Press of Atlantic City from Atlantic City, New Jersey • 31

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 29 2000 REGION THE PRESS ATLANTIC CITY NJ PAGEC5 Point mayor objects to Council approved salary hikes $70000 a jump of 11 percent It will increase to $7911900 by 2003 according to the terms of the contract Carol Degrassi the city clerk and Diane Hesley the tax assessor both had their salaries increased to $44000 and will reach $49732 by 2003 The increases for each of those employees was greater than the standard 375 percent increase agreed upon for city employees in the contract Also at issue was a part of contract that granted the administrator nine months severance pay Smith pointed out that the severance pay agreement had been in previous con tract and that it was originally inserted to help compensate Swain for a pay cut he received when he took the job But DiMaria said the period of contract negotiations was the time to try and get the best deal for the taxpayer and the best deal would have limited Mayor John DiMaria questions the increases for the city administrator city clerk and tax assessor WILKINSON ERWIN "ERV" 74 of Linwood passed away at the Shore Memorial Hospital on November 27 2000 He was born in Brooklyn NY He was a graduate of Colgate Uni versity Class of 1951 and an area resident for twelve years having pre viously resided in Sterling New Jer sey He was a self employed leather salesman Upon his retirement he worked locally for and Sales in Pleasantville He was active in the American Heart Association and performed pastoral care at the Shore Memorial Hospital He had been president of the Village of Linwood Condo Association He enjoyed socializing and spending time with his family and also enjoyed reading Mr Wilkinson was a veteran of the United States Army and served during World Warll He is survived by his beloved wife Priscilla (nee Deans) of Linwood father of Amy Parker and her husband David of Somers Point and Susan Paine and her husband Russ of Califon one brother Warner Wilkinson of Redding Connecticut and four grandchildren Scott and Tyler Parker and Benjamin and Daniel Paine DiMaria also questioned the precedent set by Smith signing the contracts But Smith said council authorized him to do so people voted for it which gave me the authority to sign the he said the severance pay for Swain is going to affect nego tiations in the future for DiMaria said Smith said he and Councilman Bill Rosenberger tile third member of the nego tiating committee met with Swain Degrassi and Hesley and reviewed every aspect of the contracts carefully Smith signed the new con tracts Tuesday morning He ful filled a duty that is normally the responsibility after Rosenberger sponsored and council approved a resolution giving him such authority Smith said the action was necessary because DiMaria refused to sign the contracts But DiMaria said he was will ing to sign the contracts saying he only wished the discussion about the contracts had been given more time contracts are not in the best interest of the taxpay ers of Somers DiMaria said December 1 from 10:30 AM until 11 AM at the Margate Community Church 8900 Ventnor Avenue Margate A Memorial Service will be held at 1 1 :00 AM at the church Memorial Contributions may be made to the American Heart mMorceCentew Atlantic City 3717 Ventnor Ave Vineland 647 Landis Ave Cherry Hill 910 WRt 70 DIVORCECENTER1 aOO 762 3111 DIVORCE PACKAOB INCLUDE TVPINO increases were based on per formance saying each of the three positions had an increased workload not interested in giving money away at any Smith said was because of the work they have done and the work they are Council approved the resolu tion granting the increases as well as the yearly Salary and Wage Ordinance at the meet ing Carl was the lone councilman who opposed the increase is the only Democrat on the Republican dominated council until Councilman elect Patrick Bingham takes office in January DiMaria a Democrat often has as his lone ally when votes such as this one break along partisan lines The salary for Wes Swain the city administrator received the most attention pay increased from $63000 to By PETER SAHARKO Staff Writer (609) 272 7219 SOMERS POINT City Council approved larger than average salary increases for