##VIDEO ID:kL5-pfGdM6Y## all right we're going to call to order of the city council meeting of Thursday July 25th 2024 please stand for Pledge of Allegiance in a prayer I pledge ALG to the flag of the United States of America and to the repblic for it stands one nation God indivisible with libery and justice for all please bow your head for a moment of silence and prayer amen amen hey Mr Barnes here Mr Crowley here Mr Harel here Mr lovech here Mr Pini Mr Winslow here Mr Madden here adequate notice of this meeting has been given pursuit to Public Law 1975 chapter 231 we're going to go right into reports from the mayor and the administration I just have a a couple um project updates of Marian Park uh we're going to continue to work through the summer in the area of the little Leake field on Bay Avenue Simpson Avenue and 35th Street uh there will be no road closings during the work and allow for the new pump stations to be operational around Thanksgiving so if we would have stopped work we probably would have been in March before that project's done so as um tough it can be uh for all that construction it seems to keep on going I I think they're doing a a pretty good job down there permits are looking good we'll be starting our substation in October and then the pool at the community center I think we're going to have to bid Vince isn't here he's over in York with a Dell um uh we're opening bids I think and getting that going so it'll probably be the whole month of a of August and then hopefully around a labor day so it is the best time to do it when you talk about the school kids and all that it's nice out so hopefully they can swim in the ocean couple other things that we're going to be bringing for there's a few areas out around town for parking that I'll be bringing to you guys um the occupancy tax we're going to nail that down get that done before for um the end of the year and a couple other ordinances with trailers and all that kind of stuff I talked to you guys about that already one thing on uh I think it's three on the agenda resolution we're asking the state to slow down on a thousand Page New D rules that adopt that they want adopt by next summer The Proposal changes will well intended but will acquire homes and streets and public infrastructure to be built 5T higher than the elevation requirements that are already strict resolution as to state to study all potential impacts before moving forward so I mean this is almost like the windmills again with the home rule you got the DP that is is trying to do things without going through the legislator you know going through the people to find out whether they want it but it seems to me that the few up there want to stop all construction on barrier islands and also Inland with Upper Township so it was a big report the LX people down the county did a report on it but you know it's when it comes to zoning all that everybody thinks it's so easy and uh you know and good things and you know it just said everything has a a action has a reaction so we're just asking to slow it down and make sure that we do things right so I mean if they ask us to raise the houses higher I mean in The Gardens my understanding is again you know they would they would pop up like you see around town so it's it's one of those things where it affects the the whole state of New Jersey I know the assemblymen and the Senators and all the politicians are looking at it so we just want to try to get a a a a handle on it but again if it if it does come our way you know we're working on a master plan so one thing I'm going to be doing within the next few months is I'm going to get with all our Ward councilmen and come to each in your your Awards and have a town hall meeting about zoning and our master plan so a lot going to be going on this uh this fall winter so that's it all right thank you we're going to open up the citizen comment sign up first is Donna hi um just give your name yeah thank you Donna redes I live at 3204 Bay Avenue I think um um I was here last year around the same exact time and was told that everything kind of would be taken care of um our neighbor across the alley Chapman Vil um I brought some pictures this time we've lived there since for about 23 years I've never been here before until last year but on June 23rd of last year he pulled two boat boats into his driveway the larger of the two is still there um I know he has a home in Florida but regardless the um the property I would like you to at least take a look at the weeds are so overgrown it's going over the boat at this point um we have all kinds of you know how close it is between alleys we have all kinds of Critters coming out of those weeds uh the place looks a sight it really does and I know that the um you just recently did Clubhouse Lagoon which looks beautiful and I thank you for that but he is directly across the street from that so when all of the people come to see the beautiful sunset it's uh his house that we see um this I don't know if you could see it but this is the weeds in the front and then there's the front of his house everything is completely overgrown um and the back my view is he he over a year ago was ordered to paint the bare wood on his garage door and his entrance to the garage it's still barewood now it's just barewood rotting away because it's been barewood for a year um his shed is very close to falling over and hitting our other neighbor's house Henry um it's literally like that and that's what the weeds look like with the boat right now it's literally going over the boat and the boat's on a trailer so it's kind of High um I don't know if you walked by recently Mr wins um so all I'm asking he's not he hasn't been around I'm not going to lie to you we haven't seen him it's been a pretty Pleasant summer but the fact remains the place looks a sight I don't know whether you can send somebody from the township over to just whack the weeds or do something but it looks it looks awful and that's it thank you that's a Code Enforcement issue and we will direct that to the appropriate person right away I will tell you he was cited last year and nothing has happened um not going to lie I wonder what would happen if I was cited I'm I'm assuming he should be fined at this point it's been a year like a whole year okay thanks very much thank you yep we'll follow up on uh Kevin my name is Kevin heer I live at 101 cook Drive Baldwinsville New