Dear Friends,
I hope you all will join me in congratulating Terry Crowley on his appointment to fill the vacant First Ward City Council seat until the November election. I look forward to working with him and all of council as we continue to improve infrastructure and services throughout town.
Council last night approved our five-year plan for capital improvements and the first reading of a bond ordinance that will fund several projects that are our top priorities.
The majority of it will go to roads, drainage and flood mitigation projects. But plans will cover every area of the city – from bay dredging, to boardwalk rest rooms, to police vehicles and more.
I want to thank council for keeping these important projects on track. The capital plan and other budget documents are available here.
As a reminder, the capital plan is just a plan – its primary function is to help our finance department plan for and manage debt.
Individual projects and priorities are subject to change and most come before Council at multiple points before any work can begin. Council members expressed some concerns last night with some elements of the plan, and I look forward to working together to make sure they are addressed.
Video of the meeting is available here.
I’d like to welcome all of the high school football teams that will be in town for the “Battle at the Beach” this weekend at Carey Stadium.
The event features 11 games and many of the top teams in the region.
It gives us a chance to spotlight our exceptional facilities, including the new artificial turf at the stadium and the renovated Civic Center adjacent to the field. If you get a chance this weekend, check out the action.
The Philadelphia Eagles organization will be on hand with giveaways, team cheerleaders and the mascot Swoop, player cutouts for photos, alumni autographs and more.
I updated you last week on the Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Coast Guard moving channel markers on the Intracoastal Waterway to take advantage of naturally deeper waters. In some cases, the channels have been moved closer to “No Wake” zones.
These zones make up much of our bayfront. For the protection of boats, property and shorelines, I want to remind everybody of the importance of strictly observing these “No Wake” areas. Local and State Police marine units and the Coast Guard will be enforcing these laws.
The date for next summer’s Night in Venice has been announced. The annual celebration will be held on July 23 in 2022.
There are a lot of boats on the water these days, and I’d like to take a moment now to encourage owners to participate in next year’s boat parade. We will be announcing a theme shortly, so participants can start to plan.
Warm regards,
Mayor Jay A. Gillian
