All right, let's call to order the meeting for Thursday, March 12th. We'll start with the pledge of allegiance and moment of silence. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with
liberty and justice for all. >> Please bow your heads for a moment of silence. >> Amen. >> Amen. All right, we will start with a roll call. Mr. Winslow >> here. >> Mr. Lovechuk >> here. >> Mr. Hartzell
>> here. >> Mr. Barnes >> here. >> Mr. Pollini >> here. >> And Mr. Mr. Crowley here. Mr. Madden is absent. Um Melissa is out sick as you guys all just received a memo. It was unforeseen. Uh because of that, we're going to um
appoint Mike as the clerk for this evening. Mike McDotty. >> Yeah. If if council adopts the resolution that we prepared half an hour ago that's before you um you could appoint Mr. Aliggretto on a temporary basis to sit in the seat and serve as city council just for uh city clerk just
for for tonight. >> Motion >> second. >> Okay. Uh can I have a roll call? Mr. Winsow. >> Yes. >> Mr. Mr. Hartell. >> Okay. Mr. >> Chan. >> Yes. >> Tony. >> Yes. >> I'm good too. Yes. uh adequate meeting
adequate notice of this meeting has been given pursuant to public law 1975 chapter 231. Uh with that we will go to the mayor and his administration for the state of the city. Okay. Thank you Terry. I did ask you how much time do I
have? I I got about an hour and a half here. So shut the clock since you have that. But good evening council and our city team members and OC residents and taxpayers. It's always an honor to be here and deliver this annual state of the city address. We all know Ocean City is an amazing place to live
and the state of the city is as strong as ever. This administration has assembled a proven city team that delivers for our residents, taxpayers day in and day out. We all know our taxes are low and our services are the best. We have invested a lot in improving all the things we love about
Ocean City. All in the while, we have maintained perfectly clean audits with a double A bond rating that highlighted Ocean City's well- embedded management practices. Those were the words of Standard and Porter. So, our experts have no worries about Ocean City.
When you consider the state of the city, some of the first things that come to mind are our beach, our borewalk, and our bay. On the beaches, we're working closely with our elected officials to make sure our north end and downtown beaches receive an overdue replenishment project. We're also stockpiling sand to
shore up our beaches in the short term. Congressman Vandrew has said Ocean City will be the first in line when the funding comes through for a full replenishment, and that will allow us to continue a program that protects lives and property from tip to tip. So, we we're hearing the funding is moving
quickly, so we should have good news soon on that. On the boardwalk, we're finishing up a complete reconstruction from St. Charles Place to Fifth Street and getting ready to rebuild 14th Street to 16th Street after the summer. This work was funded in part by a $4.9
million grant. We were also a able to add a separate project to reinforce and redeck the boardwalk from 12th to 14th streets this spring. Combined with the work completed less than 10 years ago, these new projects will give us a new boardwalk. That's in addition to five new
pavilions, three new restroom facilities, and many ADA uh improvements on the bay. Our contractor is currently at work on our annual maintenance program to keep our lagoons and waterways safe and accessible. We restarted the Bayside dredging program
less than a decade ago with all our lagoons needed major work. Now we dredge as needed so the lagoons will never get so bad again. Our innovative flood mitigation projects continue to work well. We're planning to add new neighborhoods including the Ocean City
Homes and the area from 18th Street to 26th Street. We started with our most floodprone neighborhoods. Now we're working on our sixth and seventh projects. We now have 35 pumps working at 15 pumping stations throughout the town and we remain committed to
addressing all areas in need of relief. Not everybody remembers when it was like when the streets were flooded for days at a time, when residents had to wait home in flood waters and when firefighters had to carry our kids to primary school. But these projects have completely changed our way of life in
Ocean City. Ongoing improvement projects at the Ocean City Community Center, our Ocean City Music Pier, the Ocean City Civic Center have assured that these popular public resources can be enjoyed for generations to come. I want to talk about public safety for a couple seconds
here. After many years of discussions, planning, and replanning, we were able to move projects forward to address the needs of our police department. We opened the new police substation this month and we plan to begin construction on our new public safety building at the site of the old police station before
the end of the year. We have a first class police department and they deserve a first class facilities and that's what you're going to get. So Billy, congratulations on that. In this year's proposed budget, the desk the debt service increase for project like these goes down by $1.4 million.
This downward trend plays out in the foreseeable future. This is exactly according to plan. This administration set out about 12 years ago to complete desperately needed infrastructure projects and we've completed almost all the major ones. Now we can move into
maintenance mode. In crafting this capital improvement plan, our finance team took advantage of what were hysterically hysterically low interest rates during a period of increasing tax ratables. And our double A bond rating gives us some of the best interest rates available today.
State of City also includes the many services that our residents and guests enjoy. We have first class recreational and educational facilities for our children. A wide array of recreational programs for all ages. Great new senior center. We have programs for our
veterans. It's home for Special Olympics, which is so important. I think Sunday morning we have a Where's Dance? Sunday morning we have a race at 9:00, right? >> That's always a great event. uh community center with a library, a pool, fitness center, art center, historic
museum, senior center, and a cafe all under one roof. We have a jity service to help us get around. We have a new parking app with signs to help people find a spot in real time. And we have more than 60 new parking spots behind city hall here for our downtown with
another 66 temporary spots, which we're going to put this summer at the old police department when we tear that down. And we have our own pops orchestra. And the list goes on and on and on. The draft budget you received tonight is our recommendation. Finance Director Frank Donado will make a
detailed presentation on this proposed budget at the next council meeting on March 26 and then budget will be yours and you introduce it on April 23rd and a final vote on the budget will be on May 21st. Contracts for our city team members along with our health benefits
and pension costs make up most of our annual budget. These costs rise each year. The administration has been hard at work negotiating the best deals on employee benefits, cutting the capital budget, and trimming the operating budget. We continue to seek grant funding to offset costs, not including
more than 100 million in beach replenishment funding. We have secured more than 60 million in grants since I took office. Despite all the fixed increases in labor and benefit costs, our proposed tax rate increase this year will be just 1.38 cents.
