Dear Friends & Supporters,

You continue to make a difference! At the last City Council meeting, we saw signs that the hard work of Ocean City residents over the past two years to encourage greater transparency, fuller disclosure, and decisions grounded in facts is moving the needle on important issues—and we appreciate Council’s responsiveness.

After listening to residents, the mayor seemed to reconsider his stance on the carousel, which he previously said would be too costly to preserve. Jay Gillian spoke about bringing the community together to work toward saving it. We understand that restoration will take significant effort and is far from guaranteed. Still, beginning a process that welcomes community involvement is an important step—and one that reflects the power of public engagement. (More on the carousel below.)

Council Vice President Dave Winslow also updated the community on 600 Boardwalk. He described Council’s fact-gathering process, including a 78-question survey, and spoke of apparent consensus around preserving a strong entertainment component on this part of the Boardwalk. He also reiterated Councilman Keith Hartzell’s statement that Council was committed to an appropriately-sized hotel in alignment with the guidance of the Boardwalk Subcommittee Report. These are encouraging signs.

In addition, Winslow discussed the improved appointment procedure used to select the newest member of the Zoning Board. This change comes after residents raised concerns about a lack of transparency around how City appointments were being made. Council recently put the new procedure into action and members expressed confidence in both the process and the candidate selected. We’re also pleased to note that, also in response to public pushback, the Zoning Board has returned to posting its agenda 10 days in advance, and the Planning Board continues to publish materials in a timely manner. These steps help residents stay informed and participate, including those who can’t be in town for every gathering.

While a single Council meeting cannot resolve every issue, last night showed how residents have been and continue to help shape their government. Your public input is leading to more open, informed, and successful processes.

Ocean City 2050 applauds City Council for its work. We encourage Council, the mayor, and other Boards to keep listening, keep sharing information, and keep it up.

More below…

The Future of Wonderland’s Carousel

There has been much discussion around Wonderland’s historic carousel over the past few weeks. While Councilman Tony Polcini and Mayor Jay Gillian suggested saying goodbye, citing restoration costs, OC2050’s Bill Merritt recently noted in the OC Sentinel that the argument being put forth around protecting taxpayers wasn’t entirely accurate, and that it’s premature to give up without officially inspecting the ride. Restoring the carousel was Wonderland developer’s Eustace Mita’s promise, and there are still options worth exploring: holding him to that commitment, working with a future developer, or finding a new home with help from private donors and preservation partners. What we should not do is allow Mita to use the carousel as a bargaining chip to add height to his hotel or remove frontage entertainment. Saving the carousel is worth the effort, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of the Boardwalk’s character. We can explore ways to preserve this piece of our history while holding firm on those principles.

A Question About the Survey in Progress

A few weeks ago, we highlighted news of a survey costing more than $90K commissioned by the Tourism Commission and Chamber of Commerce to help guide Ocean City’s future.

Sound research can support thoughtful planning, but the process behind it deserves scrutiny, too. Who approved the survey, who is guiding its scope, and how will differing interests be represented? Residents should also be able to review the full results and understand how they will inform future decisions. We’re continuing to seek answers and will keep you updated.

COULD CITY COUNCIL BE YOUR NEXT MOVE?

Interested in making a difference in Ocean City? Have you ever considered running for City Council? You don’t need to have it all figured out to start a conversation. We’d love to hear from residents who care about our community and want to help shape its future. Reach out to us at oceancity2050@gmail.com, and let’s talk about what’s involved.

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