York I'm here again to discuss the performance on the boardwalk um so Ocean City Maryland has its own boardwalk and they had performers there as well and in 2018 they did a class action lawsuit that determined that the performers were covered under free speech and so they basically cost the town hundreds of thousands of of dollars in lawyer fees just because they wanted to enforce unconstitutional rules in the boardwalk now I have a proposal today that can remedy the conflict between the shop owners and the performers so the spots between 9th and 12th Street were all taken away and there's really no justification to why the spots at 8th Street can have performers in front of it but the ones from 9th to 12th can't so if we rein State the spots from 9th to 12th but we introduce a new rule where you can only perform once and then have to alternate so you can't perform the same spot twice in a row then that can Rectify any shop owners complaining about being annoyed by performers so that's the proposal and keep in mind that the constitutional right of the performers is protected so everybody is okay with the rules as they were last year here so it's all right to have rules that go against Free Speech as long as those who are you know practicing the speech are okay with it so all the performers are okay with the proposal that I'm saying today so that is what I've come to say and me and my comrad will appreciate if you guys deliberate over it as we'll be eagerly waiting thank you all right George how are you today good are you George S Hill 700 block Center iue I may have jumped a gun I just wanted to speak about what was on the agenda today sure not so much something we can do that here yeah sure okay and I think the the mayor must have read some of what I want to say here um he took away Ocean City home rule to my knowledge dead still has $1 billion of the rate payer's money executive order 100 is just another way of control corruption and dictatorship of the governor to give credit to deputy chief government Governor government Affairs officer Ray canor article Murphy is using tactics to scare telling us to move to safer areas on or Retreat from the shore Retreat is the stated goal conveniently buried in the chapter 6.9 of the state's clim climate change resilience strategy the governor is making it harder to live work and develop along the coast it's a managed Retreat climate change is better described as another coordinated effort of fear control money-making rhetoric of the powerful we're placing buffers on already developed barriers protect the environment or perspective changed to increase by 5 ft the coastal flood elevation fix said climate threat under packed let's not talk about wind turbines retoric that are green and we'll solve the climate change threat we know that answer was Operation pop by climate change I digress in closing New New Jersey D website states that rules of executive order 100 will be posted on New Jersey register for a 90-day public comment period [Music] I agree with adopting your resolution on page three of uh resolution number three which said uh City commissioners additions however you are hired under the authority of We the People more can be done including Ward meetings which you had already stated Town meetings in a central location to better notify educate the community of Ocean City on these Zar driven orders education and discussion is important not hiding it something like this on a New Jersey website for 90 days where people will not see it it affects everybody in Ocean City and I think we we use the Tabernacle to just have meetings about the turbines I'm not saying use the tur the Tabernacle but I think more discussion there's people here they they see this that they're not interested but if we the ward goes out and starts talking to people and saying these are the things that are going on and like I said I understand what you're doing here on page three of resolution number three and I agree with that but I think more discussion need to be done and people living here are going to be affected and they're going to be bombarding you later down the road and say what is this what is this what is this that's all I have to say right thank you thank you all right we're going to move into uh reports from city council Dave any reports uh the only thing I want to say is this past weekend was night in Venice it was very successful I think it was one of the night in venice's and with the most energy uh around town again the Jimmy Buffet theme was very very U popular and I think everybody had a good time we had very very few incidents and I wanted to specifically thank the Ocean City police department and fire department they were out on the water they were on the streets they maintained control when we had some few people that didn't exactly follow the rules they were right on top of them so I think that really contributed to a very uh fun and enjoyable parade for everyone our our two well except for you Jay I'm sorry uh but uh and Brandon Graham and um Marty Smith I talked to him after the pray and they were just ecstatic over the energy and the number of people out there so I think it's a real tribute toas City and hopefully next year we'll have as much excitement and you and your team and again not just police uh community services and whole team I did forget that in our reports is you and your team did an amazing job this is probably one of the most organized you know you actually had to have P to get on the boats all that kind of stuff but I want to thank you and your team but also community services and the rest of the city team this up we talking to police je yesterday the Innocents were down the oneway streets worked on wall and um Spruce he's thinking about going over to Arkansas Michigan so the police inquire can get their apparatus and stuff down there so yeah it was it was a great night so thank everybody for that yeah and Dan keler and his team did an absolutely amazing job job behind the scenes getting everything to really be organized and well night doing the all the the prizes and all that stuff so great job okay thanks thanks Dave Jody yeah I mean I don't want to go on about it just I want to add to the same exact thing the cleanup was phenomenal and I got to say I mean you guys were very prepared for this event it it's become I think a Monumental event actually for the city the amount of hype and and people