We're all very fortunate to live here. It's a beautiful place in every way, but taking care of our beaches, our boardwalk, our bay, 110 miles of streets and alleys, and all of our many city facilities and services take a lot of hard work and investment. It's a challenge each year to tighten our belts
while maintaining the services our residents and guests have come to expect. In the winter, we have to be prepared to clear 2 ft of snow from our streets. In the summer, we have to be ready to pick up trash for 150,000 people who are here on a summer day. Our public safety teams have to be prepared
to respond quickly to calls, not just on our 8 mile island, but in the ocean, on the bay, and sometimes in flood waters. Not every town faces the same variety of challenges and expectations that Ocean City does. It's why I'm so proud of our exceptional work of all the men and
women who make up our city team and of all of our volunteers in our community who help in so many ways. So, I look forward to working with the team, our businesses, all of our citizens to continue to build Ocean City that everybody can enjoy for generations to come and we will always be America's
greatest family resort. So, is that good enough, Jerry? >> Thanks, J. Great. >> Thank you very much. And then again, uh, I got an email and about just getting into details and that's what Frank's going to do at the next meeting. He'll really get down to the guts of it and show everything that we have done. So, I just and again, I want to thank council
uh for everything and uh we'll get we'll get this budget passed and keep on going. So, thank you. >> All right. Thanks, Mayor. I appreciate it. Um, with that, we'll move to our first innocent comment, which is on agenda, meetings only, items only. Uh, Jim
Good evening, Mayor and City Council. Jim Kelly, 137 West Wesley. >> Thank you. >> I want to address the hiring of a planner regarding the future of 600 Boardwalk, the Wonderland site. Let me say clearly from the outset, I am not opposed to council securing expertise.
In fact, I think that is a wise thing to do. This is a complicated issue and having more professional resources can help the city make better decisions. My concern is with the scope of the work. At the last meeting, you heard a number of a number of objections to this
hiring. Among them, the cost and the specific work that the planner would undertake. We do appreciate the additional visibility into the cost that was provided, but there still remains very little visibility into the work itself. what exactly the planner the
planner will be asked to do and how that work will help move this issue forward. From my perspective as a citizen and also as a member of the boardwalk subcommittee, there are two things that I hope council will keep in mind. First, I'm concerned that this hiring could be
used as an exercise that provides cover to take the city back down the rehabilitation path. Over the past year, we have lost hours and hours on that issue with multiple votes, revotes, and some very angry public meetings. We also have already heard from planning experts
on this issue as part of the planning board's review. This designation has been thoroughly reviewed, studied, and decided. We need need to move forward, not backward. Further, the designation debate seems designed solely to give away power and favors to the developer
and answers none of the central questions the city actually needs to resolve. It does not tell us what the best permitted use is for 600 boardwalk. It does not tell us what development would strengthen the boardwalk and it does not tell us what would be in the
best long-term interests of the of Ocean City. Those are the questions that actually matter. And importantly, those are exactly the questions currently being taken up by the boardwalk subcommittee. Which leads to my second point. That subcommittee could genuinely use
additional data. In fact, it could use exactly the kind of input you are considering hiring. An outside expert could help evaluate what is realistically possible at the site, what approaches would be problematic, and what kinds of uses might best activate the boardwalk and advance the city's
goals. That kind of work would move the conversation forward. So, I would simply urge council to direct this reser resource toward the question that actually needs answering, what should happen at 600 Boardwalk, rather than toward an endless series of votes on a
designation that answers no real question, but continues to consume city resources and divide our community. Thank you. >> Thanks. >> Thank you, >> Marie. U Marie Hayes, Ocean City. Um my husband and I have been residents in Ocean City
for 22 years. Um I want to respectfully request to have resolution 2681, 2683, and 2688 called for further explanation and discussion. And I just wanted to mention
that my husband and I attended the Ocean City Public Safety Recognition event on Tuesday. We listened to many incredible accounts of heroic actions of our police, fire, and beach patrol in dealing with attempted suicides, overdoses, heart attacks, fire rescues, and open
water rescues. Um, Chief Police Chief Campbell had an introduction of drone technology to public safety. It was amazing to see a video of open water rescue where buoy is dropped by drone to the swimmer. Um, so we just I just want to thank police
chief William Campbell, fire chief Bernard Walker, and beach patrol chief Eric Becker who are credit to the city community. Thank you. >> Thanks, Marie. >> Thanks, Mark. >> Okay, with that, we'll move into reports from city council. Tony, >> no reports.
>> Sean, oh, no one else has signed up. Sean >> Keith. >> Oh, good sir. >> What? >> Yeah. >> Uh, sure. Just let me do this and I'll bring you right up. >> Jody, >> I'm good.
