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FEBRUARY 11, 2022
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Tourism dept. funding plan challenged Veteran petitioner Gisriel wants public to vote on it
GREG WEHNER/OCEAN CITY TODAY
BOARD ROOM
Delmarva Veteran Builder workers continued to replace the planks of the Ocean City Boardwalk on the south end on Wednesday. The company will finish the south end of the iconic landmark by April before breaking until October to complete the rest of the work.
OC seeks control of storm response Bill would allow rebuilding in beach erosion districts established by state law By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer (Feb. 11, 2022) If a storm blew in and destroyed the south end of the Boardwalk tomorrow, Ocean City officials technically could not replace any of the structures. For that reason, and to bring buildings like the Ocean City LifeSaving Station Museum up to code
with the American Disabilities Act (ADA), City Council members agreed Monday to endorse a proposed state law modification that would give them more control of state- and town-owned structures along the Boardwalk. “As administrations change and people change we really need to get this mutual understanding and try to actually get it accomplished, get the law changed,” City Manager Terry McGean said during Monday’s council meeting. “Right now if the inlet parking lot was destroyed in a storm
we couldn’t rebuild it.” Senate Bill 64 would exempt the repair, renovation, reconstruction, or expansion of certain existing structures owned by the state of Maryland or the Town of Ocean City in the state-issued Beach Erosion Control District that runs south of 33rd Street along the Boardwalk to Assateague Island. Sen. Mary Beth Carozza (R38) and Del. Wayne Hartman (R38C) have promoted the bill, which is moving through the ranks of the Maryland General Assembly this sesSee BILL Page 8
By Greg Wehner Staff Writer (Feb. 11, 2022) An Ocean City resident with a knack for stirring up controversy when it comes to government spending is on his way to stopping City Council’s motion to raise the amount of room tax collected that goes toward advertising. Vince Gisriel petitioned 807 signatures to put a referendum on the ballot that allows Ocean City voters to determine whether to allow the tourism department’s budget to increase by 0.2 percent between 2023 and 2025, a measure that was unanimously approved by City Council on Dec. 20. Earlier that month, Tourism Director Tom Perlozzo presented three options that would fund his division, though he favored one that takes a percentage of the gross room tax revenue collected from all rentals across the resort. See GISRIEL Page 4
Room tax hike probably won’t pass this year By Jack Chavez Staff Writer (Feb. 11, 2022) Worcester County’s pursuit of state legislation that would allow Ocean City to raise its room tax from 5 to 6 percent will have to make a couple of stops along the Eastern Shore before arriving in Annapolis, and it could push the See TAX Page 6
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Ocean City Today
FEBRUARY 11, 2022
FEBRUARY 11, 2022
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Ocean City Today
LOVE IS IN THE HAIR
PHOTO COURTESY BOB BRODERICK
Two Semper Fi Bike Ride events were held in October 2021. This week, Ocean City council members approved conditions for the 2022 rides set for Oct. 16.
OC council members green light number of bids, events By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer (Feb. 11, 2022) From the details of an annual charity bike event to the winning bid for modernization of a fire department elevator, Ocean City council members rubber-stamped an array of approvals this week. Elevator bid Millersville-based Action Elevator will complete an upgrade to the elevator inside the 14th Street fire department following a bid approval Monday. On Jan. 14, six-figure offers were revealed from Action Elevator, Salisburybased Delaware Elevator, and Otis Elevator out of Yonkers, New York. The lowest bid came from Action at $199,750, followed by Delaware at $234,400 and Otis with a bid of $235,807. Engineering officials budgeted $170,000 for the project, but expected a significantly higher price tag after conversing with a consultant. In the
end, the lowest bid came in just a little above what was initially expected, and council members agreed to proceed with it despite the difference. Semper Fi Bike Ride Council members unanimously agreed to the conditions of the third annual Semper Fi Bike Ride set for Oct. 16. Bob Broderick, a representative of the 1st State Detachment Marine Corps League, first approached the council in late February 2020 with the idea for a charity biking event for the following fall. The inaugural event was a hit, raising $10,000 for injured United States Armed Forces members and their families, and kicked off the annual ride for years to come. This year, Broderick had said he expected 150 riders — a far cry from the overly ambitious estimate of 700 he gave initially — who will participate in two rides set to take place from 7 a.m. See BIKE Page 5
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Ocean City Today
FEBRUARY 11, 2022
Gisriel challenges tourism funding
GREG WEHNER/OCEAN CITY TODAY
Vince Gisriel of Ocean City gathered more than 800 signatures in a petition to add a referendum on the ballot on Nov. 8, giving voters the choice to allow city officials to increase the amount of room tax collected from rentals in the resort by two-tenths of a percent between 2023 and 2025.
