City Council in Ocean City meets 5 p.m. Thursday (Dec. 17) at City Hall and has a full agenda. The meeting takes place two hours earlier than usual due to conflicts with holiday events later in the evening. Here are some agenda items that might be of special interest:
- Eagle Scouts Honored: City Council will honor Frank Sheppard Faverzani, Eric Tin Yao Lam, Evan William Megargee and Tanner Jack Mitzel, members of Ocean City’s Boy Scouts Troop 32 who achieved the rank of Eagle Scout this year.
- Boardwalk and Downtown Merchants’ Budgets: City Council will vote on the introduction of a $513,448 budget for Ocean City’s Special Improvement Districts: the downtown blocks of the Ocean City Boardwalk, the downtown section of the Asbury Avenue business district, and the Ninth Street gateway. The budget is funded by assessments on businesses in the districts (based on storefront footage) and by revenue from events.. The budget goes to marketing, beautification and promoting special events. A public presentation on plans for the districts is tentatively scheduled for Jan. 14 at the time of a public hearing on the final budget.
- Ice-Cream Vendor Licenses: City Council will consider the first reading of an ordinance that reduces the number of bicycle-cart licenses from 20 to 10; allows one vendor to bid on all 10 licenses; and changes hours of operation to 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (from 10 a.m. to sunset). Council tabled a similar resolution last winter.
- Single-Family Home Incentive: City Council will consider the second reading of an ordinance designed to encourage the construction of single-family homes in zones that allow residential duplexes. The single-family homes would have to meet the same height and setback requirements as neighboring duplexes (“to fit in the same box”) but they would be allowed to have two-and-a-half stories as in other single-family zones.
- $2.1 Million for Roads: Council unanimously will consider the second reading of a bond ordinance that authorizes the spending of $2.1 million ($1,995,000 of it borrowed) to continue the next phases of Ocean City’s ongoing plan for road and drainage improvements. Most of the work will be between 14th and 16th Streets from West Avenue to the bay (including side streets). Utility companies are finishing work in the area, and paving could begin in late winter.
- Music Union: City Council will vote on a new four-year contract with the musicians’ union of the Ocean City Pops.
For full text of all agenda items and documentation see the agenda packet below.