>> David. Okay, ma'am. >> Yes. >> Come on up. It's on the agenda, right? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Marie Crawford. Please. Uh, the first thing I wanted to
mention is item 2592. Um, should that be 2692? Um, because I tried to map that to the item that was in the um
the packet to the agenda and it looks like it's the wrong >> I don't see a >> I don't see a packet. >> Correct. It looks like it's correct on ours. >> So, in the published packet online, it
um it says 2592 where the consent agenda says 26.92. So, I was not able to read uh information. It's about the leazone to the housing authority. >> So, there's no information about that for the public.
>> Okay. So I would like to know about that and I think with public notice it should be published so that the public has the 48 hour notice prior to um bringing it before council
me. >> Okay I will get it addressed. Thank you. >> Thank you. Um the other item is on page 97 of the packet. Um bringing the number down to 33 properties
and the packet indicates that a windshield survey was done to determine which properties are in need of rehabilitation. Um, I was just looking at that and I thought, well, a property right next to
these in need of rehabilitation. So, how do I know that's not going to be turned into low-income housing? So, um, I would like to when I look at that, I'd like to be able to know how the public is supposed to identify which properties have been selected by the city as homes
in need of rehabilitation. um and that we should be notified about that rather than the city just selecting them and then putting it on an agenda and proceeding. >> Council President, which which item on
the agenda is Mr. Crawford talking about? >> It's 2693. >> 2694. Now >> 94 >> 94. Now the first item is 2692 which was mistakenly put in as 2592 in the packet and the second item is 2694
and that item was pulled from the agenda a couple days ago but I'd be happy to talk to you after the meeting and clarify that whole issue for you. I don't explain to or I can explain to council. >> Well, I'm just wondering when the public will be notified about what properties have it says it's a windshield survey
which I think needs a driveby. So, a drive by survey done to identify properties in need of rehabilitation doesn't give the public much confidence in what's going to happen that where those houses are going. So, >> okay. Thank you.
>> Thank you. >> Yep. Appreciate it. >> I mean, council president, would you like me to address that last one just because it'd be very quick? >> Sure. Um, so that that resolution was pulled from your agenda because it's going to be changed over the next couple
of weeks. But what Miss Crawford was talking about is a means of determining in Ocean City how much money in our spending plan which governs the expenditure funds from the from the affordable housing trust fund should be
dedicated toward rehabilitation. The building inspector drives the city and does a windshield survey and tries to determine approximately how many homes in Ocean City would qualify for rehabilitation funds. It wouldn't be to
designate any home as an affordable housing home, but there are funds up to $25,000 which someone who needs basic services to improve their house could apply to could apply for by applying to the city for rehabilitation funds. So that's just
a tool used to determine how much of the budget should be allocated toward rehabilitation funds. And for instance, if there's someone in the speaker's neighborhood who is lacking in basic funds, they could apply to this fund,
get a an award and fix up their house. It wouldn't turn it into afford affordable housing in any way. It will not change the owner of the home. It will not change the the nature of the home. It would just provide funds for someone who is income qualified to
improve their home. But that will come back later once that spending plan has been finalized. But that's that's the nature and purpose of the windshield survey. >> I have a quick question. >> Sure. >> So those funds will there be a limit to
those funds and therefore it be on first come first serve basis? >> Yeah. How are they qualified? Yeah. Yeah. Like how they apply cuz typically >> I'm thinking it, they're thinking it, right? >> Yeah. And an application to be made to the city. I don't know if anybody applied for them in the last round,
which was a 10-year period. >> Okay. >> And if the city were to get more applications than we have allocated funds for, we would amend the spending plan to increase the amount allocated to rehabilitation funds. So the budget is
just that. It's a projection of what is expected will be needed. But if additional funds were needed, there's the ability to go into court, go to fair sharehousing, amend the plan, and put more funds in place. >> Okay. Thank you. >> So, in essence, it would be fair.
>> That's the goal. Yes. Absolutely. Absolutely. >> Yep. >> And it's a net net uh impact on the on our budget, right? >> There's no impact on our budget because, as you know, that's a good question, Councilman. These funds are already sitting in a trust fund. These are funds
that are collected as development fees under certain circumstances when there's new construction or rehabilitation of existing properties in town. Development fees get put into the what used to be called the COA trust fund is now called the affordable housing trust fund and
those funds are set aside and spent in accordance with the spending plan. This resolution number 17 was pulled from the agenda because the spending plan is going to be revised, not with respect to the windshield survey that Mrs. Crawford he's asking about but with respect to other aspects so the whole thing will be
back before you shortly. >> Okay. Thank you D. And as far as 2692 um it just says that we're required to appoint someone and we are appointing someone. >> Um you know I didn't put a um backup in it. I'm not sure what the numbering
situation was. Perhaps at one point it appeared on the agenda as 2592. My copy does say 2692. But as the body of the resolution states, we're we're required by law. You are required by law to designate a
municipal housing housing leaison. So this is a housekeeping resolution designating Mr. Donado as Ocean City's municipal housing leaison. >> Okay, great. Thanks Daddy. Um I have a motion to adopt the regular city council meeting minutes of Thursday uh February
19th, 2026. >> So move Winslow second. >> Roll call. Roll call. Okay, Mr. Pochini >> here. >> Yes. >> We're taking Sorry. Yes. Sorry. >> The voice threw you off. Okay. Mr. Barnes. >> Mr. Barnes. Yes.
