Ocean City Mayor and City Council Work Session - April 14, 2026
Ocean City Mayor and City Council Work Session - April 14, 2026
The Mayor and City Council held a work session on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, beginning at 1:00 PM. The agenda covered a closed session report, introduction of a new Public Works Maintenance Manager, approvals for the May 8 special election candidates, bid awards, parking rate changes, tent and canopy regulation amendments, zoning clarifications, signage code updates, a boardwalk pedicab franchise ordinance, and annual picnic table agreements.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes Approval: Minutes from the March 24, 2026 work session and Regular Session #6 (April 6, 2026) were approved unanimously (5-0).
- Council Candidates for May 8, 2026 Special Election: Three candidates—John Franklin Atkins, Anthony DeSantis, and William Murphy—were approved individually, each by a 5-0 vote. (Previously approved candidates Peter Bus and Jeff Heiser were confirmed without additional motion.)
- Bid Award for 65th Street Service Center Renovations: Awarded to APEX Business Solutions for $1,285,600, with a total budget allocation of $1,465,800 to cover the complete project scope and contingencies. Approved 5-0.
- 2026 Picnic Table Agreements: Approved annual agreements allowing picnic tables in the public right-of-way (primarily on the boardwalk) with Dough Roller, Dumser's, Corbin Brothers, and Thrasher's for a total revenue of $1,225. Motion carried 4-0 (Councilmember James absent? Not stated; transcript shows 4 in favor, likely one absent).
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public spoke during the public comment period.
Discussion Items
- 100th Street Parking Lot Rates and Grace Period (Item D): Parking Manager Jon Anthony proposed changes to Resolution 2025-09 to restore the Hunter Street lot to a pay-by-day lot and adjust rates: $28/day for cars, $32/day for trailers, $140/week for cars, $160/week for trailers (a 66.7% discount from hourly rates). The existing one-hour grace period on expired meters was also proposed for removal, as parking is now app-based with notifications. Discussion included the possibility of offering hourly rates in addition to daily, but the motion to approve the changes as presented (daily-only rates and removal of grace period) passed 5-0.
- Tent and Canopy Regulations (Item E): Emergency Services Director Joe Theobald and Beach Patrol Captain Butch Arbin reported on enforcement challenges from the 2025 season, including 8,000 documented contacts and 1,500 tags on unattended property. They proposed modifications to Ordinance 2025-07 and a new enforcement plan using dedicated beach ambassadors (code enforcement personnel on ATVs). After lengthy debate:
- Amendment to Ordinance: Council approved (5-0) a motion to increase the maximum canopy footprint from 10'x10' to 15'x15' (to accommodate guy wires and common shade structures like Shibumi shades). No other changes were adopted at this meeting.
- Enforcement Plan: An initial motion to adopt the full enforcement plan (as presented in the budget, with 6 personnel and equipment) failed 2-3 (Councilmembers Proctor, Garrick, and James opposed). A subsequent motion to proceed with the plan but limit daily operations to 6 hours (e.g., 8 AM – 2 PM) and revisit the pilot program in fall 2026 was approved. Councilmember Garrick requested biweekly updates during the pilot. The number of personnel was not specified in the final motion; staff indicated 5 could suffice. Equipment (ATVs and radios) can be repurposed if the program ends.
- Amendment to Ordinance 2026-08 – Yard Setbacks on Lots under 5,000 SF (Item F): Planning Director George Bendler presented a cleanup change to ensure that the new setback requirements apply only to lots 5,000 square feet or greater, eliminating ambiguity for non-conforming lots under 5,000 SF. Council approved a motion to forward the amendment to first reading (4-0, with Councilmember Garrick noting the original ordinance should be revisited).
- Signage in Unimproved Right-of-Way along Baltimore Avenue (Item G): Staff recommended amending the downtown design overlay district to prohibit new signs in the public right-of-way, while allowing existing signs to remain (with replacement allowed as long as the use continues) and requiring encroachment agreements. Council approved a motion to prepare legislation for a public hearing before the Planning Commission (4-0).
- Boardwalk Pedicab Franchise Services (Item H): Deputy City Manager Elton Harmon reported that an RFP had been reissued after previous bids were rejected due to technical errors; 9 potential bidders attended a mandatory meeting on April 10. The proposed ordinance would create a single franchise for pedicab operations on the boardwalk, with a minimum fleet of 20, operating from Memorial Day to Labor Day (2 PM – 12 AM). First-year startup requires 10% fleet by Memorial Day and full fleet by July 1. Council voted to move the draft ordinance to first reading, subject to modifications based on bid results (4-0).