three city employees over Mayor John objec tions at a special meeting Monday night DiMaria questioned the increases for the city adminis trator city clerk and tax asses sor that were of a higher per centage than those given to other city employees think fair to all the other employees in the riends may call on riday DiMaria said But Council President Harvey Smith who served with DiMaria on the Negotiations Committee that approved the salary structure said those PLosMEiito ramreajo Association 600 White Horse Pike Audubon New Jersey 08106 or to the Margate Community Church WILLIAMS LISA MARIE 32 of Egg Harbor Township passed away at her home on Nov 25 2000 She was born in Atlantic City and was an area resident all of her life She was a Night Auditor for the Hampton Inn Absecon A premature baby she was an early gift who fought coming into this world on Christmas Day and fought courageously throughout these last years in her struggle with her illness as she left this earthly world Lisa was a graduate of St Peters School and also of Holy Spirit High School were she had never missed a day of school Her love of animals was shown by her devotion to her many loving pets Lisa is survived by her mother Helen Williams and her step father Lou Turchi both of Pleasantville her brother Michael Williams of Pleasantville her niece Myonna Williams of Atlantic City and many loving aunts uncles cousins and friends Relatives and friends may call from 10am until the time of the services at church Services will be held at 1 1 :00 AM on Thursday November 30 2000 at the Trinity Baptist Church 1049 Ocean Heights Avenue Egg Harbor Township NJ 08234 Burial will be at the Egg Harbor City Cemetery Egg Harbor City Arrangements by Adams Perfect uneral Home McGeary wants UEZ to save EHC shops 3 on sales tax By NEAL BUCCINO Staff Writer (609) 272 7211 EGG HARBOR CITY Sometimes when people are desperate they come up with their best ideas Mayor James McGeary may have been desperate Tuesday morning when rumors led him to believe a landmark store might disappear from the struggling Philadelphia Avenue business district A few hours later the mayor came up with an idea that just might protect local stores by getting the Legislature to cut the sales tax He calls his idea an ate Urban Enterprise a twist on the Urban Enterprise Zone concept that lowers the sales tax to 3 percent in some suffering areas and lets those UEZs use the tax money for Public Works projects His zone would have a 3 percent sales tax but tax revenue would go directly into the state treasury It be spent on projects within the associate UEZ Sen Leonard Connors Assemblymen Chris Connors and Jeffrey Moran all Ocean and Assemblyman Kenneth Leevre Atlantic Last month he asked the same legislators to consider helping Egg Harbor City become a UEZ He heard from them since He hopes they might find the associate UEZ with its promise of tax money for the state more attractive the carrot he said Leevre who read the fax in the afternoon called it interesting con cept one I might want to take a look at (because) geared toward retail stores I would take it up with the Leevre sits on the Assembly Commerce Committee and said he was an early promoter of UEZs But today he is as McGeary suspected reluctant to create more of them of these zones have become so successful for example Pleasantville that drawing away busi nesses from other towns" he suburban malls Leevre said competition from like Walmart has destroyed downtown business districts in many areas idea unique In 1994 the state made Salem County a Competitive Business Zone with a 3 percent sales tax Store owners like Howard Sefton meanwhile have ral lied behind efforts to get them a sales tax break The Captain ishing Tackle ish Ponds owner has had eight pages worth of local residents sign a petition that reads: support Mayor plan for an urban enterprise zone in Sefton also likes the variation on the UEZ idea since it still would give mer chants a tax break been critical of the mayor but when he does come up with a good idea been supportive of Sefton said McGeary said his fears grew Tuesday after a conversation with a local merchant led him 272 2424 272 2424 ATLANTIC CITY'' MEDICAL CENTER ATLANTIC city MEDICAL CENTER 1406 Doughty Rd Pleasantville NJ American