>> Mr. Hartzel. >> I'm here, too, but I'm a Yes. >> Mr. Lovechuck. >> Yes. >> Mr. Winslow? >> Yes. >> And Mr. Crowley? >> Yes. >> Thank you. Thank you, Mike. >> Not Mr. >> I said Mr. Barnes. >> Did you? >> Yes. >> So, I guess I'm Yes. He's also here. >> You nodded your head. Um, all right. We
have a couple of ordinances on the agenda this evening. Uh the first ordinance is a second reading. Um can I >> council president before Mr. Alvarez reads that long title. Um the administration is asking you to table this ordinance. I thought it was going
to be till to April 9th, but I understand that that meeting has been cancelled because there will be no form. So the administration is asking that this be tabled to April 23rd. Again, changes being made in the affordable housing program. I'd like to bring it back to you at that time. >> Okay. Can I have a motion to table uh 26
>> O2? >> Barnes Hartzhell. >> Mr. Pchini. >> Yes. >> Mr. Barnes. >> Yes. >> Mr. Hartzell. >> Yes. >> Mr. Lovechuk. >> Yes. >> Mr. Winslow. >> Yes. >> And Mr. Crowley. >> Yes. >> Thank you. >> What was the date on that again? I'm
sorry. >> Everyone's talking loud tonight. >> All right. Uh I don't know. >> Second ordinance is uh 2603. Can I have a motion to take up 2603 on second reading of public hearing? >> So move Winslow. >> Second.
>> Winsow. >> Do the roll confir. >> Oh, sorry. >> Mr. Pchini. >> Yes. >> Mr. Barnes. >> Yes. >> Mr. Hartzell. >> Yes. >> Mr. Lovechuk. >> Yes. >> Mr. Winslow. >> Yes. >> And Mr. Crowley. >> Yes.
Ordinance 26-03, an ordinance amend amending a portion of ordinance 87-17 and 13-23, chapter 2, boards, authorities, and commissions of the revised general ordinance of the city of Ocean City. >> Well done. Well done.
>> This ordinance is before you at the request of the utility advisory commission and its city council leazison, Councilman Madden. just inserts into the existing uh administrative code some a couple of provisions including attendance
requirements which encourage the members to attend the meetings at the risk of of being excused from membership on the commission. Um talks about a city liaison in addition to a city council liaison. Um adds to the mission
statement. So, it's it's something that's before you by these uh members of the commission who are very dedicated to their role monitoring utility costs and they've they've inserted into their mission an education role. They'd like
to offer education to the citizens efficiency. >> Thank you, Daddy. Since this is a second reading, we will go out to public comment on 2603 only. Does anyone like to comment on 2603? Okay. Seeing none
questions for council. Tony, >> no questions. >> Sean, >> no questions. >> Keith, >> no questions. >> Jody, >> I'm good. >> Dave, >> no. >> I have no questions. Can I have a motion to adopt 2603 on second reading? >> Move. >> Second. >> Mr. Pochini,
>> yes. >> Mr. Barnes, >> yes. >> Mr. Hartzell, >> yes, sir. >> Mr. Lovechuk, >> yes. >> Mr. Winslow, >> yes. >> And Mr. Crowley, >> yes. >> All right. Brings us to the consent agenda. All resolutions listed on the consent agenda are considered to be routine in nature and will be enacted by
one motion. If the mayor or any council person wishes a particular resolution to be considered separately, it will be removed from the agenda. Anything to be removed, mayor, >> I would like to remove 2699. >> 2699 remove number 11 26.88.
2688. >> And at the request of Miss Hayes, I'd like to u remove 2681, 2683, >> and Dave already said 268. >> Hold on. Hold on. Go back. 80. How many? >> Just two of them. >> Two.
>> 26.81 and 2683. >> Is that right? >> All right. Tony, you went first. >> Um, in the payments, the claims, um, one of them is to the company that I work for. So, I just wanted to make it clear
that um I do not sell to the city of Ocean City. I do not own the company. I make no benefits from this. So, I just wanted to make it to the public that these claims for the company that I work for um I will um excuse myself from this.
>> Okay. Um anyone else have anything to add on 26.99? >> Can I have a motion to adopt 26.99? to read it. It's really tight. >> Sorry. Public comment. >> Yes. >> Sorry, I don't have Melissa tonight, so
I'm all out of sorts here. >> So, um, Right. So, it was pulled. So, we have to read it by title and then we have to go to public comic. >> Yep. Correct. >> Okay. >> Is it that's the missing public? >> Okay. Okay. So, 26 I I have 98. The 2699
authorizing the payment of claims. That's the title. Okay. Let's go to public comment. >> Public comment, please. Seeing none, can I have a motion to approve 26.99? >> Motion second.
>> Mr. Pchini, >> Mr. Barnes, >> yes. >> Mr. Hartzell, >> yes, sir. >> Mr. Lovechuk, >> yes. >> Mr. Winslow, >> yes. >> And Mr. Crowley, >> yes. >> All right, we'll just go in numerical order then.
>> 2681. Sean, >> I'm just pointing at you to answer this case question. >> All right. I think let let Michael read the read the title. >> 2681 authorizing award of professional service contract to McCraen and Stanton PC for 2026 special litigation services.