coming into town and the you know the uh we'll call it the auxiliary event of the floella that happened as well um and just seeing all the kids all cute with their floaty devices heading towards the bay in the middle of the afternoon it was just it was really really nice it was a great idea even though I got phone calls of people not liking closing the parking on Bay Avenue I thought it was a great idea to not have cars parked there it helped with safety and getting to the bay and and and the rivy area area a lot a lot better I think so uh so that was a very good idea and um and again the cleanup was just great the preparedness the dumpsters everything that was in place where they knew the people was going to be was was very very nice and the homeowners and the people that take the time to decorate their boats and take part in it that's not like a two-minute setup they also take months some of them to set up their homes so phenomenal make social City look great so thanks for the administration for keeping up their side thanks JY Keith yeah uh job well done and I I want to thank Council Winslow for coming on the radio um with us ahead of time we always have a lot of questions uh about night in Venice and how it could be better and actually I learned a lot uh on how it actually works and he did a great job so it's always good to have good communication uh about an event before an event happens and um what he said happened and it was a great night really appreciate it thanks Keith SE I agree 100% it was a great night in Venice I live over in Snug Harbor and every year it's the highlight of our year and this year was no exception so thank you everybody involved U berie and and Bill next year we'll try to come there yeah Council vote never comes in my than that thank you Terry I just say I Nomine Dave to head it up next year we'll talk about [Applause] that job all done thank you all right we going to an approval of minutes can I have a motion to adopt the regular city council meeting minutes of Thursday June 27th 2024 second okay Mr Barnes yes Mr Crowley yes Mr har Soul you'll obain okay Mr lechu yes Mr wissow Mr Madden yes motion to adopt the reorganization city council meeting minutes of Monday July 1st 2024 so move Winslow second Mr Barnes yes Mr Crowley Mr harzel yes Mr lch yes Mr Winslow Mr Madden yes we have our first ordinance first reading and introduction ordinance 2410 can I have a motion to introduce ordinance 2410 on first reading so move winow second Mr Barnes yes Mr crley Mr harzel yes Mr lch yes Mr wiow yes Mr Madden yes 2410 an ordinance amending chapter 21 flood damaged prevention of the revised General ordinances of the city of Ocean City to repeal chapter 21 flood damage prevention to adopt a new chapter 21 flood damage prevention to adopt flood Hazard maps to designate a flood plan admin administrator and providing for a severability and an effective date it's got a long name and it's a really um mey ordinance um this the D passes this down periodically with when Maps change and with um language changes so they've passed this down for you to um adopt get on the books in Ocean City um we're adopting their model form there are some um items that the city can decide what to do about such as the definition of substantial Improvement and substantial damage which we have not changed it's still changes made within a one-year period Which is less restrictive than um some other towns do um and to the extent that Ocean City can retain um control over what happens in this flood damage prevention Ori we've done so but it's a coordination of the DP and um the flood insurance um companies and FEMA so this is sent down to us great we're going to go around for questions from Council Terry no questions Sean so this is what you're talking about they want us to have this ready in 12 months the plan I'm sorry is this what the mayor was talking about no no no yeah it sounds some way no this we have we have a flood damage prevention ordinance on our books have for years and years the D revises it periodically this does not increase the um BFE this does not increase the building height it doesn't incorporates the the international Building C code but it has nothing to do with resolution number three and everything that pertains to that thanks question Keith any questions I'm good Mr President thank you Jody I just think of the same Dave I'm good great have a motion to adopt ordinance 2410 on first reading and introduction so move winds second Mr Barnes yes Mr Crowley Mr harzel yes Mr lch Mr Winslow yes Mr Madden yes second reading and public hearing will be held on Thursday August 8th 2024 and will be published according to law we have our resolution consent agenda all resolutions listed on the consent agenda are considered to be routine in nature and will be enacted by invol motion if the mayor or any council person wishes a particular resolution be considered separately it will be removed from the consent agenda anything to be removed see none can I have a motion to approve the consent agenda move second Mr Barnes yes Mr Crowley Mr harzel yes Mr lch yes Mr Winslow Mr Madden yes we're going to move into pending business Terry and pending business nothing thank you all right Sean no Keith yeah I just wanted to thank our police chief um he's done a I'm working up on the boardwalk for my second summer and he's doing a great job up there and everybody's doing a great job and um I really appreciate it because on a Friday or Saturday night when you see your police chief 11:00 at night walking down the boardwalk if that doesn't give you confidence nothing will uh he's very professional um and I just I'm overwhelmed by how well we've done up there and I've had the opportunity to go on numerous radio shows due to my connection on radio and I can speak with utmost confidence about the safety of this town and that's a beautiful thing and people tell me afterwards wow you really believe it yeah I do cuz it's true so thank you to to all your your people and excellent job that you've done in a very very short period of time and ocean City's never been safer key thanks Jody 100% agree Dave agree but no other comment new business Dave no Jody no new business Keith I'm good Mr President but thank you no new business ter I have no new business so we're going to go out to Citizen comment citizen comment this side of the room anybody for citizen comment yes your name and address