Ocean City Council Puts Funding in Place for Dredging Project

Dredging of lagoons and bayfront areas too shallow for boating that has been put on hold is set to take place this summer after Ocean City Council took a step toward putting the funding in place Thursday night.

Council unanimously approved an ordinance on first reading to appropriate $5 million and borrow $4,750,000 for the project.

Dredging had been on hold due to a lack of sites to dump the spoils. 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, Business Administrator Jim Mallon said.

However, the City Administration said dredging is a priority for the bayside community, and is looking to move forward with a plan that would put the dredged spoils at a site near 34th Street.

The site is currently filled, but the ordinance allows the City to empty the site in preparation for the project.

“This is a lot of money, but we can’t let the values of the homes in that area drop and we can’t lose those businesses,” Mayor Jay Gillian said. “If that happens, everyone’s taxes will go up. … We can’t afford to let this go on any longer. We’re all in this together.”

Boaters have complained about an inability to navigate through those lagoons and back bays around low tide.

The administration hopes to begin dredging July 1. Chief Financial Officer Frank Donato said bids will be open Feb. 3, so the City may already have an idea who the contractor will be by the second reading and public hearing for the ordinance on Feb. 12.

“We also need a plan for Route 52,” Gillian said. “ … We’ll be presenting a bigger plan hopefully in the next couple of months.”

With dredging set to begin July 1, there will be a lot of activity in Ocean City this summer.

The Ocean City portion of the beach replenishment project that includes Ludlum Island (Strathmere and Sea Isle) is set to begin May 1 and likely last through Aug. 12.

The Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, which will perform the work for $57.6 million, will replenish about 1,000 feet of beach at a time until the project is complete.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is overseeing the project, will appear at a council meeting and provide the City with weekly updates prior to the start of the project.

“We don’t pick where they get the sand or what the schedule is,” Gillian said of the project. “ … There will be some inconvenience, but you have to look at the big picture of what we’re spending and what we’re getting, and what we’ll continue to get. We have to be thankful that we are getting it.”

“It’s a job well done by the administration. To have the beach replenishment and the dredging going on at the same time, I wouldn’t have bet on it,” Councilman Keith Hartzell said.

“I’m grateful the money’s in place and we get the back bays dredged,” Council President Anthony Wilson said. “This is another step toward getting this goal done.”