Passionate Support In Annapolis For Enhanced Special Event Bill

Passionate Support In Annapolis For Enhanced Special Event Bill
A vehicle is pictured in a file photo completing a burnout in front of onlookers at a bus stop. File Photo

OCEAN CITY — A bill strengthening the resort’s motorized special event zone legislation, including, for the first time, certain offenses for which violators could be arrested, had a spirited hearing in a Senate committee this week.

After yet another troublesome unsanctioned motorized special event last September, resort officials promised everything was on the table in terms of possible solutions to some of the reckless and wanton activity. A first step was taken in January when Ocean City announced it was moving its signature Sunfest event to the first weekend in October after nearly 50 years.

The potential second piece of the puzzle is a bill introduced in the General Assembly aimed at enhancing and strengthening the existing special event zone legislation. State Senator Mary Beth Carozza introduced Senate Bill 878, which among other things, adds the offense of exhibition driving to the original legislation approved two years ago. Delegate Wayne Hartman introduced companion House Bill 1462, which includes identical language. Hartman’s bill is in the House Environment and Transportation Committee and is scheduled for a hearing next Tuesday.

On Wednesday, resort elected officials, local and state law enforcement officials and other stakeholders traveled to Annapolis to testify on the legislation in the Judicial Proceedings Committee. In addition to the often-passionate testimony, the presentation included a lengthy video highlighting the nefarious activity associated with a certain unsanctioned pop-up motorized special event in late September.

Ocean City’s special event zone is currently implemented during three motorized special events each year including two that are sanctioned and one that is not. The latter, referenced often as the H2O International event, or H2Oi, is not sanctioned by the town and is largely a social media-driven pop-up event. The official H2Oi event has long since moved to Atlantic City but, fairly or not, the unsanctioned pop-up event in late September is referred to frequently as H2Oi, including during Wednesday’s Senate committee hearing.

Senate Bill 878, and its companion bill in the House, would create a new enforceable violation called exhibition driving. According to the bill’s language, among the offenses under the umbrella of exhibition driving are operating a vehicle in a manner that produces abrupt acceleration of deceleration, skidding, swerving, raucous engine noise, gear grinding or wheels losing contact with the ground. For the first time in the evolution of the special event zone legislation, the potential penalties described in the bill include potential jail time. For example, violations could result in a term of imprisonment not exceeding 60 days, or a fine of $1,000 or both.

Carozza opened Wednesday’s hearing with a brief history of the original special event zone legislation and why resort officials were back again seeking to add more teeth to the bill.

“To refresh the committee’s memory, in 2018 this committee approved the current special event zone bill which has been of assistance in addressing speeding during unsanctioned and other motor vehicle special events,” she said. “However, it did not address these other types of driving. That’s where our limitation has been.”

Carozza painted a picture for committee members of the illicit behavior associated with the events.

“During the last two seasons, the out-of-control dangerous driving at this pop-up mob event has dramatically increased,” she said. “It has put locals, residents, visitors, businesses and law enforcement in great danger. Senate Bill 878 is needed to put an end to this type of reckless, unsafe and lawless behavior in Maryland’s family-friendly seaside resort town of Ocean City.”

Carozza explained the bill is very limited in scope and would basically affect three motorized special events that require a special event zone designation. Essentially, if approved it would be in place about 15 days out of the year. She related her own experiences with the event as a long-time resident of the resort.

“I have lived in Ocean City since the fifth grade,” she said. “On every busy weekend, whether its Memorial Day or the Fourth of July of Labor Day, I walk across Coastal Highway and walk the entire length of the Boardwalk to see what’s going on in my hometown. I have to tell you on that weekend in late September, I have never seen my hometown so out of control. This unsanctioned event wreaked havoc and disrupted our seaside town to the point where locals and visitors alike were held captive in their homes and hotel rooms out of fear.”

While Carozza verbally painted a picture of some of the reckless behavior, perhaps more compelling was a video presented to committee members of the weekend-long pop-up event in September. In addition, Carozza presented each committee member with a binder full of hundreds of emails from concerned residents and visitors. After the video, Mayor Rick Meehan addressed the committee.

“We would not be here today if it were not for the fact that we firmly believe the safety of our residents and visitors is in jeopardy,” he said. “As you watched the video, those just aren’t the highlights. That is what happens throughout these events. What you see depicts what we’re up against. There are more police officers on duty on that Saturday night in Ocean City than in anywhere else in the state of Maryland.”

Indeed, it was pointed out later in the proceedings the number of law enforcement officers in Ocean City during the motorized special events exceeds even the number in Baltimore City. Meehan said certain participants in the motorized special events make it known in no uncertain terms they are coming to Ocean City to wreak havoc.

