Beaches, Boardwalk, Bay

Ocean City intends to combine some old strategies, some new tricks and some serious money to try to tame two of the greatest problems on the barrier island: persistent flooding and sediment-choked lagoons. City officials pledged Saturday to spend millions of dollars in coming years on an ambitious flood-mitigation program as well as a series of dredging projects to clear out the shallow lagoons that have become virtual mudflats in some places. “The whole idea is quality of life,” Mayor Jay Gillian said. “We’re going to look at everything we can.” Gillian spoke during back-to-back town hall meetings that focused on the city’s flood-control efforts and a five-year, $20 million dredging program that is methodically removing huge amounts of sediment from lagoons and channels along the bayfront.