Margate nearing spending limit for dunes fight
“he city is nearing the spending limit approved by voters last November to fight the dunes project. The Board of Commissioners March 5 authorized spending an additional $50,000 for legal services, bringing the total allocated so far to $146,912.
The city has authorized $130,000 for attorney Rob Andrews of Dilworth, Paxon, LLP of Philadelphia to represent the city in its effort to negotiate an alternative to the Margate-Longport portion of the Army Corps of Engineers’ Absecon Island Shore Protection Project.
Voters approved 1,067-988 a non-binding referendum Nov. 4 2014 authorizing the city to spend up to $200,000 in legal fees to wage the battle against the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the Army Corps.
Other expenses incurred for the dunes fight include $4,594 for coastal engineer Charles Rooney of T&M Associates of Toms River and $7,912 for city solicitor John Scott Abbott.
“We are staggering payouts within the guidelines set by the commissioners,” Business Administrator Richard Deaney said in his bi-monthly report to the commission.
The Army Corps Feb. 24 cancelled its bid solicitation to build sand dunes on the beaches in Margate and Longport citing legal challenges from Margate over the state’s process of acquiring easements needed from the city and private property owners.
The Army Corps had received two extensions to award the contracts from two companies that submitted bids on Oct. 28, 2014.
Army Corps Public Affairs Officer Steve Rochette said that once ownership issues are resolved, the Army Corps would solicit new bids.”
Lobiondo, Nanette. Down Beach Current 6 March 2015.