LACEY – The ongoing coronavirus pandemic was tied to several subjects discussed by the Township Committee during a recent meeting.
Deputy Mayor Peter Curatolo discussed some good news for businesses. “It is on our website laceytownship.org the (state) Economic Development Authority just launched an additional $70 million in funding for grants and small businesses impacted by COVID-19.”
He noted $35 million was earmarked for businesses classified as food services and drinking, micro businesses $15 million and $20 million for other small businesses. “Please take a look. I know our small businesses have been suffering terribly during this draconian lockdown.”
Curatolo spoke about the pandemic directly saying, “the Ocean County Health Department website says 16,274 cases of a county of roughly 600,000 people which balloons up in the summer months.”
He said that of those cases taken from a total from late October, “are metrics that have been kept and people who have been counted going back to February so of those 16,000 cases 12,528 are in five municipalities. We are not one of those five.”
“Lacey has 2.6% of the 16,274 recorded cases as of the last many months and people do recover from coronavirus so we have to keep these numbers in perspective with other illnesses and other flu seasons. People are talking about the second wave, yes we have the second wave which is also known as flu season which happens each and every year,” Curatolo said.
The deputy mayor remarked on an unusual association he had with COVID-19 in the form of the costume he wore for the Township Recreation Committee’s Undying Trail event held the weekend prior to Halloween.
That drive through event was held in Gille Park and involved individuals enjoying a ride through a haunted trail. It included volunteer actors who took on the roles of scary characters. “I was one of the actors and went as the coronavirus. I wore the face mask and it was at the end of the fifth act.”
He noted that other actors went as parents who sprayed water to represent hand sanitizer to sanitize everyone from the virus.
The deputy mayor referenced an incident of public officials on the federal level who walked out of a proceeding last month and said that despite any disagreements that may occur among the members of the Township Committee, “we don’t walk out.”
“We try to always come to a gentlemanly compromise unlike half of the Senate that walked representing I don’t know how many millions of people. They were senators serving on the judicial committee which is a very important committee from all around these United States,” he added.
Curatolo said, “I think that was a bad example for those young people sitting around here tonight.” He was referring to a group of Boy Scouts that came out to observe the night’s committee meeting.
Committeeman Mark Dykoff reminded the public about the safety guidelines that have been established during the pandemic. “Many people are still nervous about COVID-19. We’ll get through this.”
Committeeman Timothy McDonald reminded residents about the township’s upcoming 150th anniversary slated for 2021. “That is still going forward and if you have any questions you can give the Business Administrator (Veronica Laureigh) a call and she will be happy to put you on with the right people if you wanted to get involved with that.”
McDonald also spoke about the township being part of a recent opioid litigation settlement of $8 billion. “I guess about five or six years ago we joined a class action lawsuit and hopefully that is the one that came in and we should be getting some money from that and we will be sending a letter or e-mail down to our attorneys down in Washington D.C. and see exactly where we stand with that.”
Mayor Steven Kennis referenced a prior conference call he was on with other mayors and the governor. “You can tell coronavirus fatigue has set in. It was a lightly attended conference. There used to be 40 people and now there was about 10 of us. I also attended a developers’ meeting and there are still a lot of developers and builders interested in coming to Lacey Township.”
Early on during that meeting the Township Committee approved the replacement of a police dispatcher and hired two Class II special law enforcement officers.
That session also saw the appointment of Police Sgt. George Resetar as an assistant deputy emergency management coordinator.
