Dear Friends,
City Council last night gave final approval to a bond ordinance that will fund the capital improvements that are our top priorities for the coming year.
The measure includes $5.5 million for reconstructing streets and alleys and another $5.5 million for neighborhood drainage projects. It includes $2 million for bayside dredging, $2 million for the improvement of public buildings, and another $1.5 million for other public facilities.
The funding ordinance is one of the first steps that will allow us to complete projects such as pumping stations to help mitigate flooding in the 9th-18th Street and West 17th Street areas. It will pay for dredging shallow lagoons, Boardwalk restrooms and things like pickleball and bocce ball courts for our residents and guests.
I want to assure you that the city remains committed to addressing infrastructure needs on behalf of all of taxpayers, and the administration looks forward to working to advance each individual project.
Tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on our nation, and I want to encourage everybody to attend our annual ceremony. It begins at 6 p.m. (Saturday, Sept. 11) in front of Ocean City Fire Department headquarters at 550 Asbury Avenue. It is always good to see so many people attend this important event.
I want to invite everybody to stop by the flag-raising ceremony at 8:50 a.m. tomorrow at the Ocean City Music Pier.
We will be unveiling a memorial plaque dedicating the new flagpole to decorated local veterans Joe Caserta, Bill Cruice and J.R. Robinson, and U.S. Coast Guard aircraft are planning a fly-by. As per local tradition, this will be the final flag-raising of the 2021 season.
It will begin again on Memorial Day weekend next year.
I also want to remind you again that the once-a-week trash and recycling pickup schedule begins on Monday.
We have a lot of great events this weekend, including the Classic Car and Street Rod Show, the Corvette Show, an Ocean City Pops concert with the Doo Wop Project, and a visit from Barry Williams of “Brady Bunch” fame.
I hope you get a chance to get out and enjoy the weekend with friends and family.
Warm regards,
Mayor Jay A. Gillian
