Ocean City Mayor and City Council Regular Meeting - September 15, 2025

The Ocean City Mayor and City Council held a regular meeting on Monday, September 15, 2025, starting at 6:00 PM. The meeting began with a prayer led by Councilmember Gehrig, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Key agenda items included the presentation of the 2025 Beauty Spot Awards by the Beautification Committee, approval of consent agenda items, first reading of a $52 million bond ordinance, resolutions for reimbursement of project expenditures and surplus property disposition, a continuing discussion of municipal infraction fines and penalties, and public comments on golf cart usage, cell connectivity, speed enforcement, and bus passes. All council votes were 7-0 in favor. The next meeting is scheduled for September 30, 2025.

Beautification Committee 2025 Beauty Spot Awards

• The Beautification Committee, led by Donna (chair), presented awards to residential, retail, commercial, condominium, hotel/motel, restaurant, and community beach entrance winners for outstanding landscaping efforts during a challenging summer. Award recipients included the Wingfields, Foxes, Joneses, Stable House, Mary Annies, Bells, Duncan, Malibu Surf Shop, Farmers Bank, Nick's Golf and Ropes Course, Montego Bay Association, Beach Point Condominium, Tierra West, Gateway Grand, Days Inn Motel, King Charles Hotel, Secrets Hideaway, Wedge Restaurant, Tail Chasers, Bluefin, and the 53rd Street beach entrance. A group photo was taken with the winners and council.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes Approval: Approved the minutes from the September 9, 2025 work session.
• Standing Committee Reports: Acknowledged reports from the Police Commission (September 8) and Coastal Resources Legislative Committee (September 10).
• Both items were approved unanimously on a motion by Secretary DeLuca, seconded by Councilmember Yates.

Discussion Items

• Ordinance 2025-25 (First Reading): Authorized the issuance and sale of general obligation municipal purpose bonds not to exceed $52 million for projects reviewed at the September 9 work session. Approved unanimously.
• Resolution 2025-23: Declared the Mayor and Council's intent to reimburse expenditures for water radio-read meters (up to $2.3 million) and new boardwalk signage (up to $765,000) with debt proceeds. Approved unanimously.
• Resolution 2025-24: Authorized the disposition of surplus personal property. Approved unanimously.
• Continued Discussion of Municipal Infraction Fines and Penalties: City Solicitor presented an updated code chart (highlighted in yellow) including a proposed addition to Chapter 18 allowing the City Clerk to issue infractions for campaign finance reporting violations (Section 22-42) with a $1,000 fine, consistent with state law. The City Solicitor noted that a comprehensive 46-page code rewrite is pending review by the Ocean City Police Department. Council voted unanimously to move the updated chart to ordinance for a future reading.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Andrew Sanderson (13406 North Ocean Road #23, Cain Woods): Expressed support for allowing low-speed vehicles (golf carts) to use dedicated lanes on Coastal Highway, citing their prevalence among residents and environmental benefits. He requested the council provide an opinion to state legislators for a potential state law amendment. He also requested a full-time bus pass option for full-time residents under 60.
• Mary Jo Breslin (608 Gulf Stream Drive, Montego Bay): Raised concerns about cellular connectivity issues in her neighborhood, describing a safety hazard when she could not use her phone for an EKG during a medical emergency. She requested council help to improve coverage, offering to host a tower on her property.
• Sandy Covek (202 Beachcomber, Montego Bay): Echoed connectivity concerns, noting that previous petition against towers may have been conflated with lighting issues and that many signers are no longer residents. She urged re-examination of the issue.
• John Atkins (8802 Caribbean Drive): Commented on high county tax share (62%), fiber optic connectivity, scooter safety problems, and sewer system issues. He expressed frustration with limited public comment time at county meetings.
• Michael Bell (9,000 Caribbean Drive): Requested speed cameras on Pacific Avenue to curb speeding in residential areas, but City Manager clarified state law restricts speed cameras to construction and school zones.

Key Outcomes

• All motions passed with 7-0 votes.
• Council voted to include discussion of macro cell towers and citywide connectivity (including Comcast) on an upcoming work session agenda (motion by DeLuca, second by Yates, amended by Savage).
• Councilmember Terry suggested exploring speed feedback signs (like on South Ocean Drive) as an alternative to cameras in residential areas.
• Secretary DeLuca offered to refer the low-speed vehicle issue to the Police Commission and Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee for recommendations, and the non-senior bus pass request to the transportation committee for review.
• The next Mayor and Council meeting is a work session on September 30, 2025, with a closed session for legal matters at noon.