Road construction projects are a major part of the city's capital improvement program.
City Council has introduced a nearly $6.2 million bond ordinance to finance a series of capital improvements throughout Ocean City, including new road, drainage and flood-mitigation projects to help protect the low-lying island from stormwater.
The bond ordinance represents funding for the first round of projects that are part of the city’s five-year capital plan approved by Council in March.
“The next step in the process in order to get to actually putting shovels in the ground for capital projects is to advance a bond ordinance to appropriate the funds for the capital projects,” Frank Donato, the city’s chief financial officer, told Council.
Council introduced the bond ordinance by a 7-0 vote at its meeting Thursday. A public hearing and final vote are scheduled for Council’s May 8 meeting.
Donato explained to Council that $2.5 million from the bond ordinance will pay for road reconstruction, drainage upgrades and flood-mitigation projects as part of the city’s ongoing strategy to protect homes and businesses from stormwater.
The city will also spend $1.2 million for a series of infrastructure improvements throughout town. They include a new scoreboard for Ocean City High School’s Carey Field, a pavilion at the municipal dog park, improvements to the Aquatic & Fitness Center, citywide landscaping, and streetscaping and lighting for the downtown business district.
Dredging projects clear the lagoons and channels of sediment.Another big-ticket item will be $1 million for the city’s ongoing dredging program to remove sediment from the shallow lagoons and channels along the back bays. The dredging helps to make the lagoons more navigable for boat traffic.
The city will also spend nearly $500,000 to make various improvements to the Beach Patrol headquarters, the Fire Department headquarters, the Music Pier, the 52nd Street playground building, the lifesaving station at 4th Street and the public bathrooms at 46th Street.
The bond ordinance also includes $115,000 to improve public access to the beachfront. New beach mats and improvements to the beach pathways are planned.
The popular beach mats lie on top of the sand, providing an easier transition from the pathways over the dunes to the beaches. Seniors, small children, people with disabilities and families lugging strollers to the beach are all helped by the mats.
Much of the rest of the funding in the bond ordinance will go for new equipment, vehicles and communications upgrades for different city departments.
Beach mats make it easier to traverse the deep sand. 
