Dear Friends,City Council last night authorized a contract for ACT Engineers to develop a Flood Mitigation and Drainage Master Plan. The city has now completed major drainage projects in three of the island’s most flood-prone neighborhoods. We have invested more than $20 million in these efforts and learned a lot about pumping stations, elevating roads and infrastructure, and improving storm drainage.This plan will utilize all of this knowledge in developing short-term and long-term strategies to increase flood resiliency in Ocean City. It also will recommend partnerships and funding through the county, state and federal governments – and through research by institutional and academic groups. I want to let everybody know that the city remains committed to doing everything it can to protect the interests and investments of all Ocean City property owners.Commissioner Catherine McCabe and other representatives of the state Department of Environmental Protection toured Ocean City today to see our new living shoreline project on Shooting Island.They also looked at areas south of 34th Street – including the blocks around the Four Seasons condominiums, the Ocean Aire condominiums along West Avenue and the Ocean City Homes neighborhood – where we hope to focus some of our future flood resiliency efforts. Nurturing partnerships with all stakeholders will be vital to our success.
I want to announce that Sky Brown will be in Ocean City Aug. 6 to 8 and will be the grand marshal of our 110th annual Ocean City Baby Parade. If you’re not familiar with that name, you may want to ask any young skater or surfer in town.Sky is an 11-year-old skateboarding sensation who will be the youngest Olympic athlete since 1936 when she competes for Great Britain in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. She began skating and surfing at age two and has become an international phenomenon. She also was the first winner of ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars: Juniors.”Sky will be giving skating and surfing demos, and meeting with fans throughout her stay in Ocean City. Click here for more information.Warm regards, Mayor Jay A. Gillian
