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This summer we are proud to feature two mayors who
have both served as President of the New Jersey
Conference of Mayors. They were eager to share with
our readers their personal thoughts on the issues and
interesting facts about their Cape May County
communities.
The upscale, family-oriented, seaside resort of
Stone Harbor is the only beach in New Jersey to
receive the Blue Wave Certification by the Clean
Beaches Council. In 1999,
Stone
Harbor received the Lady Bird Johnson Beautification
Award from the National Arbor Day Foundation. With
Stone Harbor’s variety of family activities,
exceptional restaurants and over 100 shops, this shore
resort truly lives up to its slogan, “the Seashore at
Its Best”.
Founded in 1891 as a haven for Eastern European Jews,
the historic town of Woodbine is now a vibrant,
multi-ethnic community, with a rich heritage that is
truly unique. Visitors will enjoy the Sam Azeez Museum
of Woodbine Heritage, as well as the Woodbine
Brotherhood Synagogue, which is listed on the National
Historic Registry. Woodbine is home to Cape May
County’s largest employer, the Woodbine Developmental
Center.
Name:
Mayor William Pikolycky
Municipality:
Borough of Woodbine
Years in Office:
17 as Mayor, preceded by 12 as a Councilman
Political Affiliation:
Independent
Political role model on the national level:
Ronald Reagan
What other mayor do you most respect and why?
I
admire the late Glenn Cunningham of Jersey City
because he acted independently and put the people
before his Party. Also Rudy Giuliani because
of his proven record; he was a leader in the true
sense of the word.
Name: Mayor
Suzanne M. Walters
Municipality:
Stone Harbor
Years in Office:
11 years as Mayor
Political Affiliation:
Republican
Political role model on the national level:
Ronald Reagan
What other mayor do you most respect and why?
I most admire Rudy Giuliani for his proven leadership
and strong management abilities.
Osborn: The 2008 Presidential Campaign is in full
swing. Rudy Giuliani is a former mayor. What special
qualifications does a mayor bring to the office of
Chief Executive vs. those of a legislator?
Pikolycky:
A
legislator is only responsible for managing of a
legislative office and small staff. A mayor is
responsible for total day to day management of a
municipality and therefore management skills and
knowing how to operate a branch of government.
Walters:
I
believe a Mayor, having been responsible for the day
to day operations and having to be accountable for the
decisions made, has a much better feel for their
constituents’ needs.
Osborn: Of all your accomplishments as mayor, of what
are you most proud?
Pikolycky:
In the early stages of my administration, getting
access to public transportation available to our
municipality. I’m very proud of our current project,
the construction of a combined community center,
school library, technology center and recreational
facility.
Walters:
Working with the community and our legislators, we
have been able to accomplish a great deal. Probably
the most important projects to my town have been the
beach replenishment project and the back bay
dredging. The dredging was loaded with problems from
beginning to end, but the project was completed and
the basins were dredged.
Osborn: A legislative proposal has been made to
eliminate Regional Contribution Agreements (“RCAs”) as
a method for towns to satisfy their affordable housing
obligations. How would this affect your community?
Pikolycky:
Presently we are in negotiations with another
municipality that would provide funding for 21 housing
units with the potential of up to 64 units at a
contribution of a unit cost of $35,000, for low and
moderate income. This is a way to provide funding for
improving and upgrading the code. The only way we are
doing it otherwise is through the DCA’s Small Cities
Program Funding, averaging 6 units per year. RCAs
directly address the needs for funding for affordable
housing in communities.
Walters:
This proposal definitely hurts a town with a ratable
as high as
Stone
Harbor’s.
Our town is 99.9% built out, so the value of the land
is extremely high. We made a proposal to COAH to have
rental properties satisfy our obligation, but were
turned down. Realistically, the only way we could
meet our obligation is by having a Regional
Contribution Agreement.
Osborn: How important is historic preservation and
what steps have you taken in your community to promote
it?
Pikolycky:
Historic preservation is of great value. One of the
first buildings constructed in my community, serves
not only as a Synagogue but as a public gathering
place, and has now been preserved as a Museum. Now
that Museum has a mission, not only of historical
value to Woodbine, but is also a state-designated
Holocaust education venue, partnering with Stockton
State College as well as other educational facilities.
Walters:
I
also believe that historic preservation is of great
value. One of the oldest buildings in
Stone Harbor that has been in continuous use is an old
Life Saving Station. It is currently being used as an
American Legion Post, complete with a museum and a
fantastic observation tower. We also have an
Archival
Museum
located in a historic building owned by the School
district.
Osborn: The preservation and maintenance of our
historic sites and buildings can be very costly. How
is the decision made to preserve and restore vs. tear
down and new development?
Pikolycky:
That’s determined by the condition of the building and
what funding programs are available for
rehabilitation. Woodbine’s was simple. In one
instance there was a private entity that a local
foundation took upon themselves to renovate, creating
a museum in honor of a family member whose ties to the
community are linked to his success. Our historic
firehouse, still in continuous use, was restored using
DCA funding.
Walters:
Likewise, we are constantly looking for sources of
money to help with preservation. Because of our lack
of buildable lots, so many of our older homes are torn
down to make way for newer ones with all of the modern
conveniences. If the opportunity arises for the
Borough to save an older building, we will do
everything within our power to do so.
Osborn: How has your community utilized grants for new
project funding and are there enough grant programs
available that benefit your town?
Pikolycky:
Woodbine has received, during my tenure as Mayor,
approximately $30 million, mostly in State but also in
Federal funding, for infrastructure, housing rehab,
municipal airport, recreational, community/school
programs. We can always use more grant funding
opportunities.
Walters:
We
could always use more grant funding as well. With our
ratables being what they are, it is often difficult
for us to qualify for a grant. It doesn’t stop us
from applying though and sometimes we do receive
funds, but not as often as we would like.
Osborn: What steps have you taken in your town to
promote walking and biking?
Pikolycky:
We have a bike/pedestrian path that we are again
applying to expand. We have increased the amount of
sidewalk to aid in pedestrian safety. We currently
have a Local Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Program
grant to analyze and further facilitate pedestrian and
bicycle access, use, and safety in the community.
Walters:
I
like to refer to
Stone Harbor as a "walkable village". You can park
your car in the driveway and walk all over town. We
have a downtown area that is perfect for walking.
Being a resort community, people often walk, bike and
jog on our roadways. We also entered into an
inter-local agreement this summer with our neighbor,
Avalon, for trolley service. The trolley runs from
10 a.m.
to
10 p.m. seven days a week and is free when traveling
to or from any borough facility, including the
recreation fields.
Osborn: What is the value of your NJCM membership to
your community?
Pikolycky:
It allows me to network with my fellow mayors and to
share and exchange our expertise and ideas, sometimes
using that shared information to improve my own
community.
Walters:
The networking experience has been the biggest asset.
Stone Harbor is a community with 1100 year round
residents. As a Mayor, I would not have had the
opportunity to meet so many other mayors from across
the state, not to mention the legislators and cabinet
members that I have through the NJCM.
To learn more about these two communities please visit
their websites at www.boroughofwoodbine.net and
www.stone-harbor.nj.us
Your suggestions are always welcome! If you have a
hot topic you’d like discussed, please email your
ideas to
amy@capitolconcepts.com. |
