Voices From The Readers – February 25, 2022

Voices From The Readers – February 25, 2022

Ocean City Should Reconsider New Event

Editor:

How does this strategy help rebrand the town’s family image?

At the recent Tourism Commission meeting, the council members present rehashed a previous discussion of the Adventure Fest motorcycle event scheduled for the same September week the unsanctioned pop-up car rally is in Ocean City.

By including another event that week, they believe, that over time, this motorcycle event would “saturate” the town’s hotel/motel rooms leaving less or no rooms available for the pop-up-car group.

The proposed motorcycle event “Adventure Fest” would take place in and around the convention center and will feature police K-9 competitions and training, a police motorcycle rodeo in the parking lot, Lollapalooza type concert at Performing Art Center and in the three different exhibit halls hunting, fishing and a gun show.

That week of September the town’s resources are stretched for the pop-up car rally and the motorcycle event’s gun show will require additional supporting agencies. This will involve the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security to ensure each gun vendor is in compliance with a background check. Every gun must be inventoried, and each vendor’s booth must have a ceiling camera installed. Additionally, the Lollapalooza type concert will need private security.

The city manager and the police department reported with their law enforcement partners made strides last year in curtailing the out-of-control activities of the pop-up cars.

By introducing a motorcycle event to reduce the availability of hotel/motel rooms is not a guaranteed strategic tactic. The out-of-control pop-up car rally could simply change to the next week.

The council members, who are supporting this “strategy plan” of a high-volume, multi-facet motorcycle and gun show mixing with an unsanctioned pop-up-car rally, need to question how this helps rebranding of the town’s family image.

Margaret Pillas

Ocean City

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Government Keeping OC From Hitting Potential Tourism

Editor:

The reason why Ocean City will never be the illusion certain residents and government officials think it is now is because too many people have to approve one small entertainment for a small pizza joint. I mean seriously. Ocean City will be a back door to the ever-growing economy of Florida and the tourism numbers that were just announced a few days ago.

In 2021, 118 million tourists came to Florida, almost 25.45% of the 118,000,000 tourists came in October, November and December of 2021. Bringing in billions of dollars. Businesses are growing like someone just pollinated Florida.

One of the many reasons is the accurate and fast paced approval times for economy growth. This means Florida is outpacing the nation with tourist growth and business growth. Even more importantly real estate development growth.

Unfortunately, Ocean City Council wants to increase the room tax, which means less for business owners and more for the council to misuse. Ocean City’s 8.5 million tourists are no match for Florida’s tourism growth. It’s cheaper to go to Florida than it is Ocean City. You get a lot more for your money.

Ocean City has theme parks that are out of date and obsolete like most members of the elite members of the associations and government that keep Ocean City from its massive potential. The theme parks deserve a museum. Ocean City will remain and stay unaffordable, obsolete, and out of date until the associations, council and mayor are not in charge.

Family businesses are closing because of many reasons, taxes and inflation. Florida is open for business. And is very open to car show owners that are law abiding citizens. Ocean City is not open to letting the next generation of law abiding citizens that are car lovers into town without using government force to collect unlawful revenues.

Because someone ran and was in charge of the franchise’s department does not mean he is a good councilman? The mayor like Biden has been in the government for 50-plus years. So like the president, what has the mayor, former councilman, real estate agent done for the Town of Ocean City? Not a damn thing.

In my final statement, I would like to say Ocean City was once the talk of the country and the place to go. But it’s a shadow of its former self. And far behind the nation’s top tourist destinations. The tax revenues of Florida were beyond their expectations and a dream for the Town of Ocean City. Take a hint councilmen and associations, you’re just in the way.

D.T. Hagan

Ocean City