Proposal Would Make Private Dredging Cheaper In Ocean City: Officials

OCEAN CITY, NJ — A proposed ordinance introduced during Thursday night’s council meeting at city hall would allow Ocean City residents to take advantage of the citywide dredging project to conduct private dredging at a cheaper rate.

City council unanimously approved a proposed ordinance on introduction to create a contractor’s application for municipal permit to dredge privately owned areas under the authority of Ocean City’s individual permit. There is a $200 permit fee, with a $3 per cubic square foot inspection escrow. Residents can currently dredge their own slips, but can’t dispose of dredged material in a city-operated disposal facility, leaving them to find their own means of disposal.

“Wherever possible, we would like to create programs so private slip owners can use the citywide contract for private dredging, but we still need to monitor the work,” Ocean City Solicitor Dorothy McCrosson said.

Residents would be able to take advantage of this program once the contractor completes the citywide work, time permitting. This proposal doesn’t require private residents to dredge their own slips, though. Material from undredged slips may move, but aren’t likely to impact the city’s channel, McCrosson said.

McCrosson said if it works initially, residents would be able to take advantage of the program periodically, whenever there is a municipal dredging project taking place. Mayor Jay Gillian envisions a tip-to-tip dredging project for Ocean City, similar to the beach replenishment projects.

The public hearing and final vote on the proposal is set for the Sept. 28 council meeting, 7 p.m. at city hall.

On Thursday night, Business Administrator Jim Mallon also announced that a proposed dredging deal with Pleasantville fell through. As part of the deal, Pleasantville would’ve mechanically dredged the back bays and lagoons in Ocean City and transported the material to a site in Pleasantville.

There, the material would be used to raise the elevation and grade of an already designated site for a redevelopment project in that city. Mallon said the deal fell through because Pleasantville is unable to accept Ocean City’s dredged material, and that the city will go back out to bid.

Patch file photo