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OCTOBER 20, 2017
SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY
Schools’ fund for retirement looking weak
MAKING STRIDES Annual Boardwalk races continues fight against breast cancer this Saturday — Page 45
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R1-A proposal gets shelved temporarily
Shortfalls predicted without cash infusion
By Brian Gilliland Associate Editor (Oct. 20, 2017) Retirement benefits for the Board of Education employees could face “major funding shortfalls within the next six to eight years” if the current payment schedule continues without adjustment, county Treasurer Phil Thompson told the Worcester County Commissioners Tuesday. Thompson said Worcester is unusual among other counties in the state in that it counts the Board of Education in its “Other Post-Employment Benefits,” or OPEB, accounting. A reason for this could be that Worcester itself is unusual among counties, in that a large portion of the schools’ budget comes from county residents, and not the state itself, as is done in most other areas of Maryland. However, even counties that do get significant education funding from state government often leave their schools on a pay-as-you-go model, where contributions are made at the same time and in the same amount as retirement costs. OPEB are defined as employer payments or services, other than a pension, a retired employee receives at the beginning of retirement, often including such costs as healthcare coverage. Worcester County established a trust to fund these costs in 2009, though it began making payments towards these costs in 2006, Thompson said. Following See RETIREMENT Page 3
LIFESTYLE
KATIE TABELING/OCEAN CITY TODAY
OH, CHRISTMAS TREE? Ocean City began preparing for the 25th anniversary of Winterfest of Lights this week, as workers started installing the iconic Christmas tree at Northside Park on 125th Street.
Security upgrade for Boardwalk With City Hall fortified, anti-terror efforts will continue elsewhere
By Katie Tabeling Staff Writer (Oct. 20, 2017) Resort officials are looking to quietly expand their security plan throughout the city, and that includes installing blockades on the Boardwalk to prevent a car from crashing into a crowd in the summer.
During last week’s meeting on the five-year financial plan, City Manager Doug Miller assured the City Council that restricting vehicle access on the boards was a “top priority.” Preliminary estimates put the project in the million-dollar range, as some barriers could cost $100,000 apiece. “The concern is acts of terrorism we’ve seen in the last 18 months elsewhere where people drive through a
crowded plaza. We have an example of that location with the Boardwalk,” Miller said earlier this week. “Ever since I got here, the Boardwalk is the one that keeps me awake at night.” Ocean City Police and first responders often drive on the Boardwalk for emergencies, but there has been one known case of a suspect driving on the walkway to evade police. In August, Michael See IMPROVED Page 7
By Katie Tabeling Staff Writer (Oct. 20, 2017) Before resort officials resurrect the R1A zoning district to stop short-term rentals from moving into single-family neighborhoods, the Planning and Zoning Commission will need to define what a shortterm rental is. Planning and Zoning Director Bill Neville told the Planning Commission Tuesday night that the few references to the proposed zone contained in the new draft of the comprehensive plan should be eliminated, because he thought it required a larger discussion. One of the objectives outlined in the draft is to “identify single family areas with a high percentage of resident owners who may support the proposed R-1A district with limitations on short-term seasonal rental use.” “The update process [for the comprehensive land use] was never meant to tackle land use,” Neville said. “I’m not sure we’re discussing the same thing when we talk about short-term rentals. See R1-A Page 5
Two lanes down to one
(Oct. 20, 2017) Weather permitting, the State Highway Administration plans to conduct a routine bridge inspection on the Route 90 bridge over Assawoman Bay on Monday. Traffic will be reduced to a single lane between 9 a.m. and noon.