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JANUARY 30, 2015
SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY
SUPER BOWL
TIME FOR THE BIG GAME Many area bars and restaurants have parties planned for football fans – Page 34
FREE
Dew won’t do it One of Ocean City’s biggest events quitting East Coast, 2015 schedule still unclear
STEWART DOBSON/OCEAN CITY TODAY
AH, LUNCH A cedar waxwing, one of a large flock that descended on parts of Ocean City in the past week, prepares to down a holly berry during an afternoon forage fest that stripped bushes of their fruit in a matter of minutes.
Police comp claims soar Payouts push $400,000 for last year, partly because of pay hikes and state laws
By Zack Hoopes Staff Writer (Jan. 30, 2015) Steep increases in workers’ compensation costs, specifically within the Ocean City Police Department, are likely to be a major issue as the resort heads into the financial season. Reports on the rising costs have made their rounds through City Hall ahead of spring budget sessions and negotiations with the Fraternal Order of Police, the city’s police union. Ocean City government put away nearly a half-million dollars this fiscal year to keep up with police workers’ compensation and disability claims – some five and half times more than
the city did in 2001, the year before collective bargaining was granted to police. How much sway the FOP holds over the costs, however, has yet to be seen. “As far as pressure from the town, I wouldn’t say that,” said FOP Lodge 10 President Shawn Jones. “As far as it being a contract issue, I don’t know. It’s nothing the union has been overly involved in.” For those who are about to ask, the issue has little to do with Tasers, one of the city’s other police-related budget haggles. While Tasers have saved a number of officers from getting in potentially harmful situations, and thus prevented further possible claims, the incidents that are forcing the city’s compensations costs upward are not Taser-preventable.
“There’s no doubt the Tasers have helped,” said Eric Lagstrom, the city’s risk manager. “But the claims that we are seeing go up are not what I would describe as ‘hand-to-hand’ situations between an officer and a suspect.” Rather, for every incident resulting from pursuit or apprehension of a criminal, there are several more resulting from training injuries, freak accidents and chronic health problems. For instance, in FY2014 (the last full fiscal year, running July 2013 through June 2014), OCPD personnel filed 40 claims worth $396,417.41. This includes lost wages, medical costs, disability awards, and reserves for projected future costs involving the claim. Some of the more expensive incidents are related to physical appreSee CITY page 3
By Zack Hoopes Staff Writer (Jan. 30, 2015) Don't be mad, Ocean City – it's not you, it's us. The world's most extreme-sportscentric “Dear John” call apparently went out to the resort over this past weekend, as the Dew Tour announced it will not be returning to Ocean City for a fifth event in 2015. Mayor Rick Meehan broke the news at Tuesday's City Council session, stating that the Dew Tour's management "informed me that they had permission to call and let me know that the Dew Tour is changing their format and will not be returning to Ocean City in 2015." Since its first iteration in 2011, the Dew Tour, featuring skateboarding, surfing, and BMX competitions, plus a major concert, had become a staple of Ocean City's summer event lineup. But the event has, historically, never There will be no upsidestayed in a cer- down BMXers or any other tain place for Dew Tour participants in more than a Ocean City this summer. few years at a stretch. Despite fears that Ocean City was in competition with other nearby beaches for the venue, that was not the case. "It's not that they're moving to another East Coast beach location," Meehan said. "This is not unusual for the Dew See TOUR page 5