Raise bigger stink about OC’s inlet

As the Town of Ocean City continues to pursue the idea of seriously ramping up tourism by creating a multi-million-dollar sports complex somewhere on the mainland, it also should think about the needs of existing attractions that make the resort what it is today.

Outside of the beach itself, on which the city spends millions in concert with the county, state and federal governments, the second most important feature of this destination resort is the Ocean City Inlet ... and it has been in trouble for years.

Now, we learn that the Army Corps of Engineers has ended its quest for a solution to the inlet’s shoaling problems and will only do what is known as maintenance dredging.

That’s what Corps representatives told county officials this week and what it means is the only access that the resort area’s multi-million-dollar fishing industry has to the ocean will continue to be a shallow, shifting ribbon of water that’s increasingly tricky for larger vessels to navigate at low tide.

It was a few years ago when local and county governments were fighting over Ocean City taxes paying for county services resort taxpayers didn’t use or want that the City Council declared the condition of the inlet and harbor area were not Ocean City’s problems.

Considering how much money sportfishing contributes to the resort economy, that obviously wasn’t true. It’s not true now either, and it’s about time the council and the commissioners issue a unified call for help.

As the commissioners were told Tuesday, the only thing that can be done to get more attention paid to the difficulties being experienced in the inlet and harbor area is to raise more of a stink about the situation.

That’s how the process works, and the council should join the county in turning up the volume and improve the odds of getting something done besides the minimum maintenance. Having a dependable, easily navigable inlet is a guaranteed income producer for Ocean City and should be part of any overall tourism development plan.

Ocean City Today

EDITOR ............................................ Stewart Dobson

MANAGING EDITOR ................................ Lisa Capitelli

STAFF WRITERS ..............Jack Chavez, Mallory Panuska,

Hoffman, Hunter Hine

ACCOUNT MANAGERS .......... Mary Cooper, Vicki Shrier

Kelly

CLASSIFIEDS/LEGALS MANAGER .... Nancy MacCubbin

SENIOR DESIGNER ................................ Susan Parks

GRAPHIC ARTIST .................................... Kelly Brown

PUBLISHER........................................ Christine Brown

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT ...................... Gini Tufts