>> Okay. Sorry, Sean. Go ahead. >> Uh I'm just in response to Miss Hayes question to pull so we can discuss it. >> Okay. Does anyone have anything to discuss? Dave, >> no. Jody >> Keith does want does anybody want to explain
more? It >> says what is foration? >> As we have every year our resolution, >> Miss McCross and handles all of our all of our legal services as in her position as our city solicitor. We retain her firm for any
litigation services that we may need. From time to time, she is involved with with litigation. It's it's a small fraction of uh of the amount of services that we uh uh that she provides for us, but uh that's what it's for. And we've
done that for as long as she's been our solicitor. Uh we retain her as an employee as our solicitor for all those other legal services other than litigation. That's it. >> Thank you, George. Okay, I'll go again around council Dave Jody Keith.
>> I'm I'm satisfied. Sean. >> Good. >> Okay. Uh, public comment. Yep. On 80 2681 only. >> Seeing none. Okay. Can I have a motion to adopt 2681, please? >> So move Winslow.
>> Second. >> Mr. Porchini. >> Yes. >> Mr. Barnes? >> Yes. >> Mr. Hartzell? >> Yes. Sir. >> Mr. Lovechuk. >> Yes. >> Mr. Winszo? >> Yes. And Mr. Crowley? >> Yes. All right. Um,
the next one is 2683. We'll just go in numerical order. Correct. Read that one. >> Resolution 26-83 authorizing award of professional service contract to Carllin Ward Ashart LLC for special legal counsel for
calendar year 2026. >> Mr. Barnes, do you have a question about this or you just want me to >> just further explanation just like George did for the other. This is the firm that's handled the condemnation matters on behalf of Ocean City for many years. What's left of all the condemn pending condemnation awards
is the appeal filed by Palmer Center LLC of the jury award awarded to Ocean City and the cost recovery action that will be undertaken to recover for Ocean City the cost of remediating the contamination at the Palmer Center
field. So they are the most familiar with this. They've been living with this case for many, many years. Um, and they're doing at a low municipal rate. This is one of the few municipal cases they still have where they're I think they're charging $200 an hour. Um, we
get a very good result for that price and um I recommend that that council sticks with with this firm for the pending litigation and the cost recovery action. >> Okay. Thank you, Dy. Questions from council. Tony, >> no questions. Sean Keith,
>> I wish my lawyer was $200. >> Jody, >> it makes perfect sense. And yes, >> David, >> no question. >> All right. And I'm good. Um, we do need to go out to public comment on 2683, please. >> Anyone? Okay, seeing none, can I have a motion
to adopt 2683, please? >> So move. >> Second. >> Mr. Pchini? >> Yes. >> Mr. Barnes? >> Yes. >> Mr. Hartell? Yes, >> Mr. Lovechuk. >> Yes, >> Mr. Winslow. >> Yes, >> Mr. Crowley. >> Yes. >> Which brings us to I don't Is that That
was it, Sean? Right. Just those. Okay. >> Um brings us to 2688. Michael, just get that in front of me here. >> 268 number 11. >> Okay. Resolution 26-88
authorizing the award of a professional service contract to Jennifer Heler VP AICP of Holistine and Associates LLC as a professional planner to assist city council in evaluating proposals regarding 600 Borwalk. >> Okay. Who pulled this one?
>> Dave, I did. >> Why don't you go first? >> Okay. I have I prepared some remarks so just so I captured all my thoughts on on this issue. Uh fellow council members, at the city council meeting on February the 19th, I
requested a resolution for a planner for 600 boardwalk property to be tabled until more information could be obtained. Specifically, the scope of responsibilities of the planner were not known among other questions that needed to be addressed. Since then, I've
conducted my due diligence and I'm sure my fellow councilmen have done the same thing. I need to be confident in making a decision a fiduciary responsibility to the city and its residents that I do not take lightly. I will explain what I found. It's rather lengthy, so please
bear with me. Let's start with the idea of a planner. The planning board has an engaged uh dedicated or has engaged a dedicated planner. The owner of 600 Boardwalk has hired his own dedicated planner.
The planner will provide city council, if approved, with direction and planning considerations on issues that must be addressed when any plan is eventually submitted to city council. The planner will not, and I repeat, will not make
recommendation for city council to consider rehabilitation or redevelopment. The maximum expense is $15,000. The expected timeline to provide city council with areas of focus uh to
investigate is will take about 45 days. The subcommittee is expected to provide a report to city council with a target date of May of early May, roughly the same 45day window. So these two independent processes will work in the
same time frame as the subcommittee prepares recommendations for the vision of the future of Boardwalk and suggested changes to the master plan. This planner will be a valuable resource to the committee if needed as we formulate our long-term strategy and recommendations.
