Mayor's Update - No Dredge Materials for Shelter Road

Dear Friends, I met this morning with representatives of the Ocean Reef Condominium Association and let them know that Ocean City will not pursue a proposed program for transferring dredged material at the Shelter Road Recycling Center. Throughout my administration, I have always sought public feedback in the very early stages of any major project or new initiative. This information is extremely valuable to the success of any endeavor. In this case, there was an overwhelming amount of support both for and against the idea of using Shelter Road to help add capacity to our 2017 dredging program. While all of this input was considered, the primary factor in the decision was practical. It is just not feasible or financially viable to relocate all of the Public Works operations at Shelter Road to other parts of Ocean City. ACT Engineers continues to pursue an array of options for de-watering and transferring dredged material, and the emptying of Site 83 (near Roosevelt Boulevard) by truck continues to make good progress. The permitted season for dredging starts on July 1, and I anticipate holding another town hall meeting to share details about our 2017 dredging program well in advance of that date. As you all know by now, the dredging of our lagoons and back bays is not a simple problem to solve. But I remain committed to getting it done as quickly and efficiently as possible. I’m sad to report that Bill Morey died this week at the age of 87. Morey was a pioneer in the amusements industry and one of the founders of Morey’s Piers in Wildwood. He and his family have been great community servants, not only for Wildwood but for the entire region. I’d like you to join me in offering condolences to all of Morey’s family and friends. Finally, I ask everybody to monitor weather conditions over the next few days. The forecast calls for heavy rain and strong northeast winds from Sunday afternoon through Monday night. The storm could cause minor tidal flooding, so be prepared to moved vehicles from streets that typically experience flooding. High tides are at 4:39 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Monday (Jan. 23). I hope you all have a great weekend. Warm regards, Jay A. Gillian Mayor