MARGATE – The Board of Commissioners Thursday, April 17 introduced three bond ordinances totaling $10.9 million to fund various capital improvements and to implement Phase 1 of the lead service line replacement project.
The ordinances authorize the city to issue bonds and notes to finance the projects.
Bond Ordinance No. 12-2025 appropriates $3.6 million for lead service line replacements at homes in a portion of the city. Two hundred galvanized steel water service lines in the city’s delivery section and 260 lines leading into private properties, along with control valves to manage the system will be replaced. The bond includes soft costs, such as planning, surveying and design, along with construction, inspections and legal fees. The board also awarded a $280,000 construction management contract for city engineer Remington & Vernick to oversee the project and passed another resolution soliciting bids for lead service line replacement. The time and date to submit bids has yet to be determined.
Ordinance No. 13-2025 appropriates $4,293,000 for various capital improvement projects, including $3.8 million for the recently proposed Washington Avenue streetscape project, reconstruction of a portion of Atlantic Avenue from Huntington to Mansfield Avenue, improvements to the intersection of Washington and Ventnor avenues, and pavement restorations in areas affected by lead service line replacements.
The bond also allocates $375,000 to purchase a new VCI Horton ambulance for the Fire Department, $55,000 to purchase a Ford 150 for the Recreation Department, and $63,000 for Phase I of the citywide dredging project.
A 1920s era map of Shelter Island, Margate's preferred location for dredge materials.According to Solicitor John Scott Abbott, the NJ Department of Transportation has advised the city that it will not be permitted to use Dredge Hole 86 in Chelsea Heights for its primary designated dredge materials disposal site. He said the city prefers to use Shelter Island as a dredge material disposal site, which would be more cost effective for the city and would create new habitat for marine life.
“There are so many hurdles that the DEP has put up with regard to using Shelter,” Abbott said, recommending the city “push back” to get the DEP to approve the 60-foot deep Shelter Island site, which is jointly owned by Margate and Ventnor and much closer to the dredging area.
“It’s not feasible for us to truck dredging materials,” he said. “It would be very, very costly.”
He suggested the city call for a meeting with the appropriate state officials.
The city also passed a resolution authorizing the submission of a low interest loan application to the NJ Infrastructure Bank, known as iBank, to fund Phase 1 of the lead service line replacement project.
Ordinance No. 14-2025 appropriates $3 million for water and sewer improvements, including $2.7 million for upgrading water and sewer lines in conjunction with the Washington Avenue streetscape program, $300,000 to purchase a variable frequency electric drive and two Ford 250s for the Utility Department.
Public hearings on the ordinances will be held 5 p.m. Thursday, May 1 at Historic City Hall, 1 S. Washington Ave.
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