Donald Wittkowski

Ocean City may become the next town at the Jersey Shore to ban smoking on the beaches. Citing health concerns from second-hand smoke and unsightly litter from discarded cigarette butts, City Council introduced an ordinance Thursday night that would make it illegal to smoke on all of the beaches in town starting this summer. Council introduced the measure by a 6-1 vote, with Councilwoman Karen Bergman the lone dissenter. She expressed concerns that the proposed ban would be too restrictive and might discourage smokers from visiting Ocean City. “I don’t think we should be doing this,” she said...

From time to time, buildings, just like people, need some TLC. Such is the case with Ocean City’s historic City Hall, an architectural gem in the Beaux-Arts Classicism style that is getting some touch-up work on the brick, granite and terra cotta exterior to restore its luster. “It’s ornate,” Cape May architect Michael Calafati said while marveling over the three-story building. “It’s not Victorian, but it has all the embellishments you would associate with Classical Revival architecture. This is pretty unique.” Calafati is overseeing Ocean City’s $400,000 restoration of the 104-year-old landmark...

After more than a year of planning and discussion, the Ocean City Housing Authority’s proposed $4.2 million affordable housing project for senior citizens is entering a crucial phase as the agency prepares to accept construction bids. During its monthly board meeting Tuesday, the authority announced it is in the process of soliciting contractors and plans to open construction bids on May 31. Assuming there are no problems with the bids, the authority will likely award the construction contract in June or July. The timetable calls for starting construction on the 20-unit project late this year and finishing it by late 2019...

Ocean City Business Administrator James Mallon, who oversees the day-to-day operations of the local government as the senior-most official in Mayor Jay Gillian’s administration, is resigning to take a job in the private sector, it was announced Monday. Mallon’s resignation comes less than a week after Gillian swept to a commanding win in the May 8 municipal election to capture his third, four-year term as mayor. With Mallon leaving, Gillian will now reshape the top levels of his administration as he enters his new term...

John Walton is already cranking up the hype machine. With his typical enthusiasm, he’s promising that “thousands and thousands” of spectators and “dozens of paparazzi” will be there on May 25 to take in one of Ocean City’s wackiest annual traditions, the Business Persons Plunge. Entering its 15th year, the spectacle features nattily attired business people blithely marching into the surf to the strains of “Pomp and Circumstance” to officially “open” the ocean for the summer tourism season during Memorial Day weekend...

Prime property that is supposed to be the construction site for a controversial condo-hotel project is now up for sale for $30 million, according to a listing on a real estate website. The proposed Soleil Resort project has languished for more than 10 years, but gained momentum in 2017 when a Superior Court judge ordered the Ocean City Planning Board to approve the development. The developers indicated last year that they hoped to begin construction in 2018. However, no work has started on the property at 11th Street and Ocean Avenue overlooking the beach and Boardwalk. LoopNet, a commercial real estate website, says the nearly two-acre site is on the market for $30 million. The sale listing notes that the property has been approved for 111 condos and has direct access to the Boardwalk...

No cash? No problem. Ocean City is expanding its tourist-friendly vacation app with new features that will eventually give people the convenience of paying for virtually all of their purchases in town on their mobile devices – no cash needed. “We want it to be universal for Ocean City,” said Michele Gillian, executive director of the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce. With the approach of the summer tourism season, the Chamber is preparing to make a series of upgrades to the app beginning this month, including the ability for users to buy beach tags and concert tickets on their phones and mobile devices. An annual contest to win a weeklong vacation giveaway in Ocean City from Aug. 25 to Sept. 1 is also being promoted on the app at http://win.oceancityvacation.com. Contestants must download the app to be entered in the vacation giveaway...

Members of City Council on Thursday night called for a new group to take over as the main sponsor of Ocean City’s political debates and forums in the future, saying the current organizer has done a poor job and appears to be biased. Fairness In Taxes, the local government watchdog organization that traditionally sponsors the debates, was strongly criticized for its handling of an April 24 candidates forum that was supposed to feature three Council incumbents who were up for re-election. However, incumbents Keith Hartzell, Karen Bergman and Peter Madden didn’t attend the forum. Bergman and Madden said they never received invitations from FIT, while Hartzell explained that he had an out-of-state commitment and couldn’t make the event...

Mayor Jay Gillian swept to a commanding win Tuesday night over challenger John Flood to capture his third four-year term as Ocean City’s top elected official. Unofficial totals showed Gillian topping Flood by a nearly 2-1 margin in an election marked by a low turnout – about 35 percent – among the city’s 9,226 registered voters. Gillian carried all four of the city’s wards while tallying 2,023 votes. Flood, a former city councilman seeking a political comeback, garnered 1,162 votes, according to results released by the City Clerk’s Office. Incumbent City Council members Keith Hartzell, Karen Bergman and Peter Madden all ran unopposed for their at-large seats. Hartzell had 2,431 votes, Bergman 2,362 and Madden 2,335...

A bitterly contested mayoral election, overshadowed by allegations of “toilet politics,” will come to a climax when voters go to the polls on Tuesday to choose between incumbent Mayor Jay Gillian and challenger John Flood for Ocean City’s top office. The race between Gillian and Flood pits two high-profile, experienced politicians who have been hammering each other with accusations of misconduct in the divisive final weeks of the campaign. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m...