During the “off season,” after the busy summer has come and gone, our municipal employees carefully and meticulously plan for the year ahead. Part of that effort includes creating a fiscal budget for the coming year, which the City’s Administration is currently in the process of doing. This month, each City department head will present their budgetary requests to my office, and then I will officially present the budget to City Council after the New Year. At that point, Council will review the budget, schedule Public Budget Workshops, and ultimately introduce and adopt the new budget during a regular City Council meeting in the first quarter of 2017. The Administration is also in the process of finalizing a draft of our 5-year Capital Plan, following the public council workshop held on October 25th. Once the draft Capital Plan is reviewed by City Council, we expect it will be adopted in December. Following more than 18-months of hard work, our Master Plan Re-Examination process is nearing completion. The most recent draft of the Master Plan Re-Examination Report is now available on the home page of Sea Isle’s municipal website, www.seaislecitynj.us. The Sea Isle City Planning Board is expected to review and possibly adopt the latest draft during their December meeting. For more information about this important process, read the Master Plan Re-Examination section of this newsletter. Please join us tomorrow, November 11, at 11:00 a.m. for Sea Isle’s annual Veterans Day Ceremony at Veterans Park, where we will honor all of our nation’s veterans with words of praise, a wreath ceremony, and a special presentation from the South Shore Stitchers, who will give handmade “Quilts of Honor” to several local veterans. If you can’t be with us tomorrow, I hope you will take the time to honor our veterans in one way or another wherever you are. After all, without the brave men and women who served in our nation’s armed forces, there would not be a United States of America.
There’s always something fun going on in Sea Isle City – and November is certainly no exception. Later this month, don’t miss the Chamber of Commerce & Revitalization’s Girls Weekend on November 18, 19 and 20, which will feature special offers at participating businesses throughout town. While you’re enjoying all the bargains during Girls Weekend, be sure to check-out the Ambulance Corps’ annual Autumn Arts & Craft Show on November 19 and 20 in the public school gymnasium, where a wide variety of unique, handmade items will be on sale. Then, join us at Excursion Park during Thanksgiving Weekend for this year’s Holiday Extravaganza on November 25 and 26. For a complete list of events and holiday activities, go to Sea Isle’s Visitors Website, www.VisitSICNJ.com. I hope you are enjoying the autumn season and all this wonderful weather! Smile…You’re in Sea Isle!Mayor Leonard C. Desiderio