Continued from Page 1 Under the option, the current 2.0 percent that funds the department would be raised to 2.2 percent by 2025 – 2 percent would go to the department in 2023, 2.1 percent in 2024, and 2.2 percent in 2025. In 2019, the city increased the room tax from 4.5 to 5 percent, though there was some confusion on how the additional 0.5 percent should be distributed. Of the halfcent increase designated for advertising, the percentage, which started at 1.4 percent in 2009, was raised to 2 percent in 2012 and remained there ever since. Gisriel needed to collect 612 signatures to put the matter to a vote, though he collected 195 more than required. According to the city charter, con-
cerned citizens need to muster 40 percent of those who voted in the last City Council election. If the measure is voted against, council would have to go back and revisit the topic. Gisriel said he went door-to-door to collect the more than 700 signatures he collected himself – the other signatures were collected by volunteers who helped. He paid $75 to get a list of voters and visited them at their homes. The efforts, he explained, were worth it. Gisriel’s major complaint with the ordinance is that it allows the city to continue overspending. In 2007, City Council adopted a measure to increase the collectable room tax from 4-4.5 percent, with an agreement that the Hotel-MotelRestaurant Association wanted the
half of a percent to go to advertising, Gisriel said. But once the measure was implemented, it was phased in, and by 2021, 2 percent of every dollar went to advertising. By July 2021, the room tax collected grew to nearly $7.5 million, a 324 percent increase. Gisriel’s concern is that while the advertising budget increased, the general fund only grew 30 percent. “It created this imbalance,” he said. Gisriel said $1.76 million collected from room tax went to advertising in 2007. “To go to $7.46 by 2021…that’s a phenomenal flaw. It should have never been adopted.” Gisriel has asked council to correct the flaw. Ordinance 2021-24, he said, “Exacerbates the situation, and this year they are on track to spend over $8 million in advertising. When City Council was first presented with the three funding options by Perlozzo in early December, Councilman Peter Buas asked the tourism director what his plans were for the increase in funds. Perlozzo told Buas during the open meeting that he did not have a plan for the 0.2 percent, saying, “Hypothetically, we don’t know what will happen between now and 2024.” Buas, in turn, said approving the measure was like funding something that does not exist, suggesting it was premature. Still, Buas and the other six councilmen approved it on Dec. 20. Gisriel is no stranger to petitioning against city legislation. In 1988, he said, he petitioned against high rise development in the resort after council adopted ordinances allowing for the proliferated growth of high rises. When put on the ballot, voters voted 3-1 to reject the development. The most successful campaign Gisriel ran was in 2013, when he collected 1,770 signatures to put a measure that would have allowed parking meters along side streets. The voters repealed council’s decision. Although Gisriel has submitted the petition, a lot must happen behind the scenes before it can be placed on the ballot on Nov. 8. City Clerk Diana Chavis said when Gisriel submitted the petition, he had 168 pages with 807 signatures. The city’s board of supervisors of elections, made up of seven individuals, will review each name on the petition and cross check it with the list of voters, and according to Chavis, it will be reviewed in an open setting. Once the names are confirmed, the board will present its findings to City Council to determine whether to put the referendum on the ballot or go See PETITION Page 6
FEBRUARY 11, 2022
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Ocean City Today
Bike rides, banners among approvals given Continued from Page 3 to 1 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 16. The first, a distance ride, is set to begin at 7 a.m. on the south end of the Boardwalk. Bikers will exit the Boardwalk at 27th Street, continue north on Baltimore Avenue until 33rd Street, ride onto Coastal Highway and continue north into Delaware to the Indiana River Inlet. Some participants will also extend their rides to Gordons Pond before returning by 12:30 p.m. to the Ocean City Inlet. The other ride along the Boardwalk begins at 9 a.m. on the south end, con-
tinues to 27th Street and returns to the inlet. Military banner program For the ninth year in a row, Ocean City Elks’ Hometown Heroes Military Banner Program will honor veterans from on light poles downtown. The OC Elks Lodge Veterans Committee received permission to continue the program this season. The banners honor veterans who served from WWII to the Vietnam Era, as well as Worcester County residents serving on active duty. They will be erected on 40 light
poles on the concrete section of the Boardwalk from the Pier Amusements at the inlet to 4th Street. Honoree applications are accepted and reviewed by OC Elks Lodge #2645. James wedding For an hour on the evening of April 30, the south end of the Boardwalk will be closed to the public for Council President Matt James’ nuptials. Council members approved a special event permit for the event, which is set from 5 to 6 p.m. and will include about 100 people.
James’ wedding received the same deal as similar events in the past, which have been treated as county nonprofits and given 75 percent discounts in application and city space use fees. The total with the discount came out to $87.50 in private event fees. The application includes clean-up in preparation for the event by public works staff members and access to the city’s private event coordinator. James, as the applicant, is responsible for coordination, management, trash collection and disposal, and insurance certification.
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FEBRUARY 11, 2022
Ocean City Today
Tax change needs counties’ OK Continued from Page 1 legislation until 2023 to see it passed. Del. Wayne Hartman (R-38C) said the legislation is filed, but after doing so the Worcester delegation learned that, since Worcester is a code home rule county, it must persuade its fellow code counties on the Eastern Shore — Kent, Queen Anne’s and Caroline — to endorse the legislation before the General Assembly can look at it. “I wouldn’t file legislation without the courtesy of those other counties knowing why,” Hartman said.