Heart I jr Association 1406 Doughty Rd Pleasantville NJ my knowledge no one has ever suggested this (type of) proposal But nothing ven tured nothing McGeary said He faxed the idea to state said He seems to understand Egg Harbor plight letter said Egg Harbor City merchants find it difficult or impossible to compete with to believe that one Philadelphia Avenue store might soon close Store officials said not the and they have no iinmediate plans to close ACMUA head explains water rate increase By PETER SAHARKO Staff Writer (609) 272 7219 ATLANTIC CITY If a rate increase comes to a city and no one shows up to discuss it does it make a noise? That was the riddle of the day after no members of the public attended a Municipal ormer Absecon official William Hurd dies at 71 By MADELAINE VITALE Staff Writer (609) 272 7218 ABSECON William Hurd the former city clerk adminis trator died Sunday He was 71 Hurd spent 28 years as the city clerkadministrator before retiring in 1992 City officials and friends called him a gentle intelligent man with character He was someone who paid close attention to detail Hurd was appointed clerk in 1964 and city business admin istrator in 1972 Mayor Peter Elco called Hurd dear who loved to hunt fish and make duck decoys But his real passion Elco said was his love for the city Elco who was elected to the City Council in 1978 said Hurd always did what he thought was best for the city was always professional in his duties and never partisan to one side or the other and would have long talks with the council about what were the best deci sions for the Born in Atlantic City Hospital on Dec 1 1929 Hurd was a life long city resident graduating from Ashton Marsh School and Pleasantville High School He also was an active mem ber of the Absecon Volunteer ire Company No 1 serving as tire deputy chief Hurd is survived by his wife Lorraine daughter Judith of Sydney Australia and his brother in law and his wife Vincent and Audrey Beilman Utilities Authority meeting to discuss a proposed 3 percent rate increase for the coming year The absence of public partic ipation is not uncommon said Neil Goldfine the executive director of the MUA noting that such hearings never gen erate more than a handful of people The hearing the first of two on the issue was held Tuesday morning Even though no one from the public attended materials provided by the MUA showed how the discontinua tion of water consumption by one or more properties could affect rates throughout the city Goldfine said the discon tinuation of consumption by the air Casino and Park Place cost the organization revenues and forced the increase The authority had anticipated that the air would discontinue service in late 1999 or early 2000 but did not expect Park Place with revenues they estimated at almost a half million dollars per year would stop service as early as it did Goldfine said the continuing decline in water usage in the city coupled with the loss of those big customers forced the MUA to propose the increase after rates remained steady in 2000 just do it two years in a row without running into big Goldfine said He also said that the services they have ready to provide city water for casino hotels that cunently have their own water systems are expensive spending a lot of money to be prepared for Goldfine said Several other factors includ ing an increase in health bene fit costs and salaries exacer bated the problem according to documents provided by the MUA Goldfine said the MUA has taken steps to take on the prob lems in 2001 including the elimination of three currently vacant positions from the bud get and a reduction of energy costs through energy pooling The MUA has a proposed operating budget of $11086200 for 2001 including $5682646 in salaries and ben efits The authority will hold another public meeting on Tuesday Dec 5 2000 at 10 am at the MUAs offices on Virginia Avenue Written com ments will also be accepted until that date AC police arrest drug suspect Press staff reports ATLANTIC CITY Police said a 20 year old Pleasantville man was arrested on drug charges Sunday after two police officers engaged in a brief foot pursuit with the sus pect prior to his arrest Police Department spokesman Sgt Michael Tullio said Tuesday that Officers Monica Brower Coursey