach-fill will be placed from 83rd to 73rd street. Following work at the south end, beach-filling operations will move downtown, where replenishment will take place between about 29th and 53rd streets. Based on current projections, all beach work is expected to be completed by mid-June. In the event of work being done on or after Memorial Day weekend, the project will be downtown at that point, and no one will have to walk more than two blocks on the promenade to access an open beach. The Army Corps of Engineers strictly enforces the work limits to ensure that the maximum amount of beach remains accessible to the public.

In less than two weeks, on Saturday, May 4th, we’ll hold our annual Community Day event. City Council will kick the day off with their regular public meeting at 9:00 AM here in Council Chambers; and as usual, we’ll offer free document shredding; there will be a bicycle auction; city staff and civic organizations will be available for a meet-and-greet at the Welcome Center Lodge; we’ll have face painting and free giveaways for the kids; and we’ll present my annual “Do the Right Thing” awards along with First Bank of Sea Isle City’s Community Partnership Award. Also, following the awards ceremony, we will unveil bronze dedication plaque monuments to the Ludlam Lighthouse and former Mayor Haffert.

We’re going to cap off Community Day with the most fitting of events for the day – the groundbreaking ceremony for our new Community Center. We’ll hold the groundbreaking right on site in the 4500 block between Park Road and Central Avenue; and this will be an event that everyone can participate in. We’ll provide opportunities throughout the afternoon for any of our citizens to throw the proverbial “first shovel of dirt” for this truly historic and important project.

Finally, in the spirit of Community Day, and because we want to include all members of the Sea Isle family in our celebration of the coming summer season, I’m happy to report that our beautiful new dog park will be ready to open before Memorial Day weekend. We may even throw in a bonus ribbon cutting ceremony on Community Day, but we won’t know until next week if we can pull that off. Regardless, the dog park will be open for the Memorial Day weekend.

With all we have going on and planned, this year’s Community Day will be a day to remember in Sea Isle – a commemoration of our enduring motto: “We are one Sea Isle City and together we’ll be stronger than ever.”

Smile…You’re in Sea Isle,

Mayor Leonard C. Desiderio