OC Council News In Brief

More Surf Events Planned

OCEAN CITY - Local surfers will be glad to know that two surfing events were recently approved by the Mayor and City Council Monday night that plan to make good use of the new permanent surf beach located near the Inlet.

The first of which is the Jellyfish Surf Series, which has taken place before in locations all over the world and is sponsored by Volcom Clothing. Slated for this Saturday, the family event is a surfing contest for amateur surfers of all ages. Beginning at 7 a.m., the contest will run until 5 p.m. and take place at the Inlet or a location on 36th Street depending on the direction of the swell.

Prizes will be given to the winners as well as those who participate in the many mini-contests or games that are planned as well.

The second event, sponsored by the Eastern Surfing Association, is the Delmarva ESA Summer Surf Series, which also looks to utilize the permanent surf beach between the Pier and Inlet.

Taking place April 28-29, June 23-24, July 7-8 and Aug. 11-12 and 25-26, the series is also a family-oriented event for amateur surfers. It will be similar to the past 26 years of surf series events hosted by the ESA and prizes from local sponsors will be awarded to the top surfers as well.

Two Ordinances Finalized

OCEAN CITY - The second readings of two ordinances were unanimously approved Monday night during the Mayor and City Council's open session thus formally ending the legislative process and making the new laws official.

The first ordinance approved was a huge step in ensuring the future safety of all residents and visitors to Ocean City. Ordinance 2007-7 sought to amend the town's building code to require carbon monoxide detectors in single-family homes that used fossil fuels for heat, ventilation or a variety of other uses.

It was a little over a month ago when Councilman Jim Hall made a motion to look into a piece of legislature to couple with another piece passed in recent months that mandated the installation of the detectors in all new multi-family dwellings as well as certain existing ones.

The second ordinance passed, Ordinance 2007-8, sought to amend the code dealing with franchises to allow beach photo franchises to operate under two colors, as opposed to the old rule of one.

The request for two colors came from the owner of Sun Beach Studio, Patrick McLaughlin. According to him, a recent merger of two franchises created a dilemma where they had to choose a single color to operate under where as in the past their customer bases had grown accustomed to the two colors operating on the beach.

McLaughlin initially sought three colors to help with the management of the business, however council members agreed two colors would be enough to allow them to remain familiar with their customer base while still allowing future franchises a fair set of colors to call their own

Dog Park Moves Ahead

OCEAN CITY - A proposed park looking to keep residents' four-legged friends in shape while offering a place for their owners to share their love of their furry friends continues to move forward as a bid for fencing was approved Monday night during the Mayor and City Council's open session.

The cost of the fence will be $13,200, falling just under the estimated budget of $14,000. With the fencing taken care of now, Recreation and Parks Director Tom Shuster said he will now move on to pricing the most important aspect of the park, the electronic entry system that will be used to regulate entry into the 94th Street dog enclosure. The entry system will be the first of its kind in the region to be used at a dog park and city officials hope the extra regulation it provides will ensure the safety of both owners and their dogs.