Hartzell raises the question: Does it need room for a municipal court?
OCEAN CITY — Ocean City Council approved a nearly $1 million contract to design the new police station after discussing the need for space for the new municipal court.
The contract for $992,000 goes to William McLees Architecture for the Public Safety Building designed to replace the existing, more than century-old structure on Central Avenue between Eighth and Ninth streets. The city has used McLee Architecture for projects in the past.
The four major components of the contract are $178,500 for schematic design, $208,875 for design development, $550,775 for construction documents and $39,250 for bid assistance.
Second Ward Councilman Keith Hartzell pulled the resolution from the consent agenda because he wanted to ask about the space being designated for municipal court.
Hartzell questioned whether there needed to be a court in the Public Safety Building. There is one in the current building, although its functions have been temporarily moved to rented space at 801 Asbury Ave. pending demolition of that building.
He said he was leery about designating the space since many court procedures are being done online over Zoom.
“I’m not 100 percent sold on it,” Hartzell said. “Why does it have to be that size?”
City Business Manager George Savastano said they have scaled back the size of the court since the original designs and it would have 40 to 50 seats, but he couldn’t provide the exact square footage.
Savastano explained that even with video, courts are required to be able to accept members of the public. “You can’t just have Zoom,” he said.
“I believe it would behoove us to have court space. If there is any potential consolidation of courts, we would be able to take that on,” Savastano said, referencing efforts in New Jersey to consolidate small municipal courts, something Atlantic County has done with limited success.
He said he believed it would be good to have a public courtroom in Ocean City given the magnitude of work that is done in the city.
City Solicitor Dorothy McCrosson said when constructing the Public Safety Building, even were the court not to be there, the space would be used for another purpose.
“As things stand today, Ocean City has the largest municipal court in Cape May County,” she said. McCrosson noted were consolidation to take place, Ocean City would be the likely location for the court.
She also reminded Hartzell and the rest of City Council that when they authorized a share services agreement for Speitel Manor for affordable housing, they were required to have only 24 units. Council foresaw the future need for affordable housing and built 12 additional units because it was less expensive to do that ahead of time, she pointed out.
Fourth Ward Councilman Dave Winslow added that Municipal Judge Richard Russell wrote a dissertation of the need for a court in Ocean City.
“I thought it was well done,” he said. “It doesn’t address all your thoughts, but it might address some.”
Third Ward Councilman Jody Levchuk said court spaces have to have special requirements, such as a secure route dedicated to the judge and his security.
Council voted 7-0 in favor of the design contract.
In a related move, council approved a $37,800 contract with USA Environmental Management, Inc., to assess the old police station for asbestos before it is demolished.
– By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