Petition heads for verification Continued from Page 4 back to the drawing board with the ordinance. Gisriel said he is prepared for the board to review the signatures. “Whenever you do a petition, you want to garner extra names in case some are invalid,” he said, adding that he can certify that 99.9 percent of the signatures he gathered were actual voters. “Of the nearly 700 plus that I collected myself, there were only two I could not find on the voter list.”
The Worcester County Commissioners are spearheading the effort to get those counties onboard, and Commissioner President Joe Mitrecic has begun reaching out to his counterparts to start discussions. “Wayne also has to get the delegates in those counties to go along too,” Mitrecic said. “He needs their support. We won’t blindside anyone. I’m sure he’s working with the Eastern Shore delegation to get something done on that side.” Mitrecic said at this juncture the commissioners are focused on navigating this uncharted territory and “getting it done.” “This is the first time any of us have been through this,” he said. “We didn’t realize that Ocean City’s room tax or Worcester County’s room tax was dependent on (these counties) also. We’re working through it and working the best we can to get it this year. But if we can’t get it done this year, we’ll be that much further ahead next year.” The legislation does not mean that the other counties would have to increase their room tax along with Worcester County. Rather, they’d simply have the option to do so. Worcester government’s chief administrative officer, Weston Young, said the option was there for Ocean City to do so a couple of years ago
JACK CHAVEZ/OCEAN CITY TODAY
The push to increase Ocean City’s room tax from 5 percent to 6 percent is now in the hands of the Worcester County Commissioners, who need to gain the blessing of three of its fellow Code Home Rule counties on the Eastern Shore — Queen Anne’s, Kent and Caroline — for the legislation to have a chance at passing at the state level.
when Ocean City raised the tax from 4.5 percent to 5 percent at the beginning of 2020. There are three forms of county government in Maryland. The other two being Commissioner and Charter counties. Code home rule counties are governed by commissioners, such as Worcester’s seven commissioners. They can enact, revise and repeal laws in many of the same manners as Charter counties can — typically larger counties like Prince George’s,
Montgomery and Baltimore but also Talbot and Wicomico — but with the key difference that the state-level legislation cannot be taken up for just a single county. Unlike code counties, charter counties are governed by a council with a presiding county executive. But in a code county, all commissioners share leadership. Mitrecic may be considered the president of the Worcester County Commissioners, but neither his authority nor vote supersedes that of his colleagues.
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Ocean City Today
Council approves cell tower regs By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer (Feb. 11, 2022) The battle against what some Ocean City residents see as invasive cell towers in their neighborhoods gained some more teeth this week with the City Council’s approval of new regulations. At a meeting Monday, members of the City Council unanimously approved new utility and installation agreements and ordinances that pose strict regulations on all towers put up in city rights of way, easements or properties. The votes came on the heels of tower construction company Crown Castle attempting to erect several roughly 30-foot 5G towers in neighborhoods where many say they do not fit in with the aesthetics. One such community, Montego Bay on 130th Street, has been at the forefront of the discussions. The neighborhood of about 1,500 residents consists of several streets snaking between one-story homes along the bay. All of the utilities are buried underground and no structure is any higher than a few feet. And while Crown Castle officials say tall cell towers are needed to fix service issues in certain parts of the neighborhood, a cross-section of residents say that is not true, and have fought hard against the efforts. With the company’s recent attempt to construct three towers, 1,030 Montego Bay residents signed a petition to try and stop the application. During Monday’s meeting, resident Betty Bellar referenced the petition, and reiterated the signers’ objections to the towers. “Our community does not want this in there and I hope that you will keep fighting for us,” she said. She added that the leaders of the neighborhood’s civic association also
MALLORY PANUSKA/OCEAN CITY TODAY
The battle against invasive cell towers in certain Ocean City neighborhoods like Montego Bay on 130th Street officially gained some more teeth this week with Ocean City council members’ approval of new regulations.
approved an amendment to the neighborhood’s declaration of restrictions that prohibits carriers from erecting the towers in any association-owned properties. The changes City Council members approved Monday were first proposed during a work session in December. At another work session last month, the council approved the first readings. The changes include adding definitions, clarifying who can install what in the rights of way, and clarifying when a utility installation agreement is not necessary. Language was also added to clarify the requirement for companies to comply with city codes, among other details. City Manager Terry McGean has said the changes will “enhance” the regulatory process if towers are ultimately allowed in the neighborhoods where city officials are trying to block them. Despite all of these actions, the de-
cision on the construction of the towers will be up to a federal judge. In response to City Council members denying Crown Castle’s recent applications to erect three towers in Montego Bay, and another three on Marlin Drive, and Old Landing and Bering roads, company officials filed federal lawsuits. City attorneys tried to get the court to dismiss the cases, to no avail, and now await the final rulings.
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