Get A First Look At The Ocean City Budget Thursday Night

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian’s administration will present its draft budget to city council this week. Ocean City Council meets on Thursday night, Feb. 22, 7 p.m. at City Hall, 861 Asbury Avenue. The draft budget paves the way for the introduction of the proposed budget, which will come at a later date.

At its last meeting on Feb. 8, council adopted the administration’s $100 million, five-year capital plan, the biggest part of which dedicates $32 million to paving and drainage, including $6 million for new neighborhood drainage projects. A copy of the capital plan presentation and related documents are available at www.ocnj.us/projects.

Council will also consider four proposed ordinances on second reading. The first is a second reading of a proposal that was introduced at the Jan. 11 meeting, concerning hedges and curbside planting. The proposal is coming up for a final vote now because it had to be referred to the Ocean City Planning Board before coming back to council.

“While formerly only zoning ordinances and amendments thereto were required to be submitted to the planning board, it is now clear from the wording in NJSA 40:55D-26 that all development regulations must be referred to the planning board for comment and report,” Planner Randall E. Scheule wrote in a letter posted as part of the agenda packet. “The statute requires that every zoning ordinance must either be substantially consistent with the land use plan and housing plan of the master plan or designed to effectuate such plan elements.”

The master plan in this case is the Ocean City Master Plan adopted on Feb. 3, 1998. On Feb. 7, the planning board determined that the proposed changes were consistent with the master plan.

Among the changes the proposal makes, the term "hedges" would be removed from the portion of city ordinance that limits the height to four feet above ground level. That portion of the ordinance still applies to fences and walls, except that fences may be increased to six feet within the building lines or along the property line if the adjacent property owner agrees. Other changes impact walls and curbside plantings. All the changes are detailed in the agenda packet.

The second proposal concerns the acquisition of land as a gift from Ocean City residents John D. Leahy and Ann M. Leahy. They own a home on the 5500 block of Central Avenue, and they also own property on the oceanward side of the bulkhead in that area. They are looking to give the land on the oceanward side of the bulkhead — which is already subject to a beach easement in favor of the city — to the city for no cost.

The third proposal is a bond ordinance that would allocate $5,700,500 and authorize the borrowing of $5,415,475 in bonds or notes for various improvement projects. This would include $285,025 for several down payments. A breakdown of the ordinance, as posted in the agenda packet is as follows:

• Improvements to the beachfront, including but not limited to a beachfront nourishment project, dune maintenance and ADA access improvements: $750,000, with $712,500 to be borrowed;
• LED lighting improvements, boiler upgrades and replacements, various general HVAC, window door and lighting repairs and improvements at various public buildings, as well as improvements and upgrades to the Public Works Department's carbon monoxide system, the HVAC at the Civic Center, and Humane Society and Art Center repairs: $1,082,500, with $1,028,375 to be borrowed;
• Repairs to the Community Center pool, bleacher replacements, LED lighting at Carey Field, golf course upgrades, citywide landscaping and fencing, and general improvements to various public areas and other recreational facilities: $1,385,000, with $1,315,750 to be borrowed;
• Acquisition of public vehicles, including but not limited to, 4x4 pickup/beach trucks, a Heavy Duty Dump Truck, Load and Park vehicles, a wheel loader, two ambulances, fire and police SUVs, and vehicle rehab and related costs: $1,530,000, with $1,453,500 to be borrowed;
• Acquisition of equipment, including but not limited to, Music Pier and Aquatic Fitness Center equipment, as well as various safety equipment for fire, police and beach patrol operations and other various departmental equipment: $373,000, with $345,350 to be borrowed; and
• Radio upgrades for the fire department and general communications/IT equipment citywide: $580,000, with $551,000 to be borrowed.

The final proposal up for consideration asks council to name the road that connects Roosevelt Boulevard and “Site 83.” The purpose of naming the road is to carve out the 1.94 acre piece of land used for the road from the large block of land it is part of. Doing so minimizes permit fees associated with approval of the road by the regulatory agencies currently reviewing the city's dredging permit. The road would be named “Haul Road.”

Gillian and Ocean City Council will also recognize three members of the Ocean City Public School District that have made news with their amazing work in recent months.

Ocean City Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kathleen Taylor has been named New Jersey's Superintendent of the Year.

The New Jersey Teacher of the Year — Ocean City High School American Sign Language Teacher Amy T. Andersen — is one of four finalists for the National Teacher of the Year Award. The winner will be announced in the spring.

Ocean City High School junior Nora Faverzani has been named State Board of Education Representative for 2018.

All three will be recognized Thursday night. There are also 18 items on the Consent Agenda. To view the full agenda, visit ocnj.us.

Patch file photo