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Dear Neighbors, We hope you and your loved ones are safe after this weekend’s nor’easter and high tides. Some households are facing flood damage, power interruptions, and a difficult cleanup. Even after the water recedes, the work and worry can linger. Mayor Gillian just sent out his message here (https://www.ocnj.us/mayor), and a few other resources for help or information are below. We encourage everyone to check in on a neighbor who may need a hand, if possible. If you need help or information: Do you need someone to check your place? If you are out of town and would like someone stop and check your home, take photos, and report back, please reach out to us at oceancity2050@gmail.com. Be sure to include your phone number so we can reach you with updates. Power outages or downed wires: Report an outage and check restoration information through Atlantic City Electric or call 1-800-833-7476. Stay away from downed wires. Call 911 for an immediate emergency. Flood damage and insurance claims: When it’s safe, photograph damage before disposing of items, contact your insurer and save receipts for necessary repairs. New Jersey’s storm damage claims guide explains the steps. For questions about repair requirements, see the City’s flood damage information or contact the Construction Code Office at 609-525-9172. Cleanup and collection questions: The City has begun assessing damage and cleanup. For the latest information about Public Works or collection schedules, call 609-399-6111, ext. 9710, or visit Public Works. If you need temporary shelter, food or medicine: New Jersey’s disaster recovery resource page says the Red Cross may be able to help with immediate needs and referrals. Call 1-800-733-2767.
We’re thinking of everyone dealing with damage or disruption, and hope the recovery ahead is manageable. A More Unified Council on 600 BoardwalkWhile we know many are focused on cleanup and recovery, we also wanted to share an encouraging development from last Thursday night’s City Council meeting. For the first time in some time, Council members appeared united around the need to find the right compromise for 600 Boardwalk—one that all seven members can support. Councilman Keith Hartzell reiterated his call for Council to take the lead in determining what is right for the property and for Ocean City, rather than simply reacting to the developer’s proposal, and we were pleased to see Councilman Jody Levchuk publicly support Hartzell’s position. If Council members who have approached this issue from different perspectives can find common ground, that would be a meaningful step forward. Just as importantly, Council did not appear persuaded by developer Eustace Mita’s recent press tour attempting to create a sense of urgency around the condition of the property. Mita has made the rounds in the media describing the pier as dangerously “imploding.” Yet City spokesperson Doug Bergen offered a much narrower account, saying the City’s concern involves one cinder-block wall below a rear deck, “not anywhere near where the public would walk by.” The City has requested an engineering report and corrective-action plan from the developer. Until those are provided, Council is right to insist on facts rather than make consequential decisions based on undocumented claims made through the media. Mita also announced last week that the Ferris wheel needed to be dismantled. Mita had the gall to suggest the City is responsible for its loss, saying, “We offered it to them and they wouldn’t take it,” while also blaming previous repairs for making the wheel impossible to dismantle. But Mita purchased the property and the wheel in 2021 and has repeatedly promised to preserve it. The public deserves a clear explanation of what happened and why that promise apparently cannot now be kept. We’ll continue to watch and keep you updated. Watch the September 24 City Council meeting Sincerely,
Bill Merritt
Ocean City 2050
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