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MARCH 18, 2016
SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY
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SPRING PREVIEWS Stephen Decatur HS sports teams are ready for 2016 season to get started – Page 27
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City fires back at ‘unfair bargaining’ claim Attorney labels it attempt to ‘inflame public opinion’ about shift change issue
By Katie Tabeling Staff Writer (March 18, 2016) In its formal response to the unfair labor practice complaint filed last week by the local firefighters union, the Town of Ocean City strongly denied claims of bad
faith bargaining during negotiations of a new contract that includes a new shift schedule for firefighter and EMS personnel. The city’s legal counsel, Marc Sloane of Miles & Stockbridge in Baltimore, said in the 38-page response that the goal of the complaint lodged by Chapter 4269 of the International Association of Fire Fighters’ complaint is to “inflame public opinion.” It also asserted that disagreeing on
something, which in this case is the city’s desire to eliminate 24-hour shifts in favor of 12-hour shifts, does not constitute a failure to bargain. “The IAFF is attempting to turn this matter into a fight concerning who is right regarding the 24-hour shift issue,” Sloane wrote in the response’s cover letter. The response was submitted Monday, a week after the IAFF’s counsel David Gray Wright of Kahn, Smith &
Collins, P.A. filed the union’s grievance. That same day, nearly a hundred firefighters and supporters flooded the council chambers. Six supporters urged the mayor and City Council to reconsider their stance on union contract’s major point of contention: the city’s plan to do away with the long-standing schedule of 24 hours on duty followed by three days off. See ARBITRATION Page 3
Liquor dept. director resigns over strategy Cowger says he won’t preside over county’s end-of-business plan
By Brian Gilliland Staff Writer (March 18, 2016) For the second time in less than a year, a county department head — in this case Department of Liquor Control Director Bobby Cowger — has resigned effective April 1 citing a lack of support from the commissioners. “There’s no question as to my reason — the exit strategy,” Cowger said. “I’m standing up and saying I’m absolutely against it, and I think it’s irresponsible to the
taxpayers. I’m not going to stay here and be part of that.” Two weeks ago, Cowger offered an alternative to the adopted exit strategy to the county commissioners, which fell on deaf ears. Cowger’s plan was for a slower, more measured approach to divesting the county of the department’s assets. He said his strategy would end up with the county breaking even after three or four years. The exit strategy, adopted in December 2015, calls for the end of wholesale operations in September and dismantling all operations by July 2017. The best-case sceSee COUNTY Page 5
Police discover meth lab Resort man arrested after chemicals and gear found in hotel
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STEWART DOBSON/OCEAN CITY TODAY
A worker with the water tank construction company Chicago Bridge and Iron stands atop one of the steel panels that will form Ocean City’s million-gallon “beach ball”on First Street and St. Louise Avenue. The company began hoisting the plates in place on Monday. Construction of the tank is expected to be completed in late spring.
By Katie Tabeling Staff Writer (March 18, 2016) A complaint regarding suspicious behavior led the Ocean City Police Department to arrest an Ocean
City man after discovering a methamphetamine lab in his room at the Coconut Malorie Hotel. On March 13 at approximately 1 p.m., police and fire personnel went to the 59th Street property for a report that someone might have the materials used to manufacture meth. Police See CLANDESTINE Page 3