To date, there was a request for rehabilitation sent to city council. The planning board reviewed the request and will be memorializing the decisions and it will send it back to council for one of three actions. Approve rehabilitation, deny re rehabilitation
or do nothing. I am concerned that if city council does not conduct their own independent due diligence and relies on information from others, we will not have been procedurally compliant in assessing all the options for 600 boardwalk. Randy
Schul, a well- reggarded planner who guides the planning board, uses the words in his report on the rehabilitation request to a planning board, and I'll quote, "Making a judgment call, subjective nature of things, degree of professional judgment,
and may as opposed to shall these terms, these are terms that leave open the door to further investigation if a decision is to be made on rehabil rehabilitation, redevelopment, any other type of redevelopment at that property that is
not in compliance with existing zoning. To be procedurally compliant, we on city council will be well served to engage our own dedicated planner to lay out the considerations that we as a governing body must review before making any
decision on the future of 600 boardwalk. It would be in the best interest of all parties involved for city council to be procedurally compliant rather than have the courts decide the city did not complete their due diligence and we were not procedurally compliant. Now let's
take talk about the scope uh of work for this proposed planner. The planner's charge is to review the multitude of factors that need to be considered by council in assessing any future development options at 600 boardwalk including master plan consistency
surrounding properties to the north southwest DP and caffer considerations as well as many others. And about the planner I understand there's only about four or five land use planners in the area. One is Tiffany
Moresy very good who was provi who provided Mr. Mia's report that leaves four available Jennifer Heler previously worked in government as a planner she now now she works in a private sector she understands the dynamics of both
types of organizations public and private misser is battle tested from her work over a decade with other local municipalities facing similar contested decisions Mr. Mr. Rididgeway has known Jennifer Heler for over a decade and has
worked with her very successfully on a variety of planning issues. Mr. Rididgeway when we first had this request reached out to Miss Heler to see if she would be interested in the assignment. Upon agreement, he contacted
Mr. Polyina's firm to see if she was available. We really hired Jennifer Heler, not Mr. Polyina's firm. regarding the professional services contract. While putting this work out the bid is often appropriate when there's a standard known deliverable
such as boardwalk lumber, police vehicles, office supplies, etc. The state recognizes that work that falls under a professional services contract often involves intangible assets, multiple variables
and spec specific unique experience that cannot be adequately described or evaluated in a bid bid submission. As such, NJSA4A1 11-5 and NJA NJSA19.44-20.5
44-20.5 were recreed by the legislature for situations such as this. Of course, we can put the request out to bid for the planner and the city will be required to award the bid to the or the contract to
the lowest bidder. While the lowest bidder may have the minimum qualifications on paper, they not may not be the most experienced and their w work quality may not be known. I know from my days in the corporate world, I
would choose a professional that I knew over someone whose work product is not known. In the end, the property and ensuing process is very important to Ocean City and its future, and I'm confident this planner can guide the city council through the process, provide direction and planning
considerations when we're provided with proposals, and can carefully evaluate recommendations that will prov be provided by the subcommittee. After completing my due diligence, I believe all interests in Ocean City will be served by moving forward in engaging a
dedicated planner for city council so we can make wellthoughtout datadriven decisions for this property. After all, we all want 600 Boardwalk to be transformed into something awesome. Thank you. >> Thank you, Jim. Can
>> you repeat that? >> Yeah, I have wrote it out. Um, Jody. >> Uh, so again, I guess I'm thankful that Councilman Winsow gets to speak first, so I didn't have to go through all that. So, I agree with everything that he said and, um, and I'll just say that, um, I
did have an opportunity to meet with our attorney, Mr. Rididgeway, and I'm even more confident after that meeting in what we're doing here tonight and as I was two weeks ago. So, thank you to both of you for pulling it two weeks ago so we could have that full opportunity. Here we are. I'm a yes. I have no
questions. Thank you. Okay, Keith, >> I want to thank both of you for covering just about everything. Um, but I do want to thank our our president um for leading this charge for us and Mr. Rididgeway for meeting with me twice.
It's probably one more time than he'd like to know. Been very professional. I I'd like to thank Council Winslow for all the work that he did on this. Um, it's a lot of work and I just want to say that this has made me feel more comfortable what I need to do and the
most important thing is there's always two sides to every story and every litigation and every debate. This is going to help formulate what I think in a manner that will be acceptable in case we ever come under any kind of scrutiny. what I've said is said in the proper
way, understanding the definitions properly and how to use those definitions properly. And that's the most important part to me is fine-tuning my thoughts and what I think to be more professional because I I can say this,
none of us up here have this experience to any degree except Mr. Barnes. This should bring us up to a level, not quite to his, but a level that will be confident in making this decision. And that's what this is about. This is about competence in being able to formulate what we need to say, how we're going to
say it, and I'm I'm very pleased to say, let's move forward. I think this is a great thing. >> Thank you, Keith. Sean, >> well, thanks um thanks Dave for your excellent presentation. Jody, thanks for um your comments as well as Keith. Um
I'm just going to keep it short. Mr. Ridgeway has opened his himself up to uh long discussions. Dave and I and Terry met with him last Friday. He spoke for an hour and a half and I spoke with him 45 minutes or so today. U my my reservation when the last time was the
scope of work and he's satisfied everybody is satisfied u what the scope of work is going to be and I do think it's the best uh move at this point in time. Uh so when we vote on it I'll be yes. >> Okay. Thank you Sean Tony. Yeah, just to reiterate uh everybody's work. Dave,
wonderful uh speech and uh work. Appreciate it. And um yeah, I'm for moving forward and getting some more information. >> Good. I mean, I talked uh at length at the last meeting. I certainly think um it's in the spirit of hiring the best
people we can identify and letting them do their job and report back to us. Um there was a question at the last meeting, will this report be available to the public? Absolutely. Uh it'll be it's it's tax dollars that are being spent. The report will be available if and when anyone wants to look at it. And
one other thing I want to add while we're on this whole 600 boardwalk situation. Um I think it's important to address based on what the mayor said tonight around how seriously we take your tax dollars and and how uh we want to spend them in the most wise way.
