Council News In Brief

New Hangar Being
Priced

OCEAN CITY –
During the Mayor and City Council work session Tuesday, Public Works Director
Hal Adkins asked permission to solicit bids for the construction of a new
hangar for the Ocean City Airport.

According to
Adkins, out of the 63-unit capacity the airport currently has only two units
left, pending their lease, and they are for smaller aircraft such as a Cessna
172. However, the city has a growing list of individuals desiring to base their
larger aircraft, such as a Cheyenne 400, in Ocean City

“It is my desire
to pursue bids from pre-engineered metal building erectors in an effort to
determine what the current market pricing would be and whether we can afford to
build such a two-unit box style structure whose debt would be covered by the
rent revenues,” Adkins said.

The council
approved Adkins’ request with a 6-1 vote, with Council member Margaret Pillas
in opposition.

Two Colors For
Scopers

With the recent
merger of two beach photo franchises, Sun Beach Studio owner Patrick McLaughlin
came before the council with a request to amend the beach photo franchise
requirement that says each franchise is given a single color to differentiate
themselves from other franchises.

McLaughlin was
seeking an amendment that would raise the number to three colors for a few
reasons. Before the merge, the two franchise owners had the colors blue and
red, however with the merge, they are required to pick one. However, McLaughlin
said allowing at least two would allow the franchises to attend to a customer
base that has grown used to the two-color scheme.

Council members
said they understood McLaughlin’s reasoning for the third color but didn’t like
the idea because another franchise can come in and also have three colors.

A motion by
Councilman Jim Hall was then made to allow for the use of two colors instead
and was unanimously approved.

Picnic Table Fees
Increase

An annual request
by City Clerk Carol Jacobs Tuesday at the Mayor and City Council work session
concerning the renewal of picnic table agreements on the Boardwalk ended with
the base fee being raised.

Currently there
are three vendors who are allowed to set up the picnic tables along the
Boardwalk for an annual base fee of $150 plus $25 for each additional table.

City officials said the fees hadn’t been touched
since they were introduced in the early ’90s so the council raised the base fee
to $200, leaving the additional cost per table alone.