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Middle Township will hold an accelerated tax sale December 15, 2021

All 2021 property taxes, water, sewer and other municipal charges must be paid in full by November 10, 2021 to avoid the tax sale process.

According to a release, properties with delinquent accounts after that date will be placed on the tax sale list advertised in the Cape May County Herald and accessible on www.middletownship.com

The published list will not be revised; however, property owners can avoid the tax sale by bringing all accounts up to date by December 14, 2021.

Beginning November 11 through December 14, the Township will only accept cashier’s checks, cash or money orders for past-due accounts and any personal checks, electronic or credit card payments sent will be returned. Additionally, delinquent accounts will incur fees associated with the tax sale that includes interest, penalty and in-lieu-of fees for mailings and advertising. There will be more specific instructions if both taxes and sewer are owed.

“No one enjoys paying taxes. To avoid making the process a painful one, I encourage all residents and property owners to understand their obligations and the deadlines involved. Simply by paying your taxes on time, you avoid any headaches involved in the tax sale,” stated Mayor Timothy Donohue.

“By Law, we cannot waive any tax obligations, even the smallest amounts, or change any filing deadlines. We hate to see folks get caught up in this process for small amounts of money so we strongly encourage residents to mark their calendars,” he added.

Middle Township began holding accelerated tax sales in 2014, as the measure helps keep the tax levy stable. The municipality must budget a reserve amount for uncollected taxes, and the accelerated sale also bolsters the collection rate.

Notices are mailed throughout the year for past due accounts and property owners receive notice of the accelerated tax sale and corresponding information with tax bills mailed in July.

For information, call the Middle Township Tax Collector’s office at 609-465-8724.

MLK CLOSURE (Building Floor Replacement)

 The Martin Luther King Center will be closed beginning Monday, November 29^th for approximately two weeks, while flooring throughout the building is replaced.

 The MLK Center will be closed to the public and other organizations until the completion of the project.

  The basketball programs will still operate in the gymnasium and signs will be posted for directional purposes for these programs.

  We appreciate your understanding and patience as we complete this well needed renovation.

 -Recreation Staff

Middle Township to begin pump station improvements

Plan to support reliable sewer system should be completed by summer of 2023

Eight pump stations are set to receive “state of good repair” improvements in Middle Township beginning this month.

The pump stations were constructed in the late 1980s, and most of the equipment has reached the end of its useful life. Each station will be upgraded to replace nonfunctioning equipment and improve overall operation.

The upgrades, including new pumps, controls and emergency power supply, will enhance the reliability and resiliency of the pumping stations.

The repairs also will help ensure continuous operation of the facilities during normal and extreme operating conditions. Continuous operations prevent overflow of sewage, which can result in environmental or health concerns.

“These important infrastructure upgrades are critical to improving and extending the useful life of our sewer pump stations,” saidDeputy Mayor Ike Gandy. “These projects will increase reliability and reduce both maintenance and operating costs.”

The upcoming work on eight pump stations is part of the Township’s ongoing system-wide improvement of sewer infrastructure. The work on the eight pump stations will be performed in two phases, with four stations being improved under each phase.

Phase 1 is expected to begin in November and be completed by the summer of 2022. Phase 2 will follow and is anticipated to wrap up by the summer of 2023.

We regret to announce that the Drive-Thru Trunk or Treat scheduled for 5-7 p.m.TONIGHT Friday, Oct. 29 at Atlantic Cape Community College’sCape May County campus is CANCELED due to the weather forecast for this evening.

“We have been closely monitoring the weather, and due to the increased threat of high winds and coastal flooding we feel that it is best to cancel tonight’s event. Your safety and that of our local families is of the utmost importance,” said Victor Moreno, Senior Manager, Campus Operations & Community Outreach at Atlantic Cape Community College Worthington Atlantic City Campus.

The Drive-Thru Trunk or Treat event on Saturday in Atlantic City WILL GO ON as planned. We will continue to closely monitor weather conditions.

Road work ahead for Middle as drainage and paving contracts awarded

Separate 5-year paving plan will kick off in Spring 2022

 Cape May Court House, N.J. – A number of upcoming Middle Township projects will ensure that heavy rain doesn’t mean heavy stress for residents.

Drainage improvements will soon get underway throughout the Township to head off issues including flooded roads and ponding.

Bids will be awarded Nov. 1 for drainage work on Lola Lane, Pamela Drive, Hallman Drive and Darrott Drive, as well as drainage upgrades for the Swainton Road reconstruction project, which encompasses Aspen, Birch, Cedar and Dogwood drives, and Avocado and Coconut roads.

The contract also will cover the rebuilding and repair of the catch basins on West Main Street in Whitesboro, and at Olin and Cynwyd drives; as well as drainage and bulkhead repair on Highs Beach Road.

A road paving project that includes Mt. Vernon Avenue, Crest Road, East Romney Place, Barbie Lane and Woodside Drive will follow a similar timeline. Bids for the work will be awarded on Nov. 15.

Road work for Rio Grande’s Secluded Lane is currently in the design phase. The bidding process is expected to begin soon in preparation for a paving job next spring.

Similar residential-area improvements were completed last spring in the Township. East Wildwood and Central avenues were resurfaced, and Teal Road near Holly Avenue received drainage upgrades.

