Sidewalk Repairs, Rental Fees And Downtown Parking Among Proposals Before Ocean City Council

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Ocean City Council will consider four proposed ordinances on first reading this week that address rental fees, sidewalk repairs, downtown parking and pickleball. Council will meet at city hall on Thursday night, June 8, 7 p.m.

Council will also honor the life of Joseph A. Somerville, who passed away on April 28. He served in the U.S. Army for two years. He became an active member of the Ocean City community upon his retirement from a successful business career that included positions with Western Electric, Lucent Technologies and AT&T.

He was longtime member of Fairness In Taxes, a former chairman of Ocean City’s Utility Advisory Commission, a citizen representative on Ocean City’s Floodplain Management Committee and a member of the former Economic Advisory Council, among other positions.

This will take place after the consideration of a total of five proposed ordinances.

Renters are now renting homes, and spaces within homes, that had not been previously rented, according to a memo attached to the agenda packet. City officials would like to ensure that all homes have smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers.

City council will consider a proposed ordinance on introduction that the homeowner must have a mercantile license before renting any single- or two-family home. The fee for the license is $30, plus a $145 Ocean City Tourism Commission fee. There must also be a smoke detector/carbon monoxide detector inspection.

City council will consider a proposed ordinance on introduction to allow the city to move forward with the repair of downtown sidewalks that were installed under outdated ordinances. Officials say these sidewalks, or at least part of them, have shifted and become uneven, presenting an unsafe environment for strollers, wheelchairs and pedestrians using canes, walkers and crutches.

• Asbury Avenue, from 5th-14th streets;
• Asbury Avenue west to the alley on the corners between 5th and 14th streets;
• 8th Street, from West Avenue to the boardwalk;
• 9th Street, from the bridge to the boardwalk; and
• 10th Street, from West Avenue to the boardwalk.

Another proposed ordinance calls revisions to city ordinance concerning early morning downtown parking. The amount of time parking is prohibited would be reduced by two hours. The hours would become 2 a.m.-5 a.m., as opposed to 2 a.m.-7 a.m. Location changes include:

• Asbury Avenue, from 6th Street to 14th Street, instead of 6th to 12th;
• Eighth Street, from West Avenue to the boardwalk. Currently, parking is prohibited in the early morning along the entire length of Eighth Street;
• Parking on Asbury Avenue from North Street to 17th Street will no longer be prohibited; and
• The prohibition on parking of commercial vehicles between 6th and 10th streets from June 1-Oct. 1 of each year would no longer be in effect.

Parking will still be prohibited for the entire length of 9th Street. There is no change to this part of the ordinance, outside the time change.

The final proposed ordinance would set the fee for a weekly pass to play pickleball in Ocean City at $15.

There will also be a public hearing and final vote on a proposed ordinance on introduction to accept city property known as Block 611.11, Lots 59 and 60, and Block 3100, Lot 1, as a gift from Richard Bocelli, the executor of the estate of the late Elizabeth K. Bocelli.

There are also 13 items on the consent agenda, including a resolution to award a contract to Douglas K. Walker for municipal public defender legal counsel services; the awarding a contract for improvements to the Aquatic and Fitness Center pool; the authorization of a partial release for a construction project on Wesley Avenue; and authorizing the police department’s participation in the 1033 program, which allows police departments to acquire surplus military equipment from the U.S. Department of Defense at no cost. The city must then pay for the maintenance and upkeep of the equipment.

To view the full agenda, visit ocnj.us.

Patch file photo