Beach Safety Advisory Committee April 23, 2018 - 6:00 PM Cape May City Hall Meeting Minutes

Beach Safety Advisory Committee
                               April 23, 2018 – 6:00 PM
                                  Cape May City Hall
                                   Meeting Minutes

Committee Members Roll Call
Todd de Satnick - No
Geoffrey Rife - No
Alex Coulter (Rick Lundholm) - No
Joseph Picard - No
Dennis de Satnick - Yes
Jack Wichterman - Yes
Kathleen “Kate” Wyatt - Yes
Joseph Castelluci - Yes
Patricia Gray Hendricks - Yes
Ed Zebrowski - No
Neil Young - Yes
Dr. Andrea McCoy (consultant) - Yes
Chad de Satnick, (consultant) - No
Jeff Martin, (consultant) - No
Harry "Buzz" Mogck (consultant) - No
Dan Shustack - No

       Meeting – 5:00 Pm
        Purpose: prepare for meeting with Senator Van Drew

           o   Reviewed and discussed items list. Narrowed to top three or four.
           o   Action: Jack Wichterman to set up meeting date and time
           o   Action: Kate to prepare discussion document for meeting
           o   Action: Denny to contact Jean Powick on topic of 04/24/17 report – Is there a
               correlation between replenishment and Frequency of Possible C-Spine Injuries.

                      Chairman's Remarks – Dennis de Satnick
       Beach Safety input into Master Plan – Replenishment over next 20 years; end of contact “what is
        the path forward for Cape May?”
       Council declare Beach Safety week;
       Laurie Taylor will include beach safety in movie night this season:
       Kiwanis volunteers to distribute to those businesses not covered by Realtors—e.g. restaurants,
        hotels, (city does not have personnel to do this task);
       Beach Patrol to train in school districts; training for PA System;
       Environmental Committee – plastics in ocean;
       QR code testing for new pamphlet (Neil, Denny);

   Unguarded beaches (Ed Zebrowski);
       Beebe Health System program- Have they made any adjustments? (action: Dr Mccoy (Cape
        Regional) to follow up)
       Contact Beach Tag Supervisor to train Beach Taggers in QR system;
       PA system will be installed in May (Neil Young);
       Brett (?) working with Dan Shustack;
       Board approved Jeff Martin to Environmental Sustainability- engage students in real world
        problems; possible work with Beach Safety Advisory Committee;
       Beach Etiquette (see Sea Isle brochure)

       Approval of Meeting Minutes
        Approved – no comment

Action Items:
           o   Action: Public Address System: Dan Shustack: MetroPros (vendor) Engineers will walk
               through system; Date (tentative?) April 3 11-1 PM; meet at the Cove;
                    Documentation
                    Security Codes
                    Redundancy; Backup systems
                            Beach Patrol Headquarters – Base
                            Remote access for emergency
                    Training for Fire and Police in Public Address System
                            Important: access for after hours; problems in past;
           o   Action: Beach Maintenance Permit (Surf Zone Only) Emergency – Joe Picard to clarify
               and take initiative to work with Fish and Wildlife; will contact Neil; zone is set up every 5
               years.
           o   Action: New Business - Need BSAC representative to work with Kiwanis Member (Bob
               Morris; they will volunteer to distribute

Discussion:
       Beach Patrol – Jeff Rife
           o Variables on Beach Incident data collection
       Technology – QR Code
                    Finalize Brochure - Need approval to release to Print – Committee voted yes
                    QR code moved to front instead of city logo
                    Remove date from brochure; instead, revision code
                    Once released to printer – about two weeks
                    Google Analytics – now in force
                              Collecting user data, when, how often, location

