Mayor Joe Mancini on COVID and Long Beach Township, NJ | Local Control

Let's say you're the leader of a barrier island beach town with 4,000 off-season residents, average age 66, and you're facing a summer onslaught of 100,000 visitors ready to pour into town and hit the beach in as little as two weeks.  The economy is important to be sure but this year is very different.   As COVID-19 continues to ravage NY and NJ, cries to "open the beach" are rising and the crowds are on the way to the Jersey shore.  Long Beach Township Mayor Joe Mancini, a long-time town leader who's father served as the mayor for 40 years, is rightly concerned with the health of his community, the limited medical facilities available, and the crowds that so far have shown little regard for social distancing.   The Mayor joins Peter Ravella to discuss what could be  a recipe for disaster as COVID-19 lurks and the summer crowds begin to gather.  Local government officials all along the American shoreline are facing similar circumstances and there are no easy decisions ahead.   Step into the shoes of Mayor Joe Mancini and get a first-hand account of his thinking, the tradeoffs, and the concerns from one of the most capable and competent barrier island mayors we've met.  A important episode of the Local Control Podcast on ASPN.  Don't miss it!