Ocean City Mayor and City Council Work Session - August 26, 2025
Ocean City Mayor and City Council Work Session - August 26, 2025
The Mayor and City Council of Ocean City, Maryland held a work session on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, beginning at 1:00 PM (open session after a closed session from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM for legal matters). The meeting addressed state law changes affecting bicycles and electric scooters, internal audit reports, and routine approvals. All seven council members present (Councilmembers Savage and Metresc absent initially but later present) voted unanimously on all motions.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: Minutes from Regular Meeting #14 dated August 18, 2025, were approved unanimously (7-0).
- Pension Committee Recommendation: The council approved the actuarially determined pension contributions as recommended by the Pension Committee (motion by Secretary DeLuca, second by Councilmember Yates, passed 7-0).
Discussion Items
- State Law Change Regarding Bicycles on Sidewalks (Item C): Presented by Police Sgt. Nathan Kutz and Public Works Director Hal Adkins. They recommended prohibiting bicycles (including e-bikes and electric low-speed scooters) on sidewalks, with the option to allow exceptions by resolution. Councilmembers debated keeping the ordinance simple—a flat prohibition with future resolution authority. Motion to direct the city solicitor to draft an ordinance prohibiting bicycles on sidewalks except for areas approved by resolution passed 7-0. The ordinance must be passed before October 1, 2025, when the state law change allowing bicycles on sidewalks takes effect.
- Electric Scooters (Item D): Presented by City Manager Terry McGean and City Solicitor Heather Stansbury. Staff recommended working with the Maryland Municipal League (MML) to change state law to allow local jurisdictions to regulate or prohibit electric scooters on state roads. Councilmember Carol Proctor strongly supported banning scooters, citing safety concerns; Councilmember John Garrick argued the problem is user behavior, not the scooters themselves. Motion to direct the mayor, city solicitor, and staff to work with MML on state law changes passed 7-0. Mayor Rick Meehan noted he had already contacted MML to explore other jurisdictions facing similar issues.
- Q2 2025 Internal Audit Report (Item E): Presented by Internal Auditor Karin Scott. Highlights included: 798 invoices processed before purchase orders (out of ~6,200 POs), corrected by city manager directive; 101 employee badges deactivated after review; one beach patrol personnel rent issue resolved; overtime hours reduced 6.5% (32,009 hours vs. 34,274 previous year, including extra 1,100 hours for air show). No questions.
- FY 2026 Annual Audit Plan (Item F): Presented by Karin Scott. Priority audits include convention center cash handling, parking/transportation revenue, sole source contracts, vendor master file, and special events. Lower priority items include training/travel, fire overtime, sick leave usage, and central square access. Continuous reviews include water meter replacement, payroll, procurement cards, and employee badges. Consensus was reached without a formal vote.
Key Outcomes
- Ordinance Drafting: Directed city solicitor to draft an ordinance prohibiting bicycles on sidewalks, effective before October 1, 2025, with exception authority by resolution (7-0).
- State Law Advocacy: Directed mayor and staff to work with MML on legislation allowing local regulation of electric scooters on state roads (7-0).
- Pension Contribution Approval: Approved actuarially determined pension contributions (7-0).
- Minutes Approval: Approved minutes from August 18, 2025 (7-0).
- Audit Plans: Accepted the Q2 2025 internal audit report and the FY 2026 annual audit plan without formal vote.
Meeting Transcript
But that's what originally it was for. We just need to get nowhere. Yeah. Ready? Ready? All right. Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to the fourth session. First on the agenda, we have a closed. Uh to consult with counsel to obtain legal advice. Topics of discussion will be pending and potential litigation. Secretary DeLuca. Motion to go to closed. Thank you. Councilmember Yates. Second, sir. All right. I've got a motion from Secretary DeLuca. Second by Councilmember Yates to go to closed. Any discussion? All those in favor? Nine. All right. Motion carries with five in favor. Uh Councilmember Savage and Metressic absent at the time of the vote, but they will both be here later. All right, good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to this work session. Today is Tuesday, August 26th, 2025. And it's 124 p.m. First, on the agenda, I have our notice and report on our closed session. Prior to the open session of the mayor and city council being held Tuesday, August 26th, 2025 at 1 p.m. There was a closed session here at City Hall beginning at 12 noon. Topics of discussion were legal matters. Persons present were Mayor Rick Meehan, City Manager Terry McGean, Deputy City Manager J.R. Harmon, Council President Matt James, Council Secretary Tony DeLuca, Council Members Will Savage, Larry Yates, John Garrick, Jake Metresc and Carol Proctor, City Clerk Diana Chavis, City Solicitor Heather Stansbury, Public Works Director Hal Atkins, and Deputy Public Works Director Scott Wagner. There's a motion to close the closed session by Secretary DeLuca. Second by Councilmember Savage, and that passed. With seven in favor at 118 p.m. Next on the agenda, we have comments from the public. Any person who may wish to speak on a matter scheduled for discussion on the work session agenda may be heard during comments from the public for a period of three minutes or such time as may be deemed appropriate by the council president. Anyone wishing to be heard shall state their name, address, and the agenda item on which he or she wishes to speak. Would anyone like to speak today? Seeing none, we will move on to new business. We have a request to approve minutes from regular meeting number 14, dated August 18th, 2025. Secretary DeLuca. Motion to approve the minutes from August 18th, 2025. Councilmember Metressic. Second. Thank you. I've got a motion from Secretary DeLuca, second by Councilmember Metressic to approve the minutes from regular meeting number 14, dated August 18th, 2025.
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