City Council has a
full agenda for its public meeting 7 p.m. Thursday (Feb. 13) at the Ocean City Free Public Library. Here are five things that might be of special interest.
- MUNICIPAL BUDGET: Mayor Jay Gillian's administration will introduce its proposed budget for 2014. Last year's budget totaled about $71 million. The draft budget gives taxpayers their look at what they might pay in taxes next year. The presentation is the first step in a process that leads to the final adoption of a budget in the spring.
- CHRISTIAN BROTHERS ALLEYS: The century-old De La Salle Christian Brothers retreat on the beach between 30th and 31st streets will meet the wrecking ball to make way for allow four duplexes. City Council will consider two ordinances: one vacates rights to an alley that never existed; the other claims for the city an alley that does exist.
- ZONING RELIEF: City Council will consider another ordinance amending a variety of zoning guidelines. See detail in the City Council Agenda Packet.
- $9.3 MILLION IN IMPROVEMENTS: City Council will consider an ordinance that authorizes the spending of $9,319,000 and the borrowing of $8,853,050 for capital improvements. A full $5 million will be spent to fix roads next year. Another $795,000 will be set aside for the beach — including construction of emergency sand berms, if necessary, and access for the disabled.
- MERION PARK DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT: City Council will vote to seek bids for a major project to fix streets in the flood-prone Merion Park neighborhood near 34th Street. The project will include the replacement of 60-year-old undersized drainage pipes, the installation of three pumping stations, improved gutters and repaved streets.
Aerial view of the three-story Christian Brothers retreat, which occupies the spot where an alley would normally run.
