City of Wildwood Commissioner of Public Safety Steve Mikulski says the City has been busy working with new Chief of Police Joseph Murphy and City Solicitor Louis DeLollis. The Board of Commissioners passed an ordinance changing the juvenile boardwalk curfew from 1am to 12am. This was introduced after July 4th incidents and large gatherings of juveniles on the beach and boardwalks. Juveniles must be with their parents if they are on the boardwalk after curfew. This will remain in effect for the rest of summer.
The Commissioners also had the first reading to amend beach closing times from 10pm to 9pm. With the earlier curfews, Mikulski is hoping to bring the people off the beach and boards and send them home earlier allowing the police to redirect their attention to the business districts during the later hours. “No one in Wildwood is looking to minimize vacation fun. We are only trying to ensure safety for everyone,” said Mikulski. Juveniles have every opportunity to have fun, but respect and adherence to the law is expected. Anyone who does not comply will be taken to the police station and their parents will be notified to pick their child up. Chief Murphy has called for cooperation and partnership with parents.
Commissioner Mikulski would also like to share some numbers from City of Wildwood Police and Code departments. 1616 interdictions were recorded from January to present.
· 272 for Bicycles
· 101 Smoking
· 85 Animal Violations on the Boardwalk
In July alone:
· 53 Property Maintenance
· 25 Continued Certification of Occupancy Transfer Inspections
· 24 Clean & Liens
· 20 Summonses for Lack of Compliance
The Code Department is not looking to issue summons. They go above and beyond to personally touch base with those out of compliance and to work within reasonable timeframes to bring those violations into compliance without summons. Homeowners and business owners should partner with Code inspectors to troubleshoot and prevent violations.
If you do break a code, here is how it will be addressed:
1. The Code Enforcement Officers always try to be fair and equitable.
2. A Code officer will try to make personal contact for a first violation.
3. A certified letter will be sent with the violation, a listing of the ordinance, and a photo with an abatement period of up to 14 days - provided the violation is not a hazard.
4. They will reinspect as soon as possible to clear the violation.
5. If the violation is unremedied, a summons will be issued. There are variations to this process such as if the violator is a repeat offender or if it poses a hazard to the public.
If any resident or business owner needs to reach a Code Enforcement Officer, they keep overlapping shifts from 6:00am to 6:00pm everyday to be sure they have full coverage and can handle any questions, concerns, or complaints in a timely manner. Typical resolution to a complaint spans from a couple of hours to a few days, thanks to cooperation with other departments, the Police Department, Construction and Zoning and Mayor Byron, Commissioner Fitzsimons, and Commissioner Mikulski.
If you have any questions or complaints to discuss with a Code Enforcement Officer, please email info@wildwoonj.com or call 609-522-2444 Ext. 2249.
Now, let’s enjoy the remaining weeks of the summer!