     Action: Meet with Dan Shustack to document system- Neil, Dan, Joe, Kate
                           Documentation
                                  o Application Ownership and Stakeholders
                                  o Role and Responsibility
                                  o Change Control
                                  o Quality Assurance
                                  o Costs vs. risk associated with QR code
                                  o New Social Media upgrades – costs vs. risk
                                  o Security
       o Technology – Drone Project
                 Action: City of Cape May Drop Box Repository – two folders- Completed
   Army Corps Of Engineers (ACOE)
                 Next replenishment phase- January 2019
                 Action: BSAC to recommend to City Council to contact ACOE to discuss template
                     prior to next replenishment
                 Action: Prepare questions for meeting with meeting with engineers – Denny
                     and Committee
                 Action: Recommend city to set up committee for template change prior to next
                     replenishment - Denny
                 Seawall Engineers as “stepping stone” to follow on with Beach Replenishment
                     Engineers; how do these two projects connect? What is common ground?
                 Action: Meeting for Fact Finding and Guidance – set up meeting for a more
                     gradual slope – Denny
   Public Address System
       o Action: Dan Shustack: MetroPros (vendor) Engineers will walk through system; Date
            (tentative?) April 3 11-1 PM; meet at the Cove;
                 Documentation
                 Security Codes
                 Redundancy; Backup systems
                           Beach Patrol Headquarters – Base
                           Remote access
                 Training for Fire and Police
                           Important: access for after hours; problems in past;
   Educational Outreach and Public Awareness
       o Educational
                 Ensure QR code use is explained for Beach Taggers
                 Ensure Beach Taggers know to recommend beach attendees to contact a
                     lifeguard for more information or If they do not understand the information on
                     flag, etc.
                 Hotel/Motel Distribution
                 Real Estate Distribution

  Mercantile License Distribution (Renters not using an agency) – information
                    with license including a magnet for refrigerator.
                  Action: – Beach Patrol and Beach Taggers Training and Information meeting
                    prior to season – Jeff
   Public Awareness Program
                  Join forces with City of Cape May Environmental Commission – (Denny- clarify
                    objective)
                  Action: recommendations for Beach Safety Committee
                  Action: Engage Laurie Taylor, Marketing – what action can the marketing group
                    provide for Beach Safety - Neil
   Public Works – Beach
                  Joe Picard: clarification on beach emergency sand level
   Community Rating System
                  Community Rating System – Coastal Coalition – Lou Belasco
                  Action – Obtain 2018 Recommended Protective Measures report; BSAC to
                    review for trends, issues, concerns – Neil to distribute to Beach Safety
                    Committee; after 4/18 meeting.
   Data Reporting
                  Repositories:
                         1. City of Cape May – Drone Pictures Reports Contact Dan Shustack
                         2. Cape Regional Hospital – Seasonal Statistics Contact: Dr. Andrea McCoy
                         3. Beach Patrol – Seasonal Statistics Contact: Jeff Rife
                         4. Fire Department – Injury Reports Contact: Fire Chief Coulter
                         5. Technology QR code – Google Analytics Contact: Dan Shustack
   Beach Safety Program Measurement
                  Action: Open item to select key indicators – Denny and Kate
   Other City of Cape May Committees – Interrelated Activity and Communication
                  Promenade/Seawall Advisory Committee
   NJ Legislative Activity and Communications
                  A269 (was State Bill # 5159) – Provide instruction on Water Safety as part of NJ student
                     learning standards for Health and Physical Education. This bill did not pass before the end
                     of the legislative term, and has to now be reintroduced (drownings in Belmar)
                             Action: A statement to Kean, Lampitt and Coughlin would help when the
                              bill comes up for introduction.
   United States Lifesaving Association – Ed Zebrowski.
        o Collecting hard data on fatal drownings
        o After hours incidents
        o Communities now beginning to draft rough surf action plans
        o Public Education Grant
                 November, 2018 – Coloring Book cost – possible consideration
                             Who will apply?
                             Contact Chamber of Commerce to subsidize cost

Correspondence Received:
       o   Dr. Andrea McCoy – Beach Injury Report, May 26, 2017 – August 25, 2017
       o   Denny DeSatnick – Presentation to Council (waiting)
       o   Letter from Div of Fish and Wildlife to City
       o   2018 CAFRA “No-Rake” Zones for Beach Nesting Birds

New Business:

Public Comment:
           None

Adjourned:
6:30 PM

Respectfully submitted,

Kathleen Wyatt

Beach Injury Report
                                         May 26, 2017 – August 25, 2017
                  Total emergency department visits listing “beach” as location of injury:    207

Disposition                                   Cape May (45)             Overall (207)
Expired (DOA)                                 0                         2 (1%)
Transfer to higher level of care              5 (11%)                   13 (6%)
Admitted to CRMC                              1 (2%)                    8 (4%)
Discharge                                     39 (87%)                  184 (89%)

Activity                                      Cape May (45)             Overall (207)

Body surfing/boogie board/surfing             17 (38%)                  50 (24%)
Swimming                                      12 (27%)                  35 (17%)
Standing/Wading                               7 (15%)                   25 (12%)
Beach (various)                               9 (20%)                   71 (34%)
Watercraft                                                              4
Unknown                                                                 23 (11%)

Body Region                                   Cape May (45)             Overall (207)

