CAPE MAY — Ocean City resident Paul Dietrich, city engineer in Cape May, has been appointed city manager to replace Mike Voll, who is scheduled to retire Dec. 31.
Deitrich, who served as Upper Township’s engineer for 24 years, has served as Cape May’s engineer since June. He will continue as city engineer for a salary of $130,000 per year and receive a $10,000 stipend for his work as city manager.
At a May 15 meeting, City Council hired Dietrich, 54, for three years as full-time city engineer. His duties include supervising the performance of city projects; oversight of the Community Ratings System, which determines flood insurance rates for homeowners; and serving as flood plain administrator and municipal housing liaison.
At a Dec. 5 meeting, Councilwoman Maureen McDade said Mayor Zack Mullock and council asked her and Councilman Mike Yeager to take the lead in the applicant process.
“We had approximately 13 applicants. We conducted phone interviews with every person who applied,” she said. “We completed a high-level introductory questionnaire for each of the candidates.”
That information was shared with City Council, which held closed sessions to disucc the candidates.
McDade said the process was thorough and the candidates well-vetted.
Mullock said the city attracted a very good group of candidates. He said Dietrich has the full support of council.
“Working with Paul since June of this year has just been outstanding,” he said.
Mullock said Dietrich looks at issues as an engineer, as a problem solver.
City solicitor Chris Gillin-Schwartz said Dietrich’s term of employment runs from Jan. 1, 2024, to Dec. 31, 2027. Dietrich has 24 years of municipal experience. He has have lived in Cape May County since 1966, graduating from Ocean City High School and earning a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Northeastern University in Boston.
Dietrich currently lives in Ocean City with his wife, Cindy, after raising their four children in Dennisville. He coached soccer, baseball, street-hockey and served as both cubmaster and scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts of America for more than 15 years.
“It’s been a great pleasure working here with the city and it’s been a great council to work with,” Dietrich said.
He said he would continue Voll’s mission of working with city department heads.
“We have a lot of big projects that are affecting the city moving forward,” Dietrich said. “I hope to bring on a deputy city manager to help me supplement what I’m doing.”
During public comment, former councilwoman Stacy Sheehan asked if council would approve the deputy city manager position.
Mullock said it was a lot to place all duties on one person since Dietrich was continuing as city engineer. Sheehan said no other municipalities in the county have a deputy city manager.
Dietrich said he would continue to be the city’s floodplain manager, housing liaison and Joint Insurance Fund commissioner. He said council would be involved in the selection process of a deputy city manager.
Sheehan asked if Dietrich would have other jobs outside of the city; Dietrich serves as the floodplain manager for Cape May Point.
Gillin-Schwartz said Dietrich would not have any other positions that would conflict with his city duties.
Dennis Crowley, chairman of the city’s Municipal Taxation and Revenue Advisory Committee, said council has finally learned under which form of government Cape May operates.
“This appointment is a professional city manager who is going to be a city manager and is going to do exactly what he is supposed to do in an environment where the council is going to do exactly what they’re supposed to do,” he said.
By JACK FICHTER/Sentinel staff