Key Outcomes
- Candidates Approved: John Franklin Atkins, Anthony DeSantis, and William Murphy are confirmed for the May 8, 2026 special election. Absentee ballots to be mailed by Friday or Monday.
- 65th Street Service Center Contract Awarded: APEX Business Solutions to begin renovations at $1,285,600.
- 100th Street Lot Rates Changed: Hunter Street lot becomes pay-by-day only ($28/day cars, $32/day trailers) and grace period for expired meters eliminated.
- Tent/Canopy Ordinance Amended: Maximum footprint increased to 15'x15'. No other changes adopted.
- Beach Ambassador Program Approved (Pilot): Code enforcement personnel will patrol the beach for up to 6 hours per day during the summer 2026 season, focusing on canopy/tent ordinance enforcement, with a fall review. Biweekly reporting to council requested.
- Zoning Clarification Forwarded: Amendment to Ordinance 2026-08 to restrict new setback requirements to lots ≥5,000 SF sent to first reading.
- Signage Code Update Directed: Staff to draft legislation prohibiting new signs in unimproved right-of-way along Baltimore Avenue, with a public hearing at Planning Commission.
- Pedicab Franchise Ordinance Moved to First Reading: Ordinance to establish a single franchise for boardwalk pedicab services to be drafted, with final adjustments after bid opening on April 21.
- Picnic Table Agreements Renewed: Four businesses granted permission to place tables in public right-of-way for $1,225 total.
Meeting Transcript
For those days again. Okay. All right. Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to this work session of the Mayor and City Council. Today's Tuesday, April 14th, 2026, just after 1 p.m. First, on the agenda, I have our notice and report of our closed session. Prior to the mayor and city council's open session being held at 1 p.m. Uh today, April 14th, 2026. A closed session was held today here at 11 a.m. beginning beginning at 11 a.m. here at City Hall. Topics of discussion were legal personnel and procurement matters. Persons present were Mayor Rick Meehan, City Manager Terry McGean, Deputy City Manager Jarrell Harmon, Council President Matt James, Secretary Will Savage, Councilmembers John Garrick, Jake Metresc and Carol Proctor, City Clerk Diana Chavis, Legal Counsel Maureen Howarth, and our tourism and business development director, Tom Perlazzo. The mayor and council discussed the city manager's evaluation and consulted with counsel on pending and potential litigation. Event opportunities were discussed for which council made a specific finding that public discussion of two prospective events would adversely impact the bidding and proposal process. I had a motion from Secretary Savage, seconded by Councilmember Proctor to close the closed session. Closed session ended at 1.04 p.m. with five in favor. Next on the agenda, I have our acknowledgments and recognition. Good afternoon. It's my pleasure today to introduce you to the new public works manager, Matt Thompson. Matt is not new to public works maintenance. He actually started his career in maintenance in 2009 as a part-time seasonal maintenance worker. And he did that for two seasons. Then in 2011, Matt was hired as full-time maintenance worker. And in 2013, he was promoted to a meter technician. While still a meter technician, he would take on the additional roles as a seasonal supervisor for the department. 2019 Matt advanced to full-time maintenance supervisor overseeing multiple divisions and crews within the department. And also attended the attended and completed the first leadership development course offered by the city. He has served on the Public Works Safety Committee for six years, has been a member of the Human Resource Advisory Council since 2020 and still serves on that council. Matt's tenure, he has overseeing all major operations, and include the beach, boardwalk operations, street, special events, with his leadership and management, has given him a comprehensive understanding of the maintenance department. Join me in congratulating Matt Thompson in his new role as public works manager and look forward to his leadership in the years to come. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you very much. Congratulations. All right, 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, their address, and the agenda item on which he or she wishes to speak. Would anyone like to speak uh this afternoon? Same none. We'll move on to new business. Item A is a council candidates for the May 8th, 2026 special election presented by the city clerk. Good afternoon. Uh with the resignation of Larry Yates announced Tuesday, April 7th. There was a municipal election set to fill his spot. And um Tony DeLuca's seat was also uh open. So we postponed the election. We changed it to May 8th, from April 21st to May 8th.
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