OC Today WWW.OCEANCITYTODAY.COM
MAY 19, 2023
SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY
HOT RODS
SPRING CRUISIN’
Over 3,000 motorheads to flock to Ocean City for 32nd annual car-culture celebration – Page 3
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Council OKs FY24 budget of $155.6M Includes 3 percent boost for general city employees
STEWART DOBSON/OCEAN CITY TODAY
WELL-GROUNDED Two-thousand pounds of steel and aircraft aluminum is hoisted atop ABC Liquors at Seacrets’ new Area 51 venue last Thursday. The 12-foot disc is piloted by Paul the Alien, who was created by Geoff Charvat of Haines Fabrication and Machine in Selbyville, which also built the spacecraft. In addition to his aircraft being angled to deal with wind shear and solidly grounded in concrete, Paul is protected by two internal fire-suppression systems ... just in case things heat up on re-entry.
By Mallory Panuska Staff Writer (May 19, 2023) With the majority of revenues expected to come from tourism, not taxes, Ocean City’s fiscal 2024 budget and accompanying tax rate were officially approved this week. City Manager Terry McGean introduced the more than $155.6 million budget, which officially goes into effect on July 1, to council members for review on March 31. They spent the next two weeks going over the details and approved the first reading at the beginning of May. On Tuesday, council members unanimously approved the second and final reading. The numbers show an increase in the general fund of more than $3.3 million from last fiscal year, growing from about $101.5 million to nearly $104.9 million. See OCEAN Page 8
OC employee housing code changes OK’d Reduced parking requirements would call for one space for five occupants, or two spaces for three bedrooms By Hunter Hine Staff Writer (May 19, 2023) The Ocean City Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously endorsed amendments to the employee housing code, adding several new stipulations, at their meeting Tuesday night. The amended code proposal will be forwarded to City Council for its approval. “Our end goal is to get this adopted by council,
if at all possible,” said Bill Neville, Ocean City’s director of planning and business development. Since 2022, the commission has planned revisions for the employee housing code to incentivize developers to build more housing and expand the living options for seasonal workers. Covid exacerbated a seasonal-worker housing shortage as landlords shifted from employee housing to more profitable vacation rentals. At its last meeting on May 2, the commission held a public hearing for a draft of the code, heard three recommended adjustments handed down from City Council and discussed other potential changes. Neville took into account the May 2 meeting
comments to create a new draft for Tuesday’s meeting. In it, Neville gave a list of options for the commissioners to choose from and add to the employee housing code. Out of the seven recommended options, the commissioners voted to approve the first five. Recommendation one confirmed that drafted parking requirements should remain unchanged, which was a focus of debate among commissioners on May 2. The draft states that employee housing must provide two spaces per three sleeping rooms, or one space per five employee residents, whichever is greater. The Board of Zoning Appeals can make speSee EMPLOYEE Page 9