Dear Friends,
City Council last night approved ordinances that will help us acquire more parking for the downtown.
The city will purchase two private lots that will add a total of 44 spaces adjacent to the existing municipal lot behind City Hall on the 800 block of Central Avenue. We will reserve some of those spaces for the police department only while the new public safety building is under construction starting next year.
But the plan is to provide more public parking in the short-term and long-term. Opportunities like this are rare, and we will always be ready to take advantage. This will be a great benefit to our downtown Asbury Avenue shopping and dining district.
Our pool contractor expects to complete work on the main and decking drains by the weekend. The replacement of sprinkler heads and lights and the plastering of the pool will be next.
The HVAC work at the Ocean City Free Public Library remains on schedule for a reopening by next Friday.
The Merion Park flood mitigation project is still on target to have pumping stations operating by the end of October. Crews will be working today and next week to make connections underneath Roosevelt Boulevard. All pipe work from 37th Street to Roosevelt Boulevard is now complete, and the connections to the pumping station and outfalls across Roosevelt are the final step.
Crews will complete five crossovers working from Bay Avenue toward the 34th Street Bridge. At the same time, the water company will be working on upgrades on Little Roosevelt Boulevard, also working from Bay Avenue to the bridge. Please be cautious in that area, as lane shifts will be in effect.
Concrete work along Bay Avenue, 35th Street and Simpson Avenue is now complete. Concrete work on Haven Avenue from 34th Street to 36th Street is underway. Pumping stations are expected to be activated before Oct. 31, and final paving will take place before the end of the year, weather dependent.
I would like to thank everybody who joined us for the 9-11 ceremony on Wednesday. I also want to thank Police Chief Bill Campbell, Fire Chief Bernie Walker and retired Firefighter Brian Green. This year’s event was especially meaningful.
We had our final Boardwalk flag-raising ceremony of the summer on Wednesday morning. I want to recognize Jack Hagan of the American Legion for all the help he provides – with the daily flag-raising and with other events throughout the year.
Schools are back in session. Please remember to use caution on the roadways as school buses, bicycles and pedestrians make the daily school commute.
I want to invite you all to a town hall meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday, October 19 at the Ocean City Tabernacle. The administration will provide updates on project timelines. We will address trash and recycling pickup and seek feedback on open space and anything else of concern to the community.
The forecast looks ideal for the air shows this weekend. The Airport Festival will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The pyrotechnic parachute jump is 8 p.m. Saturday over the Boardwalk at 7th Street. And the Aerobatic Air Show starts at 1 p.m. Sunday. More information on these events and others is available here.
Warm regards,
Mayor Jay A. Gillian
