Ocean City Takes 'Aggressive' Steps in Dredging Project

Ocean City Council passed an ordinance and two resolutions dealing with the dredging of back bays and lagoons in the city Thursday night.

There will also be a town hall meeting to provide a complete update on the project on Aug. 25 at the senior center, Mayor Jay Gillian said during Thursday night’s council meeting at City Hall.

The first order of business was to pass an ordinance on second reading that calls for the overall appropriation of $2,693,000 and the borrowing of $2,558,350 for various projects, including the $2,632,500 needed to move spoils from Site 83 to Wildwood to pave the way for the dredging project.

Of the nearly $2.7 million reserved for dredging, $1,350,000 is to be appropriated, and the City will borrow $1,282,500 for the rest of that portion, which includes a beachfront renourishment project to be conducted in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the State.

That ordinance also proposes setting money aside for the construction and reconstruction of various streets, alleys and drainage systems, as well as the acquisition of communications and technology equipment including public safety radio replacements and system upgrades.

Council also approved two consent agenda resolutions concerning the project.

The first allows the city to go out to bid for a project to build a temporary access road from Roosevelt Boulevard to Site 83.

The other authorizes a two-phase contract with ACT Engineering, which will work with Anchor QEA on a Dredging Strategy that includes a review, development, scop and budget proposal. The first phase of the contract is worth $548,000 for dredging program support. The second phase is for $239,500 for dredging program planning.

A full breakdown of the project was included in the agenda packet posted on the city’s website.

The administration said both resolutions were passed Thursday night so the project can begin as soon as the design portion is complete, rather than designing a plan and then waiting for the temporary road to be built before work can begin.

Ocean City Councilman Peter Guinosso called the passing of both resolutions “aggressive.”

“It is aggressive, and homeowners want us to be aggressive,” City Administrator Jim Mallon said.

“We have to get this done,” Gillian said, adding that these resolutions were the most cost-effective way to get it done.

Gillian said ACT and Anchor were brought in rather than using in-house engineers because they want someone who is focused on the project.

“I want our engineers to be focused on drainage and bulkheads and bring in experts on dredging, beaches and drainage,” Gillian said. “We need someone on this 24/7, and not someone who will be splitting their attention. The residents deserve to have the whole town being looked at.”

The administration said it wants to be as efficient as possible on a project that has already been blocked in multiple ways over the past several years.

Dredging had been on hold due to a lack of sites to dump the spoils that are currently contained in Site 83. The City has permits for preferable sites with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, but it doesn’t have the permission to use those sites.

On Feb. 12, council voted to set aside $5 million and borrow $4,750,000 for the dredging project that would put the dredge spoils at Site 83, located near 34th Street.

First, the City must empty that site, which is filled with 50,000 yards of cubic spoils it permitted the state to put there toward the end of the last decade.

However, environmental testing of the spoils to be moved delayed the project for a few weeks. That testing is now complete.

Then, Gillian announced the $2.7 million would be necessary during a town hall meeting last month. Gillian said it was ridiculous and a waste of taxpayer’s money, but that he had no choice.

That was passed on Thursday night.

Currently, Site 83 remains at full capacity, but the city has begun to pull some stuff out, City Administrator Jim Mallon said.