The following is Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian’s weekly update to citizens posted on Friday, August 7.
Dear Friends:
I would like to thank everyone who attended the neighborhood meeting this past Tuesday night at the Senior Center. As many of you know, City Council and I have significantly increased our capital investments to improve our infrastructure. We are reviewing and planning projects island wide, and although I would like to upgrade everything at once, it is not possible to do so. We will continue to plan and prioritize and use outside professionals such as Michael Baker International and ACT Engineering where appropriate. It is my goal to continue to invest in our infrastructure for years to come, and we will get to all the projects over the course of time and address the problem areas.
The City has been considering improvements for the Haven Avenue and Simpson Avenue area for some time, and has done some smaller projects. But those of you who know me know that I want to get all the facts and resolve an issue correctly. That is why it is so important to me to have representatives from Michael Baker International involved in this and other road and drainage improvement projects. I wanted to make sure we had the facts before coming forward to the public. If that took a little longer than some residents had wished, I apologize, but it was very important to do so. Whenever we use the taxpayer’s money I want to make sure the project is done right and the community is involved. As I mentioned at the meeting there will be more opportunities for the community to have input and I hope you continue to stay involved as the project moves forward. Thank you again for spending a week night listening and participating in the presentation.
On the south end beach replenishment project, the dredge “Liberty Island” is now not expected to return until August 9th or 10th, at which time operations are expected to resume. The contractor’s plans may have changed slightly as to which beaches are pumped first. The city will post updates at www.ocnj.us as more information becomes known.
I hope everyone has a great weekend.
Warm regards,
Jay A. Gillian
Mayor