Skin                                          0 (0%)                    8 (4%)
Torso                                         3 (7%)                    9 (4%)
Upper extremity/hand                          15 (33%)                  40 (19%)
Head/Face/Neck                                12 (27%)                  51 (25%)
Lower extremity                               8 (18%)                   64 (31%)
Submersion                                    4 (9%)                    15 (7%)
Other medical                                 3 (7%)                    21 (10%)

Additional observations

                  Transferred to higher level of care (5)
                  Cervical spine fracture (3)
                  Concussion and edema of cervical spinal cord
                  Fracture of right tibia and fibula (complex)
                  Admitted to CRMC
                  Tibia/fibula fracture
                  80% of Cape May injuries occurred in water compared to 53% water injuries for county as a
                   whole
                  Most arrived late afternoon/evening
                  About half arrived by private vehicle
                  Few went to Urgent Care and were referred to the ED
                  Surfing injuries were lower extremity. Head and neck and upper extremity injuries were body
                   surfing, boogie board and “tossed by waves”

-------- Original message --------

Subject: 2018 No Rake Zone List for Endangered Beach Nesting Shorebirds **Please Reply Confirming
Receipt**

Dear Mayor Lear,

According to N.J.A.C. 7:7-10.2(b)7, the Division of Land Use Regulation, in conjunction with the Division of Fish and
Wildlife, has determined that the 2018 CAFRA “No Rake” Zone list includes areas for which you potentially conduct
beach and dune maintenance activities pursuant to a coastal general or individual permit. These areas have been
documented by the Department as habitat for threatened or endangered beach nesting shorebirds such as Piping
Plover (Charadrius melodus) and Least Terns (Sterna albifrons). Please see the attached “No Rake Zone” list for the
documented, restricted areas.

Restrictions: In these documented areas, the standards at N.J.A.C. 7:7-10.2(a)4 provide that no beach raking,
other mechanical manipulation of the beach including sand transfers, or use of non-emergency vehicles
                                    th              st
shall take place between March 15 and August 31 . This list does not address areas where mechanical sifting
and beach raking are precluded because the area is not considered a “recreational beach” in accordance with the
standards at N.J.A.C. 7:7-10.2(a)6.

This restriction may be waived if the Division of Fish and Wildlife determines that the identified areas do not represent
suitable endangered nesting shorebird habitat, due to beach erosion or other causes. Requests for such a waiver
shall include a letter from the Department’s Division of Fish and Wildlife indicating that the area is not suitable
endangered nesting shorebird habitat, and shall be submitted to the Division’s Bureau Manger, Ryan Anderson,
Division of Land Use Regulation, PO Box 420, Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0420.

It should be noted that if you do NOT have a current permit for beach and dune management activities, NO
beach and dune maintenance activities (as defined at N.J.A.C. 7:7, Subchapter 10) may take place anywhere
on your beach.

Required Confirmation/Questions: Please immediately reply to this email (Dana.Galbreath@dep.nj.gov)
acknowledging confirmation of receipt of this email and the attached 2018 “No Rake Zone” list. Should you
have any questions concerning the areas of documented habitat, or other issues related to endangered or threatened
beach nesting shorebirds, please contact Mr. Dave Jenkins of the Division of Fish and Wildlife at (609) 292-
9400. Any questions concerning your coastal general permit or this letter should be to (609) 633-2289.

Sincerely,

Dana Galbreath
NJ DEP Division of Land Use Regulation
Mail Code: 501-02A
P.O Box 420
Trenton, NJ 08625
609-777-4191

Dana Galbreath
NJ DEP Division of Land Use Regulation
Mail Code: 501-02A
P.O Box 420
Trenton, NJ 08625
609-777-4191

2018 CAFRA “No-Rake” Zones
                               for Beach Nesting Birds
Borough of Cape May Point – Should adhere to the provisions of the Borough of Cape May
Point Beach Management Plan for the Protection of Federally and State-listed Species, dated
April 2016.
NJDEP Cape May Point State Park – Beach between the concrete artillery bunker and The
Nature Conservancy property line.

The Nature Conservancy-owned portion of South Cape May Meadows – Entire TNC beach.

City of Cape May – Should adhere to the provisions of the City of Cape May Beach
Management Plan for the Protection of Federally and State-listed Species, dated March
2008.

U.S. Coast Guard Training Center (TRACEN) – Should adhere to the provisions of the Training
Center Beach Management Plan, dated June 2017.

U.S. Coast Guard Loran Support Unit (LSU) – Entire USCG – LSU beach.

(Not complete list – only Cape May)