Mayor’s Update – Aug. 28, 2020
Date: August 28, 2020
Dear Friends,
Gov. Murphy announced this week that gyms in New Jersey can reopen starting Sept. 1 at 25 percent capacity. Our Aquatic and Fitness Center weight and exercise rooms will open on Tuesday. Members can reserve a time slot one day in advance by calling 609-398-6900, starting on Monday. See more detail on guidelines.
Free paper-shredding service will be available to Ocean City residents 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10. Residents will be able to drive to the Shelter Road Recycling Center to drop off documents to be shredded. Further information will be available as the event gets closer. We are also planning to go forward with our annual 9-11 ceremony on Sept. 11 outside Fire Department headquarters on the 500 block of Asbury Avenue.
Beach replenishment work is now expected to be complete by Tuesday – weather permitting. The Army Corps of Engineers’ contractor is approaching the final section of beach at Seaspray Road and leaving behind more than two miles of elevated, wide and healthy beach. All pipeline sections and equipment will be removed before Labor Day Weekend. Work for dune crossovers remains to be completed, and dune grass will be planted later in the fall.
Starting sometime next week, workers will be in the Merion Park and Four Seasons neighborhoods near 34th Street installing equipment that will monitor groundwater elevations. These gauges will help us to better understand how groundwater, tidal waters and rain water interact during flooding events. This information will be used in the design of future flood mitigation measures in the neighborhood and throughout Ocean City. The equipment (piezometers) are essentially PVC pipe with a small data-collection device inside. They should have no visual or other impact on the neighborhood.
We are planning a virtual meeting at 7 p.m. Oct. 14 that will give local property owners a chance to make sure their homes are being rated accurately for flood insurance. Insurance agents, engineers and our floodplain manager will be on hand to review your documentation. If you are interested, mark your calendars now and details on how to join the meeting will be made available in advance of Oct. 14. See more information.
Warm regards,
Jay A. Gillian
Mayor