for the record please uh it's James haris 3314 Haven Avenue Ocean City and may have pass these I only have three of them thank [Applause] you uh it's time for some transparency it's time for a town hall meeting with no restrictions explain what's going on with the trash contractor we have skipped trash skipped Recycling and skipped yard waste we have compressed garbage juice that can be found from the boardwalk to the back alleys with public works I have no faith in public works as it stands now the last three trips I took up to the boardwalk I had to do compressed garbage juice puddles and trails the public works department has a trash truck that's in these pictures that has a plastic diaper on the back of it to catch the compressed juice okay I called you see that one picture there if you could pass some around please um it took 8 days for that one picture with the with the massive spill on it to get a a street sweeper to come down our alley and clean it off other topics include um what actually happened with flood mitigation on the June 30th flood that happened at dead low tide I have pictures that showed that there was no movement from the water going down the sewer drains what can we get uh some answers of what happened there was was the system clogged uh or or what exactly happened there um can they ex could uh we talk about the topic of what's being done with the spill site at Tennessee and Gilbert Avenue who is responsible for that spill and who's paying for it what is the actual substance there it appears to be some type of oily substance and has anybody checked to see if the substance is going into the Lagoon at that location and for all the neighbors there is the is the cleanup at that site complete as it stands right now and if if it's possible if we get a town hall meeting um the pictures right there did side room we're get back to we'll take get back to uh they say on you said there's additional ones we'll get back to and this is all the other pictures I have thank you thank you anybody else this side of the room for public comment one second Frank will come up and then di your next no Frank will go Frank's already coming around you're next no you're up Frank roel 3307 Simpson Avenue uh the guy that was just before me has a lot of Val points I am sympathetic to the trash people but they're not we have a deal with them we give them money they take our trash Fourth of July they didn't take any Trash between Haven and Simpson alley from 34th to 26th Street now Fourth of July is a busy busy week for people have rent rental properties and the trash piles up they missed that it was picked up later but the following week they forget two weeks in a row I have to take mine and some of my neighbors re uh yard was over to shelter Road it shouldn't be a job that I should do but this week they missed uh my neighbors recycling I have four trash cans out there two belongs to 05 and two belongs 07 two recycling fully marked two for trash they took both recycling one trash 75% now there's a trash can full of trash I take the trash cans out of the coral make it easier for them they're not doing their job I don't know what the problem is but it really we're paying them they should do the job and that's and the gentleman spoken for me has a lot of valid points and I'm I'm just simply want we give them the money pick up our trash thank you thank you take on Richard Burns 4509 Central my my question is what what is being done about the park at 34th Street I I just like I've been at in front of you five years to see if anything's being done and and you tell me it's in the budget what have you you know is there any plans for the city to revamp that park for the kids clean up the men's room and ladies rooms can anybody tell me right now yes after after me it's not a it's not a Q&A once you once you sit down we'll we'll comment okay all right our second thing the mats that you're putting on to to the beach are terrific can additional mats be put down I'm telling you you would believe how many people love those things especially elderly people you know it's tough walking in the sand are there any plans on extending those mats same same setup we talk you're done okay thanks thank you thank you you're welcome thank you any public comment from this side of the room all right seeing none you want to address some of these yeah sorry about that I know you mean yeah no wores um 34th Street we've had multiple plans and when we got to the number it was four5 $6 million so we went we wanted to go down to open space with the county and try to get money that way we try to get some Grant so it sort of slowed it down a little bit but we do have plans and it's it's going to come forward to do the bathrooms we're going to redo the whole thing before we're going to do the bathrooms then we're going to do the playground but instead of that there's some work that we have to do down at the tennis court so we have plans we're getting ready to go out there so we were trying to figure out if we get some grants and get it paid for but uh it looks like that's that's not going to happen the uh Congressman hasn't I think and again I'm going to mess this up he has so many millions of dollars where he actually gives it to local in his district giv money we were trying to get some of that so it was uh the the the hold up has been trying to get money to do it but uh we're just going to go ahead and move ahead with that so it'll be short we'll be again when we have our town hall meeting in our WS when we talk about zoning all that kind of stuff I'm going to touch Bas with all the projects that we're doing and then the other thing was the mats yes the mats the mats have become full-time job and uh between overtime and get the people to clean them too so we are extending them where we can we do get us grant money for for those two but uh they are probably one of the the best things that we do but also most of the high maintenance we do just from keeping clean St but we do extend them we're careful about where the high tide line is um we've added some handicap spots so it's it's one of those things that we we keep each year we do a little more and more so yeah that's the important thing do a little more and more it's so hard the beach you hard those masks is secure dick we can talk more after it after the meeting we're good thank you all right can I have a m to adjourn don't move second thank you