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Donald Wittkowski

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Ocean City Experiments With “Sediment Trap” to Keep Lagoons Clear

With each thrust of its giant metal claw, an excavator on a floating barge scoops out gobs of gooey black muck from the mouth of an Ocean City lagoon. It may seem like a monotonous process, but the dredging work is part of an unprecedented project in New Jersey that may serve as a model for Ocean City to prevent its waterways from being choked with muddy sediment.

Costs Rise for Environmental Cleanup at Ocean City Property

Ocean City is kicking in an extra $850,000 to pay for the rising cost of cleaning up contaminated soil from property that it acquired through eminent domain and plans to preserve as open space. However, city officials stressed that Ocean City will receive credit for the environmental cleanup costs from the property’s previous owner, Palmer Center LLC, once the work is finished and a final price is determined for the land.

Mayor Announces Major Projects, Tax Hike for Ocean City in 2024

Mayor Jay Gillian used his State of the City address to outline a series of major projects that Ocean City plans for the bayfront, beach, Boardwalk and other parts of town, but he also revealed that a tax increase is coming in the 2024 municipal budget. Higher costs for insurance, utilities and trash collection as well as salary and pension increases are among the escalating budget expenses that will cause a 3.7-cent hike in the local tax rate, Gillian said while delivering his 14th annual address during a City Council meeting Thursday night.

Ocean City Uses Whimsical Way to Determine Election Ballot Positions

City Clerk Melissa Rasner and her assistant Nicole Driscoll stood next to two plastic baskets filled with purple eggs as they awaited the arrival of some guests to their office in City Hall. Rasner, Driscoll and Deputy Clerk Sheila Cottrell greeted everyone with smiles when the visitors walked into the office Thursday afternoon and began picking eggs out of the baskets. But these weren’t children participating in an Easter egg hunt. They were City Council candidates, or their campaign managers, going through the important process of determining ballot positions for Ocean City’s municipal election May 14.

Ocean City Fire Department Achieves Top Rating

Ocean City’s fire department has joined the elite ranks of fire departments in New Jersey and around the country that have been given a prestigious award that recognizes superior firefighting protection. City officials announced Monday that the department has received a Class 1 ranking from the Insurance Services Office effective June 1. The classification reflects superior firefighting operations, staffing, training, equipment, community risk reduction and other key factors in what is described as a rigorous evaluation process by the ISO.

Political Newcomer Sean Barnes to Run for Ocean City Council Seat

Political newcomer Sean Barnes turned in his nominating petitions Monday to run for an at-large seat on City Council in Ocean City’s May 14 municipal election. Barnes submitted his paperwork to City Clerk Melissa Rasner while his family members, friends and campaign backers joined him at City Hall in a show of support.

Ocean City Wins Nearly $5 Million Grant for Boardwalk Upgrades

Ocean City is receiving a state grant of nearly $5 million to finance a series of improvements to its family-friendly Boardwalk. The money comes from New Jersey’s $100 million Boardwalk Preservation Fund, a newly created program that will help shore communities to maintain and update what for many of them is their signature attraction during the busy summer tourism season.

More Flood Protection Coming to Ocean City Neighborhood

Ocean City is moving ahead with a nearly $11 million project that will include pumping stations, road reconstruction and other measures to protect the flood-prone Merion Park neighborhood from stormwater. City Council awarded a $10.7 million construction contract Thursday to Atlantic City-based L. Feriozzi Concrete Co., the lowest bidder among four companies that sought the work. Feriozzi’s bid was well under the city’s $11.9 million pre-bid estimate for the contract.

New Type of Affordable Housing to Make Its Debut in Ocean...

The new duplex at 224 Simpson Ave. is tucked behind a towering tree that has a quaint, old-fashioned wood swing hanging from it. Trimmed in a color scheme of gray and white paint and featuring a flowing stairway up to the second floor, the duplex is an attractive addition to this Simpson Avenue neighborhood just a block from the bay. In Ocean City, this is the new style of “affordable housing.”

Former Councilman Keith Hartzell Launches Campaign for City Council

After a nearly two-year hiatus from elected politics, Keith Hartzell is looking to return to City Council by running for a seat in the Second Ward in the May 14 municipal election. An Ocean City councilman from 2006 to 2022, Hartzell stepped down from the governing body after his unsuccessful race for mayor in 2022 against Mayor Jay Gillian. He previously served as a councilman at-large, but this time he wants to represent the Second Ward. He turned in his nominating petitions to the City Clerk’s Office on Friday to make it official.