Dear Friends,
I want to remind you all that a Coastal Flood Advisory will be in effect for Ocean City on Saturday morning. The National Weather Service is predicting “minor” tidal flooding, but with rain in the forecast and an early morning (8:23 a.m.) high tide, residents should make sure vehicles are in a safe place before going to bed tonight. Please use extreme caution around all road and drainage construction sites. More detail on the advisory is available here.
At last night’s public meeting, City Council approved a bond ordinance that could fund any potential acquisition of the three parcels that make up the former car dealership lot next to the Community Center. The possible deal is still under negotiation, but I remain committed to acquiring these properties to create open space in a publicly owned corridor from 15th Street to 20th Street.
City Council also agreed to seek applications to fill the vacant Second Ward seat created by Antwan McClellan’s election to the N.J. General Assembly. The term expires on July 1, 2020. Second Ward residents interested in serving can apply at www.ocnj.us/councilvacancy or pick up an application at the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ completed its pumping operations at the south end this week. Beaches between 59th Street and 45th Street gained 515,000 cubic yards of sand, and a vulnerable stretch of dune near 59th Street was rebuilt. Contractors will return later this winter to restore dune crossovers, place sand fence and plant dune grass. The Corps will be back in the spring to rebuild beaches at the north end.
A city contractor is expected to complete the 2019-2020 back bay dredging project by the end of February. The Army Corps is finishing repairs to the disposal facility on the marshes near Roosevelt Boulevard and will begin dredging the Intracoastal Waterway within the next few weeks. We also learned this week that the Army Corps approved a permit application to experiment with a “sediment trap” to prevent the frequent filling in of Snug Harbor. This application is the first of its kind in New Jersey, and N.J. Department of Environmental Protection approval is anticipated within the next two weeks.
The Cape May County Municipal Utilities Authority has completed work to replace the wastewater main in front of the Ocean City Intermediate School. Starting Monday, school bus routes will return to the Bay Avenue entrance to the school. The Haven Avenue entrance to the Community Center parking lot (where students were temporarily being dropped off) will reopen. Weekday detours for regular traffic will remain in effect between 14th Street and 24th Street, but access to all local residences and businesses remains open.
Dog owners can take advantage of our free rabies clinic 10 a.m. to noon tomorrow (Saturday, Jan. 25) at the Fire Department headquarters at 550 Asbury Avenue. More detail is available here.
Warm regards,
Mayor Jay A. Gillian