Middle Township is also taking a long-range outlook on infrastructure by compiling a five-year paving plan starting next year. The following projects are tentative for Spring 2022:

Phase 1

3rd Avenue and Walsh Avenue, Rio Grande (DOT grant possible)

Hirst Avenue, Rio Grande

Linden Lane (remainder of east side), Rio Grande

Linden Circle, Linden Cove, Fourth Street

Phase 2

Edgewood Avenue

Fifth Avenue, Edgewood

Sixth Avenue, Edgewood

2021 Halloween House Decorating Contest

Overall – Allen & Joyce Stokes – 311 E. Shellbay Ave., CMCH

2^nd Place – Samantha & Armondo Jones – 104 Hand Ave., CMCH

3^rd Place – Kristi & Johnathan Brown – 18 Meadow Valley Road, CMCH

2021 Halloween Parade Winners

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Middle Township holds kickoff event for final phase of bike path project

Bike Path North will extend existing trail to Dennis Township
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Lia Domico (from left), Project Engineer with Remington & Vernick Engineers, Inc.; Middle Township Business Administrator Kim Osmundsen; Deputy Mayor Ike Gandy; Committeeman Jim Norris; Mayor Tim Donohue; Cape May County Commissioner E. Marie Hayes; Township Solicitor Marcus H. Karavan and Deputy Business Administrator Suzanne Schumann visit the Bike Path North construction site.

Cape May Court House, N.J. — Representatives from Middle Township and Cape May County celebrated the end of a long journey with an Oct. 22 visit to the Township’s Bike Path North construction site.

Bike Path North is the final phase of the project that began in 2006. The extension will run from the existing Middle path that ends at the Cape May County Park and Zoo to the Dennis Township trail, fully connecting the Township in the county-wide trail network.

Township Committee approved a contract over the summer for the last phase of the construction. The officials who joined project engineers at the site on Friday were able to see early progress: The first layer of stone was installed from Dennis Township 500 feet toward Swainton-Goshen Road. Weather permitting, construction is set to be completed in January 2022.

“This project illustrates how much can be achieved when government agencies work as partners,” said Mayor Tim Donohue. “The County Commissioner Board and County Open Space Board have been supportive throughout this process. As a result, we are able to provide a valuable amenity to residents and visitors alike, and ensure a safe path for bicyclists throughout Middle Township.”

The project has received a total of $2,285,575 in funding from the Cape May County Open Spaces program.

Bike Path North, which got underway in 2016, has been a complex project that required three realignments as various issues emerged. The realignments were required to address the safety of endangered species, Department of Environmental Protection regulations, residential concerns and private/public easements. Each time, Middle had to survey land, determine boundaries for wetlands and prepare new plans. Middle Townships submitted a final alignment to the DEP last fall and received approval this spring.

When Bike Path North is complete, it will run adjacent to Court House South Dennis Road, cross the Stone Harbor Golf Course, and then move back into the Atlantic City Electric right-of-way to connect with the Dennis Township bike path on the northern boundary of the Township at Brooks Avenue. The extension will create a 13-mile path throughout Middle Township.

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Left: Crews have installed 500 feet of stone as construction begins on Middle Township’s Bike Path North. Right: Lia Domico (from left), Project Engineer with Remington & Vernick Engineers, Inc.; Middle Township Deputy Business Administrator Suzanne Schumann; Township Solicitor Marcus H. Karavan; Cape May County Commissioner E. Marie Hayes; Committeeman Jim Norris; Deputy Mayor Ike Gandy; Mayor Tim Donohue and Business Administrator Kim Osmundsen visit the Bike Path North construction site.

Middle enters into shared services agreement with county for dispatch services

Arrangement will result in a net savings of $264,000 for the Township

Middle Township will partner with Cape May County for emergency dispatch services as part of a plan to realize savings and ensure sufficient staffing.

Middle authorized a shared services agreement with the county at its Oct. 18 Township Committee meeting. The process to transfer the 911 services from the Township to the county is expected to take six to eight months.

“We felt that the timing was right to make a move,” said Mayor Tim Donohue.

It’s difficult to attract qualified workers in the current labor market, and pay scales are rising, Donohue said. “We’re in competition with the county for employees.”

At the same time, the state is upgrading its emergency call service to the modernized Next Generation 9-1-1 system and the Township would have to spend $250,000 to make its equipment compatible. If Middle invested in the upgrades, the municipality would have been committed to continue with the local system.

“We look forward to joining the Cape May County Central Dispatch system,” said Middle Township Police Chief Christopher Leusner. “We did a comprehensive analysis and this was clearly the right move for our residents, our communication operators and officers.”

Moving dispatch services for police, fire and EMS to the county will result in a net savings of $264,000 in the municipal budget. That amount is equal to about a penny in the local tax rate.

The county already is processing applications from many of the Township’s communication operators.

“We expect many of them to make the transition to Central Dispatch where they will continue to serve the community in this very important role,” Leusner said.

Cape May County launched its 911 call center in 2018 and, since that time, Avalon, Stone Harbor, Wildwood Crest and Lower Township all have transferred their dispatch services to the county.

Middle Township was confident about joining the county system because it has established a record for reliability over time, Donohue said.

“After careful consideration, we chose the best course to ensure that Middle residents continue receiving timely assistance from qualified dispatchers,” Donohue said.

In 2019, Cape May County Central Dispatch began using technology that pinpointed a 911 call made with a cell phone to within 150 feet of the caller, instead of to the nearest cell phone tower.

The accuracy mapping is considered crucial in emergencies, including those in which a caller is not able to speak into the phone. Central Dispatch also accepts emergency text messages.