There's been a lot of talk on Facebook and internet and all this sort of thing and I know it's passionate but I'm not talking about whatever ends up there. Whatever ends up there, whoever's the developer, whatever they decide to do on that property, I'm going to speak on the majority of city council. I think it's
saying there's not going to be any type of pilot situation offered from the city to anyone. They're going to pay their fair share just like everyone else on the island does, no matter who the developer ends up being. So, if there are the other developers out there that are looking at it, that option is
officially off the table. And I hope that puts to bed some of the, you know, unin misinformation that's that's, uh, bandied about in the community. So, I'll stop there. I won't be long-winded, but um, it was pulled from the agenda. So,
that means we will go out to public comment on 2688. Uh, anyone for public comment on 2688, please? Dave. Sure. >> Dave Hayes, Ocean City. So, I I think I heard Thank you, Dave, for on scope, but
I I'm still not clear on time frame and for costs and and just going back to the scope. So, this I I think I heard you say this isn't just for 600 Boardwalk, but for and and you'll be you'll be looking at other areas, too.
Um so so main question is I think we're close on scope um but um I didn't I not clear on time frame or cost. >> All right. We'll follow up with you Dave. Anyone else for uh 26.88.
Okay. With that being said, can I have a motion to adopt 2688, please? >> Second. >> Winslow. >> Winslow. >> Mr. Pchini. >> Yes. >> Mr. Barnes. Yes, >> Mr. Hartzel. >> Thank you, Mr. Clerk. >> Mr. Lovechuk. >> Yes,
>> Mr. Winslow. >> Yes. >> And Mr. Crowley. >> Yes. >> All right. Which bring us to the remaining items on the consent agenda. Can I have a motion to adopt the consent remaining items on the consent agenda? >> So move. Winsow. >> Second. >> Wins. Second. Pchini. >> Mr. Pchini.
>> Yes. >> Mr. Barnes. >> Yes. >> Mr. Hartsell. >> Yes. And please. >> Mr. Lovechuk. >> Yes. >> Mr. Winslow. >> Yes. >> And Mr. Crowley. >> Yes. Which brings us to pending business. Tony, >> no pending. >> Sean.
>> Yeah. I'll just bring up very briefly something I brought up at the last meeting. This group this of concerned citizens that was formed recently called the citizens looking to assist merchants. It's called clams for short, which I love the name. Um they have met a few times since that last meeting and
I was able to join them in a couple of their phone calls. Uh even though that last meeting was really uh when I mentioned it a few weeks ago at our last council meeting um that was really just to get the word out there and see what kind of uh interest there would be in it. Uh there wasn't anything that was
really uh formulated yet and it still hasn't. Um from what I understand members of the committee and that in that group have been reaching out to some of the boardwalk merchants. Not all of them yet but uh we're trying to come up with some ideas. Uh, and right now they have like a hundred ideas, which is
awesome. And in a few short weeks they put together a hundred ideas of things they could do up there. And the idea is to um to bring some activity down to that end of the boardwalk, but not keep it down there, which is something I really like. It's they're calling these
events uh popup events, which has its own character, and then these push pull events. And the push pull events are the is the idea where, hey, we'll do some event down there. I'll give you an example. a pizza tasting contest and people will go down to to Fifth Street
and get a uh a coupon or excuse me a a wristband and then they could go up and down the boardwalk to all the participating merchants and try their pizza if they have uh wristband. I mean, that's just one idea. But the the concept is to get people moving up and down the boardwalk uh and utilize that
space in between Fifth and Seventh Street. And maybe it'll grow in the future. Maybe it'll expand to more of the of the island and of the boardwalk. Um it's something that there's a lot of things to be worked out. One of the members has been actively actively engaged with the speaking with the school uh the the intermediate school
and the high school specifically to get their buy in. Uh there's a lot of te's and eyes got to be our eyes got to be eyes got to be dotted and te's got to be crossed. Um but these conversations are preliminary but the excitement is real. These people are really into it. Um the
the if we can get the kids involved, I think it'd be awesome if they were to come up with the ideas for the activities that happen down there. Um but the bottom line is this group is really uh been very proactive. Tony and I have talked about some ideas that he has um the different platforms. Uh I
would like to get the council as involved as possible with this and and buy in. I think it's just a really good proactive uh plan for that end of the boardwalk and the whole island. You know, we're all working together. We all want to see the merchants thrive um because they provide the character of
our of our island to a very large extent. So uh this is off to a good start. Got a long way to go uh but in a short period of time you know uh but they are getting some things done u and I welcome anybody to reach out to me. I can put you in contact with the people
that are actually kind of running it. Um and we'll keep the ball rolling. That's it. >> All right. Thank you. Uh Keith, >> I'm good sir. Thank you. >> Jody, >> nothing bad. Dave, I'm >> good. >> All right, brings us to new business. David, >> Jody, >> uh, new business. I don't think I've
ever missed um, Clark Rasmer so much in my life. >> You You and me both. >> Mike, you did a great job. You did a great job, Mike. >> I I took it as a compliment. Thank you. >> Don't worry. Welcome back.
>> Thank you. >> All right, Sean. >> Nothing. No, >> Tony. Um, March 23rd, 3, excuse me, I'm sorry, 3:21 March 21st. It's uh, World Down Syndrome Day. It's dear to my heart as my son has Down Syndrome. Uh, every
year, um, we celebrate it by wearing yellow and blue. So, I'd like to see some administration on 321 wear their yellow and blue cuz I will come and check. Uh, also for the public. Yeah. Um my wife a few years ago and um her
friend ran from Washington DC from New York City to Washington DC and they raised a ton of money and that money we had talked about before is going to go to the playground at 34th Street for the adjustable um basketball net for the um
kids that with special needs or handicap or whatever it is. We're going to we're going to donate that money for that. So, I just wanted to reiterate and remember everybody, we were able to do the bridge years ago. I don't know if we could do it this year, but we were able to do the bridge in the lights of blue and yellow.
