OC Today WWW.OCEANCITYTODAY.NET
DECEMBER 15, 2017
SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY
APPALACHIAN TRAIL HIKE Jean Schrecengost and Melissa Ordway walking to raise funds and suicide awareness – Page 45
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Hartman declares House candidacy
Inlet work can’t use beach fund
Resort councilman wants to fill seat vacated by Carozza
Alternative way to pay for dredging runs up against restrictions
By Brian Gilliland Associate Editor (Dec. 15, 2017) The idea to use beach replenishment funding to pay for the ongoing study of shoaling in the Ocean City Inlet — and its eventual dredging — hit a snag just a week after its announcement, as legislative restrictions on the fund’s use have come in to play. “It’s not a definite no, but it’s not looking good,” City Engineer Terry McGean said this week. “The language is explicit that it has to do with beaches, and we’re having difficulty tying this project to a Maryland beach.” Gregg Bortz, chief public information officer with the department of natural resources, confirmed McGean’s statement. “State law limits the use of funds for the beach replenishment and hurricane protection project, and would not cover inlet dredging. The local government remains See INLET Page 5
LIFESTYLE
GREG ELLISON/OCEAN CITY TODAY
Avenging Pilgrim? Dover resident Mike Cordeiro, who transformed into “Solomon Kane,” a 16th century Elizabethan Puritan comic book superhero, examines the vendor tables during the inaugural Ocean City Comic Con at the Grand Hotel and Spa on 21st Street, last Saturday. See story on page 48.
By Greg Ellison Staff Writer (Dec. 15, 2017) Aspiring for greater influence, Ocean City Councilman Wayne Hartman this week announced his candidacy for the Maryland House of Delegates District 38C seat in next year’s election “I just want a bigger challenge,” he said. “As far as the official announcement, I guess this is as official as it gets. I have not filed yet [but] I will be doing that in the near future.” Last month, after much speculation, one-term Delegate Mary Beth Carozza announced she will challenge incumbent Sen. Jim Mathias (D-38) in November 2018. Now in his second term, Mathias, the former mayor of Ocean City, was first elected to the senate in 2010 after serving one term as state delegate. “When I heard Mary Beth was interested in running for the senate seat, it came to mind that I would consider
City Councilman Wayne Hartman ... pursuing higher office.
running for the House,” Hartman said. “Once Mary Beth made that public, I started discussing it with other people.” Hartman, a Republican whose term on City Council ends next year, is originally from Baltimore County, and has been a year-round Ocean City resident for nearly two decades. He has served on Worcester County’s Planning Commission and Technical Review Committee, and as treasurer for the Ocean City Development Corporation. See HARTMAN Page 5
Council will go higher-tech with parking Springs for bigger outlay so it can cover inlet parking lot too
By Greg Ellison Staff Writer (Dec. 15, 2017) The Ocean City Council has agreed to spend more than $736,000 to replace its current parking meter machines on streets and lots with a pay-byplate metered system. The council vote at its Tuesday afternoon
work session includes swapping out the old Cale machines at the inlet parking lot as well. Following several hours of discussion, the council voted 6-1 to award a contract to Parkeon of Moorestown, New Jersey, with Councilman John Gehrig opposed. The city’s current contract for parking management is with Cale at a cost of $45,000 and is set to expire in January. Additionally, the city uses separate vendors for
parking enforcement, the Park Mobile phone app and the inlet lot attendants system. City Engineer Terry McGean said Ocean City netted approximately $4.2 million from paid parking during fiscal year 2017. McGean said conversations to replace the parking management system began following a July 2015 incident when vendor miscommunication regarding software upSee COUNCIL Page 6
PAY BY PLATE means customers would enter their license plate numbers and amount of parking time desired at the kiosk. If someone exceeds the allotted time? The license plate is on record and police can scan tags for violations.