OC Today WWW.OCEANCITYTODAY.NET
MAY 11, 2018
SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY
BUSINESS
RESORT WINS BIG Several Ocean City establishments take home awards during RAM gala – Page 55
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No money for inlet from OC? Mayor’s statement says resort’s taxes help pay for study
Fencing technique Workers install a section of the new median fence on Coastal Highway in midtown Ocean City. It’s being done to get pedestrians to use crosswalks rather than attempting to get to the other side by walking out in traffic. Motorists can see through the fence when they’re adjacent to a section, but when they look ahead, it will appear more like a white wall that divides the highway. GREG ELLISON/OCEAN CITY TODAY
FOP, city ratify three-year deal Cost-of-living, step increases, earlier retirement age part of new police pact with resort
By Greg Ellison Staff Writer (May 11, 2018) Despite nearly reaching an impasse during labor contract negotiations in late February, the mayor and City Council ratified a three-year collective bargaining agreement with the Fraternal Order of Police for more than $1.1 million on Monday. FOP Lodge 10 President Joe Bushnell
said the process played out in similar fashion to contract discussions in 2015, when a stalemate almost triggered binding arbitration. “We present a list of things we want and slowly whittle it down to the big issues,” he said. “At the end of four days, we hadn’t reached an agreement.” City Manager Doug Miller said the contract meetings involved extensive give and take. “There was aggressive bargaining on both sides,” he said. “Their negotiation team was very well organized.”
While talks were amicable, Bushnell said by early March the police bargaining unit felt the chasm was too wide and arbitration appeared imminent. “We filed an intent to go to arbitration,” he said. After laying its cards on the table, Bushnell said the city kept the lines of communication open to avoid taking matters further. “We we’re kind of far apart [but] they came back with a new last-best final offer,” he said. “The previous negotiaSee ARBITRATION Page 79
By Brian Gilliland Associate Editor (May 11, 2018) Calling Maryland’s only access to the Atlantic Ocean the Ocean City Inlet is a misnomer in the view of resort officials, who are suggesting that it’s more like the Worcester County Inlet when it comes to jurisdictional matters. Resort Mayor Rick Meehan said as much last week, after the Worcester County Commissioners asked the resort to help pay for a study of the inlet’s severe shoaling problem. Meehan said because the inlet benefits the county overall, the shoaling problem is a county issue and that Ocean City is already helping financially with the property taxes it pays to the county. His statements were in response to an April 19 letter from the commissioners seeking the resort’s financial participation. The City Council has yet to issue a formal response. “The town believes that this project benefits all of Worcester County and should be a county-funded project, Meehan said. “The commercial harbor is located in Worcester County and this project benefits West Ocean City, Ocean City, Ocean Pines and surrounding areas. “Ocean City is part of See RESORT Page 78
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