So, just uh would you remember 321 wear yellow and blue and Michael will appreciate it and myself and any other uh family that have children with Down syndrome. So, I thank you. >> Thanks. >> Just real quick, let's talk about the bridge lights. We're not in charge of them. >> Yes. Yes.
>> That's why >> and and we have a new governor. We have a new uh commissioner. I was told they practiced on the summer's point side. So, we're working on it, but it's not
us. But they are I shouldn't say I'm confident. I'm hoping we'll be ready by something, but we'll we'll stay on it. But not us. >> I'm not throwing flame. I just >> All right. Thanks, guys. Um, I have nothing for um, new business other than to say, and I know Die mentioned it
tonight, um, I don't know if Melissa's advertised it or not, but the council meeting for 49 uh, has been cancelled. Uh, it's right after Easter. It's also the week that all the Ocean City kids are um, on spring break, so there's just a lot of family conflicts with people
being away. and um instead of we work with Frank to make sure all the bills are paid and uh that that meeting is going to be cancelled and we'll just pick up on the next cadence of meetings just so everyone's aware. Um with that said, we can go out to our citizen comment which is anything that you'd
like to speak about. So we'll start with this side. Anyone? No. Okay. How about this side? Bill, not even you. >> Not even Wes, come on up. Oh, Bill come up anyway.
>> That's too shy. >> Good evening, guys. Uh West Kazmark speaking on behalf of Boris. Um actually here tonight not to directly talk about 600 block um but uh to discuss um felt like it was necessary um to discuss how
the entertainment on the boardwalk as a whole and and 600 block and what we're planning to do with that um and and our role in that. Um, I'll admit I was planning to come here anyway after um what you brought up at the last meeting with the clans,
whatever that that that initiative really is. Um, I I uh I think it's important that maybe I explain to the council and anyone who's um here or I I don't really get into the weeds with the
social media stuff, but I've read editorials in the paper and I kind of know the narrative out there with the boardwalk merchants right now and um how we feel with what's going on up there. And there's a little bit of um a process. Um we've talked about process before. So I'll talk about process on
how events happen on the boardwalk and how they have happened on the boardwalk for decades. This is not something that we do. Um the boardwalk merchants um have a self-imposed tax that's called SID tax. It stands for special improvement district. Um we adopted this on
ourselves years ago um to help put uh to help bring entertainment to the boardwalk. um that that tax uh is about $90,000. Um in addition to that, we're merchants gener uh donate uh
uh depending on the year up to $40,000. Uh that budget um helps us do things like the Easter egg hunt, uh the mummer's night, uh family night, all sorts of different things. Um, we've worked real hard at this for a
really long time and I, you know, I I've heard some things sometimes people think that like, you know, we're not on board with the other ideas that come out there cuz they're not they're not our ideas. And actually, um, a lot of the ideas that I've heard other people bring up are actually really good ideas. Um,
they're ideas that we've actually tried before, sometimes twice. Uh, and like, you know, we swing the bat a lot and we've tried a lot of different ideas up there. they just don't all work. It's delicate balance trying to find something up there that is great for our guests but also doesn't hurt our
businesses. Um it's it's tricky um at times. Um so the claims people they haven't reached out to me, they haven't reached out to the downtown, the chamber of commerce, anybody in the city. They haven't reached out to Judy as a board of merchant I believe. And I I would have loved to have that conversation.
and I would have not to not do it up here, but since you brought it up public and you brought a budget and us allocating like an, you know, $50,000 to it, like, you know, that's um these are conversations we should probably have. Not here. Um, you know, um 600 block is
tough. Uh we have not been sitting on our hands all winter trying to just like, you know, hopefully, you know, stay complacent and hope that the boardwalk, whatever you guys come up with, will save us. We're not doing that. like we've been working real hard trying to figure out what we can do about that end of the boardwalk
specifically. Um, and we have some really good ideas coming. We're not at liberty to go there yet because we still have to work with everybody, the city, the chamber, talk to the merchants. We have there's just a process of things that have to happen before we come to the public and we make sure that everybody is on board and that it's
economically possible to do. um you know uh the I' I've again I've heard a lot of the uh the narrative out there that the merchants are just um you know just hoping that this is going to get you know this doesn't get built it's all
over I you know we're very excited for this summer we have worked really hard to have entertainment across the entire boardwalk um and we are working on something down there and uh I think the key is though we we work together as like everything goes together. There's a
lot of parts that go into it. So when I hear things about things like that and and none of the people who are involved, we've been also working on things since October. It's pretty late in the game to be talking about this kind of stuff than not even bring in the people who actually put the events on. It's just easier said than done. And I would like
to be and I'm sure the Chamber of Commerce, I'm sure the city would like to be involved in that um just so we can maybe make something happen. Um that's really I just wanted to address that. But we're working really hard. We're very excited for the summer. I think the boardwalk is going to be great. I don't want to end like on a positive note
here. I think it's we have a lot of good things planned up there. Merchants have been working really hard to make sure that businesses are better than ever. And I, you know, long as we have weather, I think we're going to be great. But that's all I ask. I just ask a little bit more uh conversation um before we're talking to public about it.
It's kind of put in the car before the horse, if you ask me. >> Thank you, Wes. Appreciate it. >> Anyone else? Public comment. All right. Seeing none, could I have a motion to adjurnn?