Dear Friends,
Because New Year’s Day falls on Wednesday, there will be a change to the schedule of trash and recycling pickup. Collection will be pushed back by one day for routes regularly scheduled for pickup Wednesday through Friday. See more information.
The final City Council meeting of the year will be held at 1 p.m. Monday (Dec. 30). Please note that a Monday afternoon meeting is a departure from the usual Thursday evening schedule. You can check out the meeting agenda and documentation here.
The Cape May County Municipal Utilities Authority continues work on Bay Avenue to replace the mains that carry wastewater to the treatment facility at 45th Street. One crew is working northward from the area around 23rd Street, the other southward from around 17th Street. Detours are in effect during weekdays, but the roadway is open to traffic in both directions on weekends and on New Year’s Day. Throughout the project, Bay Avenue will remain open to local traffic and to local businesses.
The gas company is paving different parts of West Avenue south of 34th Street to restore the roadway after line upgrades earlier this year. City road and drainage projects are underway in the area around 12th Street and on roadways between 47th Street and 55th Street. Work another road and drainage project between 26th Street and 30th Street is expected to begin on Monday.
The Army Corps of Engineers’ contractor is taking advantage of mild weather and working around the clock to rebuild beaches and dunes at the southern end of the island. About two blocks of beach will be closed at a time as the work zone progresses northward from its current spot between 57th Street and 59th Street. At the same time, contractors are dredging to restore navigable waterways on the bay side.
We’ve had a successful year in our capital improvement program, and with the completion of two major neighborhood drainage projects, we’re starting to see important returns on our investments. But I want everybody to know that the city remains committed to sustaining an aggressive program to repair existing infrastructure and to prepare for the future. Navigating the off-season job sites is always a headache, but these are important projects in the long term.
First Night is on Tuesday, and there’s no better way to celebrate New Year’s Eve with your entire family. If you’re in town this weekend, stop by the City Hall Welcome Center at Ninth Street and Asbury Avenue or the Roy Gillian Welcome Center on the Ninth Street causeway to get your all-inclusive admission buttons.
You also can order your buttons online at firstnightocnj.com or by calling 609-399-6111. The lineup includes entertainment and activities that run non-stop from 4 p.m. through fireworks at midnight. The forecast calls for mild and clear weather.
Online registration is also open for the First Day 5K Run. The race will start at 1 p.m. and race-day registration will open at 11 a.m. at the Ocean City Music Pier. Registration for the 2 p.m. First Plunge in the Atlantic Ocean also will be at the Music Pier.
Michele and I also would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and we hope to see you at First Night and First Day.
Warm regards,
Mayor Jay A. Gillian
