OCEAN CITY – Monday evening’s Mayor and City Council regular session had a light agenda, but some matters of consequence were discussed, including the evaluation of three-wheel scooters on the Boardwalk, considering heftier fine for flicking cigarettes out of car windows, a bid for a new shade canopy at the Ocean Bowl Skate Park was approved and a law to ban riding in the beds of pick-up trucks was finalized.
Pick-Up Law Okayed
An ordinance to amend a chapter of the Town of Ocean City Code under the division titled “Seat Belts” by adding a section titled “Passengers in unenclosed areas of motor vehicles” came before the Mayor and City Council for second reading.
A “motor vehicle” is defined as a Class A for passenger cars and station wagons, Class E is for a truck, and Class M is a multipurpose passenger vehicle, as defined in the Transportation Article of the State Code. Motor vehicle includes any trailer towed, pulled or powered by a motor vehicle.
A “seat belt” is defined as a belt, strap and harness or like device, as defined in the Transportation Article of the State Code, which is permanently attached to the body of the motor vehicle.
The ordinance furthers, “a person may not ride or allow another person to ride in the unenclosed areas of a motor vehicle except in a seat and with a seat belt in use.”
Exemptions include, “passengers in municipal sanctioned or approved parades during the parade and in the parade route, federal, state, county and municipal emergency vehicles, and municipal vehicles during the course of municipal duties.”
The penalty for violation is punishable as a municipal infraction by a fine of not more than $250.
The City Council voted unanimously with no discussion to pass the law in its final reading.
Three-Wheelers On
Boardwalk Weighed
In presenting the Police Commission meeting agenda for Monday, Commission Chair Councilman Doug Cymek was asked to look into a couple matters.
The upcoming Police Commission meeting agenda on Monday has a presentation of Trikkes by Bryant Hungerford regarding allowing the vehicle on the Boardwalk, and Councilwoman Mary Knight asked the commission to consider the versions of the vehicles being sold at toy stores as well.
Trikke is a brand of a three-wheel, or three-point, standing, carving vehicle that resembles a scooter and can be body or electronically powered.
Councilman Brent Ashley also asked Cymek to have the commission discuss having the penalty for flicking cigarettes out of car windows become heftier in Ocean City after coming across news out of Illinois.
A new law in Illinois that went into effect on Jan. 1 requires a first-time offender for flicking a cigarette out of a window receive a Class B misdemeanor with fines up to $1,500. If caught three times, an offender would face a Class 4 felony with a $2,500 fine and up to three years in prison.
Skate Park Canopy
Project To Start
This week’s consent agenda was approved in an unanimous vote without discussion. It included the approval to rebid Boardwalk network camera installation, approval to solicit bids for canal dredging and the approval of a bid award recommendation by staff to construct a shade canopy at the Ocean Bowl Skate Park.
According to City Engineer Terry McGean, the city received a $30,000 state grant to construct a shade canopy at the Ocean Bowl Skate Park. Two bids were received on Nov. 26 and were evaluated by city staff.
Each bidder was required to submit a design to provide the maximum shaded area at the North East corner of the park within the $30,000 project budget.
Playground Specialties Inc.’s bid was considered non-responsive as it did not include a required bid bond. However, since the bid was read into the record, staff evaluated the bid with a price of $14,600 for a canopy covering 240 square feet, but the shaded area location was not in the area preferred by the staff and the shade design was of a lesser quality than a favored proposal.
SGX, Inc. was fully responsive with a bid bond included. The bid price is $30,000 for two canopy structures providing a total of 352 square feet of shaded area in the location preferred by the staff. However, the staff does feel that one of the two structures could be either reduced in size or eliminated.
Staff recommended award of the skate park shade canopy project to SGX Inc. at a price not to exceed $30,000.