OCEAN CITY – This week’s Mayor and City Council meeting wrapped up a few business items, including the approval of a new audio and video system for council chambers, the Ocean City Police Department will sign a Reciprocal Mutual Aid Agreement, final approval of a third-party automated system for the Fire Marshal’s Office was granted and local restaurants are now allowed to have alcohol related ads on buses.
Council Meeting Video Quality To Be Improved
The Procurement Department, in conjunction with the City Manager’s Office and City Engineer, requested the Mayor and City Council’s approval to award the bid for the Council Chamber Audio and Video System. The project was funded at $135,000 in the FY15 Budget. The recommendation was to award the bid to lowest bidder of Lee & Hartman in the amount of $91,142.
According to Webmaster Bill Funkhouser, the system is complex and is integrated into a Crestron system that is controlled by using a touch screen panel on the City Clerk’s desk. The Media Switcher and Video Converter all work together being dependent on each other for a seamless HD multi-camera recording system.
“One of our main complaints over the years was the poor quality of our audio/video. The new system will increase the video quality and audio quality of our televised meetings which will benefit the public tremendously,” Funkhouser said. “In person, viewing will change with better video monitors on the walls replacing our current monitor/projector. Audio will be improved and people making presentations will have better control on their slideshow presentations from the lectern. At home will improve with audio and video quality.”
Councilman Dennis Dare made a motion to approve the bidder but removing the cost of a 42-inch display outside of Council Chambers that has been found to not be needed. This reduced the cost to $93,190. The Mayor and City Council voted unanimously to approve.
Reciprocal Mutual Aid Agreements With Agencies
Ocean City Police Chief Ross Buzzuro presented the Reciprocal Mutual Aid Agreements with Allied Agencies that would allow the temporary transfer of law enforcement officers from one jurisdiction to the other. He explained in certain situations it is necessary and in the interest of public safety for law enforcement officers to perform police duties outside of the incorporated limits of the jurisdiction in which they are employed. The purpose of these agreements is to define the scope of such mutual aid and the responsibilities of parties involved.
“We look at this as a resource of force multiplier. The ability to have other law enforcements in a reciprocal agreement to work alongside with us, and we can work alongside with them. We would be invested with all powers within this agreement,” Chief Buzzuro said. “For instance, when we have an event, we can call upon other agencies to give us a helping hand. They would have the same law enforcement capabilities as we do, and vice versa.”
According to Buzzuro, the Ocean City Police Department will initially enter into an agreement with five sheriff’s departments from the Eastern Shore.
“It is a great idea with what happened in Baltimore, and with the different events that come here sometimes we are in need of help. It would only make sense for us to encourage this agreement,” Councilman Wayne Hartman said, as he made a motion.
The City Council voted unanimously to approve.
Ocean City’s Fire Prevention Code Amended
During a work session on March 31, Deputy Chief David Hartley and Captain Josh Bunting of the Fire Marshal’s Office came before the Mayor and City Council to request outsourcing Quality Assurance Program (QAP) correspondence and billing.
According to Hartley, the local QAP allows the office to monitor the inspection and testing services of 15 to 20 third-party fire protection companies servicing the nearly 2,500 fire protection systems throughout the city in about 1,500 buildings.
The focus of the program is to ensure proper operation of fire protection systems in the event of an emergency by verifying all fire protection systems are regularly tested; making certain that reported deficiencies are repaired in a timely manner; and ensuring property owners receive quality testing and repair service.
Hartley requested permission to send out a Request for Proposal (RFP) for outsourcing portions of the QAP for a third party web-based system and draft amendments to the existing ordinance to allow the changes. The council voted unanimously to approve.
Since then a contract was formed with a third-party data collection system company, Brycer LLC. In working with Brycer saved employee hours would be redirected towards reducing permit/plan review turn-around, complaints/referrals and construction field inspections. Also, Fire Protection Contractors will be charged by Brycer a $10 filing fee per required fire protection system test report with the Fire Marshal’s Office continuing to bill property owners $30 per system tested.
The contract calls for two code amendments to implement the third-party automated system that came before the council on second reading this week. The council voted unanimously to approve.
“This is about increasing efficiency in how we operate. It is a life safety issue … if something tragic were to happen and we hadn’t thought of this course, and hadn’t done what we were supposed to do in making sure everybody follows the law that would be the real tragedy, and you can’t put a real price on that,” Mayor/Acting City Manager Rick Meehan said.
Alcohol Related Ads Allowed On Buses
Meehan, in his capacity as chair of the Transportation Commission, brought forward a matter that the commission discussed last week regarding alcohol-related ads on Ocean City’s buses.
During the commission meeting, Public Works Director Hal Adkins explained Direct Media, the town’s advertising firm for transportation, requested direction as to the prohibited sale of alcohol-related advertisements on buses prior to starting the September/October sales campaign.
Adkins pointed out there is currently one bus ad of the local business Assawoman Bay Brewing Company. The ad is just of the company logo not a depiction of alcohol containers or drinking, and Direct Media would like to pursue other similar companies, such as the Ocean City Brewing Company and the 45th Street Taphouse.
The commission was in consensus to allow such ads as long as they did not depict the image of alcohol or drinking. The ads would have to be approved by the Public Works Director and/or city manager before contracting and they must be a local Ocean City business with a current Ocean City business license.
Council Secretary Mary Knight made a motion to allow local restaurants that sell alcohol to be allowed to advertise on the buses and the council voted unanimously to approve.