and Torres Mayfield were patrolling in the 300 block of Rosemont Place at 1:55 pm when they received information about a male who possibly had nar cotics Police said the suspect ran when the officers approached him but that he was arrested nearby in the 1700 block of Bacharach Boulevard The sus pect Khalil Justiniano of Brighton Avenue was found with two grams of marijuana and 10 grams of cocaine in his posses sion Tullio said Police said Justiniano was taken to the Atlantic County jail on $20000 cash bail He faces several drug charges including possession with intent to dis tribute drugs within 1000 feet of a school and within 500 feet of a housing complex NOTICE SALE PROPERTY OR NON PAYMENT TAXES SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS AND OTHER MUNICIPAL LIENS Notice Is hereby given that I Linda Eliason Ash Collector of the taxing district of the Township of Bass River County of Burlington State of New Jersey district of the Township of Bass River County of Burlington State of New Jersey pursuant to the authority of the statutes In such case made and provided will on NOVEMBER 302000 at 6:30 PM IN THE BOROUGH HALL 3 NORTH MAPLE AVE NEW GRETNA NEW JERSEY will expose for sale and sell the tract and parcels of land on which taxes and sewer rents for the years prior to 2000 remain unpaid PURSUANT TO etseq Said properties will be sold subject to redemptions at the low est rate of interest but in no case In excess of 18 per annum Take further notice that the hereinafter described lands will be sold for the amount of the municipal liens chargeable against each parcel of said land assessed as one parcel together with Interest and costs to the date ofthe sale THE PAYMENT OR LIENS PURCHASES SHALL BE MADE BY CASH OR MONEY ORDER OR CERTIIED CHECK PRIOR TO THE CLOSE SALE Industrial properties may be subject to the Soil Compensation and Control Act 9NSA 58:10 2311 etseq) The Water Pollution Control Act (NJSA 13:1 6 et seq) In addition the municipality Is precluded from issuing a tax sale certificate to any perspective purchaser who is or may be in any way connected to the prior owner or operator Ofthe site THE SAID LAND AND THE NAMES THE PERSONS WHO HAVE BEEN ASSESSED AS OWN Pub November 11 17 24 292000 ERS SAID LANDS AND THE TOTAL DUE AND OWING ON SAID LAND ARE AS OLLOWS: BLOCK LOT NAME AMOUNT 2 8 Nitowski JosephHelrs $7896 7 23 Micalizzl Angelo 31918 11 1 1 Luchsinger James 10980 12 Bell Wesley 4434 12 4 Bell Wesley 5902 13 2 Bell Wesley 2828 13 3 Bell Wesley 2233 15 2 HimmelsbachJrma 7152 15 4 Bell Wesley 7368 16 2 Bell Wesley 2233 27 34A Carr Chad Jr and Barbara 17008 31 8A Muszynski Wilson 16129 31B 40 Comis Chris and Deborah 227225 31B 43 Lambarlello Anthony 2573 31 51 Christopher Brian 8 Mary 174213 31 62 BomberryWm 44373 31 67 Merberdone Paul 44373 31A 1 McClure Douglas 44373 31A 2 Lougois Paul and Patricia 44373 31E 18 Saranti Joseph Marla 44373 37 18 ord Robt Jr Joan 10979 37 2701 ord Robt Jr Joan 356710 L'i 50 6 Haines Jay Lorraine 83883 56 12 Oakford Springs Asset Co 4778 56 20 Schutte Elizabeth 184113 57 48 Brown Jeffrey Jamie 3882 57 63 Zazenskl ES Etals 26077 67 21 Lurie Herbert 2379 76 4B Bragg Donald Theresa 62179 96E 7 Greenberg 6047 100 6 Brescia Louis 18295 31 A 8 Sharpe John Dawn 44373 31 42 Amato Pasquale Nancy 44373 31 31 DeMary rancis 44373 Printer's ee $35192 Order No 570138 Presents from PAL Egg Harbor Township Police Athletic League November 27 through December 15 Please help us make the holidays brighter for some of our little PALs Donate new unwrapped gifts age 1 17 at your participating Wawa or at The Egg Harbor Twp Municipal Building located at: Rt 90cean Heights Ave Ocean HeightsEnglish Creek Ave English Creek AveRt 322 Rt 322Cardiff Circle Tilton RoadHingston Ave Delilah Rdire Rd In partnership and great appreciation to the Kiwanis of EHT Mainland PBA Local 77 Current of EHT The Press of Atlantic City Donations can be mailed to: 2594 Tilton Rd EHT NJ 08234 Questions or concerns (609) 645 8413 mu New On 1 ib 111 W' V' it 'ijTL Mass 1 I 2 Marriage Proposals for Dummies help the romantically challenged Email your successful proposal story to fitzpatrickpresspluscom Check wwwjerseysouth for everything bridal erseysouthcom I TT7 4 rf Mthr a 1 i Egg Harbor Township Police Athletic League iB KM.