“When you see the participants in some of these events arrive in our town with taped letters on their vehicles saying ‘F’ the Ocean City Police Department, I think that let’s us know right up front what we’re in for,” he said. “What I can tell you is our residents and visitors are terrified. The thing to remember is Ocean City is a tourist destination, but we’re also a community of residents and families. Our residents and visitors are looking to local government to resolve these issues and they understand our challenge and they have been patient.”

Meehan stressed the intent of the bill is not to fill Ocean City’s holding cells with lawbreakers, but merely to provide a stronger enforcement tool because the current tools available are not a deterrent for most.

“Our goal is not to arrest people, our goal is to deter these things from happening,” he said. “Currently, with the minimal fines for some of these activities, the people you see in these videos are wearing citations like badges of honor. We believe Senate Bill 878 will give the tools that our law enforcement partners need to protect our community.”

Senator Robert Young (D-Frederick County) asked how the proposed Senate Bill 878 differed from the existing special event zone legislation.

“I like to support local bills,” he said. “I guess my question is what does this bill do that the police can’t already do? It looks like every one of them is a road violation, so what is it you’d be doing under this bill that you can’t do now?”

Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) Chief Ross Buzzuro explained having arrestable offenses on the books would allow allied law enforcement agencies to extricate the most egregious offenders.

“We’re limited to a citation only for a good number of these violations,” he said. “The spinning of tires right now is a $70 fine, for example. The most egregious violations would allow us to make a misdemeanor arrest and remove that motorist and that vehicle from the equation. We don’t have that tool right now. The best we can do is write a citation in front of a good number of bystanders and watch them just jeer and egg on this activity and allow it to fester and continue.”

Again, while the bill focuses on at least three motorized special events, much of the testimony was related to the unsanctioned event. Senator Chris West (R-Baltimore County) questioned how Ocean City could implement a special event zone for an unsanctioned and unscheduled event.

“I’m totally sympathetic to your situation,” he said. “My question is it appears the provisions in this bill would be available during these designated special events. By your own admission, this is a pop-up event so you’re probably not going to know about this until an hour or two before it happens. How in the world could you designate a special event zone when you find out about it an hour or so before? It seems you would want to have these provisions available 365 days a year if someone should choose to schedule a pop-up event with no warning to you at all.”

Meehan explained Ocean City knows all to well when the unsanctioned event is coming.

“Our police department monitors social media constantly,” he said. “The thing about events such as this is they like to get the word out and spread this so everybody knows in advance. Specific to today, this would help with our situation now, but you are correct, this might be something that needs to be expanded in the future.”

Buzzuro told the committee issuing citations under the existing special event zone legislation was not always achieving the desired results.

“By their very nature, the motor events bring a high degree of challenges,” he said. “An alarming number of motorists willfully and repeatedly violate established traffic laws. In many cases, these activities occur in close proximity to spectators and the general public. This is truly becoming a recipe for disaster. We made over 1,000 traffic stops in four days, issued over 1,600 citations and made over 100 arrests. It’s clear the enforcement of existing penalties is having no affect as a deterrent for this very dangerous public safety threat.”

For his part, Councilman John Gehrig made an impassioned plea to the committee to advance the bill.

“In Ocean City, we welcome visitors from all over the country and all are welcome here,” he said. “This event has grown out of control. When you watch the video, this doesn’t even seem real. Imagine if this was your home. We are desperate for your help and we need your support. We need you to help us help ourselves.”

In general, the committee seemed responsive to the proposed legislation although no vote was taken. West questioned if a broader approach beyond the confines of the special event zone would be more appropriate.

“Why wouldn’t we want to add a law to the code that says in Worcester County it is a crime to engage in exhibition driving in front of at least 25 onlookers at any time, period?” he said. “Just make it a misdemeanor punishable by fine or imprisonment and don’t define it in terms of the special event zone.”

Also testifying in favor of the bill on Wednesday was Worcester County Sheriff Matt Crisafulli and Maryland State Police Berlin Barrack Commander Lieutenant Earl Starner among others. Perhaps the most compelling testimony came from Ocean City Communications Director Jessica Waters, who spoke not in her official capacity but as a mother of two young children.

“As a resident of Worcester County and a mother, our family is held hostage during these motor events,” she said. “We do not feel safe leaving our homes to go to the grocery store, take our children to their sporting events or even venture out to the park. I am terrified when my kids have to ride the school bus, where they ride side by side with cars doing donuts, running red lights and burning out their tires on nearly every block.”

About The Author: Shawn Soper

Alternative Text

Shawn Soper has been with The Dispatch since 2000. He began as a staff writer covering various local government beats and general stories. His current positions include managing editor and sports editor. Growing up in Baltimore before moving to Ocean City full time three decades ago, Soper graduated from Loch Raven High School in 1981 and from Towson University in 1985 with degrees in mass communications with a journalism concentration and history.