OCEAN CITY – City Council unanimously named Councilman Peter Madden council president for another year, and honored the late Maryellen Farrell at its reorganization meeting July 6.
But the topic that saw the most discussion at the brief meeting was a seemingly routine vote on a contract to upgrade and replace the irrigation system at the Ocean City Community Center, 1735 Simpson Avenue.
The $28,963 contract with Coastal Landscaping of Rio Grande called for the renovation and replacement of the existing irrigation system at the center.
At the meeting, Business Administrator Jim Mallon reported that parts of the existing system are above ground, presenting a trip hazard.
He added that once the city knows about a problem, it must take action or potentially face liability.
But two residents took issue with the contract, calling on the city to consider using native plants at the center in order to use less water. David Hayes, a member of the city’s Environmental Commission, and former member Donna Moore asked the city to consult with the commission for recommendations on plants.
Moore suggested giving the commission a chance to weigh in before approving the contract. She said trees around the center are mature and healthy, and that a delay would not hurt the plants there.
Hayes called on the city to look at drought-resistant plants, which would not need to be watered often.
“In parts of our country, there’s already a water crisis,” he said. Adding that he was speaking as a private citizen, he suggested tabling the resolution to give the Environmental Commission time to make a recommendation.
Councilman Michael DeVlieger said the possibility of native plants raised had not occurred to him before the meeting. He asked for the resolution to be voted on separate from the other resolutions on the agenda, which allows for more discussion, and for a council member to vote no on a specific resolution.
“We have an Environmental Commission for a reason,” he said before the vote. “We’ve talked about these sustainable plants and the value they can bring.”
The commission could put together an action plan and give the city a recommendation for plants for the center, he said. Saving water would be a benefit.
“I think it’s worth examining. The water system we have has been there for a long time. A few weeks to give the Environmental Commission a crack at it, I think, makes sense,” said DeVlieger.
Responding to a question from Anthony Wilson, who was re-elected as council vice-president, Mallon said the current system is not working and presents a hazard at the site.
“Not only is it not working, but we have to get it out because it’s causing problems,” he said.
No one has reported tripping on the PVC pipes, he said, but the city should address the problem, he argued.
“I want that building to look as good as it can look now, today,” said Wilson. “In fact, I’d have liked to see this on the agenda two weeks ago, three weeks ago, before we got into the summer season. I feel like there’s a sense of urgency to get this done, especially if there are tripping hazards.”
He suggested the city instead look at recommendations for the Lifesaving Station at Fourth Street, a historic building the city has purchased to renovate and open to the public, or at the Bayside Center, a county property the city runs at Fifth Street and the bay, where the city runs several environmental programs.
At the Community Center, which includes the city’s library, Aquatic and Fitness Center, Arts Center, Historical Museum, Senior Center and more, there are some areas where visitors routinely step across the landscaped area.
In some spots, where there was grass, there is only dirt, and a tangle of plastic tubes are visible above the soil. On the south side of the building, the hose is entirely above ground.
Councilman Keith Hartzell said a delay would mean the building will not look the way it should.
“If this were in May, it would be great. But it’s not. This is July,” he said. He added that the city could look at ways to save water in other areas in the future.
“The pipes are exposed. They’ve got to be fixed,” said resident and regular visitor to the center Frank Worrell during the public comment portion before the vote. He added that the city obliged him to install irrigation when he built his house.
Council approved the resolution unanimously, with a clearly reluctant “yes” from DeVlieger.
Marty Mozzo, the chairman of the Environmental Commission, expressed frustration at the close of the meeting with the way Moore and Hayes raised the issue.
He said the commission had presented recommendations for native plants for the Ninth Street entrance to the city, where extensive renovations are planned to formerly abandoned properties the city now owns. He was unhappy to have first heard about the issue that night.
“I’m open. Our meetings are public. We accept comment. Everybody from the public is invited,” he said. “I don’t know what the issue is over at the Aquatic Center and library. But it’s kind of hard to respond.
“I don’t like a bullseye on my back. And you’re not doing it,” he told council.
In other business, council unanimously appointed Councilman Antwan McClellan to the city Planning Board and named Councilman Robert Barr as liaison to the Utility Advisory Commission.
At the beginning of the meeting, council members stepped to the front of the dais to commend Gene Farrell on behalf of his late wife, who died June 20 after a struggle with leukemia.
When she moved to Ocean City, she became very active in the community, including as a member of St. Damien Roman Catholic Church. In 2016, she was named volunteer of the year by the Ocean City Humane Society.
“Thank you. That’s all I can say is thank you,” said Farrell. “I was a lucky guy.”
To contact Bill Barlow, email bbarlow@cmcherald.com.
Villas – Things I am thankful to have had: The freedom to wander with my dog until dinnertime when I was kid, walking to school, innocent overnights, skinny dipping, sneaking out the window to meet my beau.