2/28/2020 Ocean City Today

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OC Today WWW.OCEANCITYTODAY.COM

FEBRUARY 28, 2020

SERVING NORTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY

LIFESTYLE

BEER FESTIVAL

Shore Craft Beer’s fifth annual Love on Tap event set for this Saturday in Ocean City – Page 25

FREE

Fire depts. struggle with funding, recruiting Company chiefs tell county their services strain against increasing emergency calls

By Elizabeth Bonin Staff Writer (Feb. 28, 2020) Shortages of money and firefighters are threatening county fire companies, the county’s fire chiefs told the Worcester County Commissioners last Wednesday during a special session in Snow Hill. In his presentation, Stockton Fire Chief Tim Jerscheid, president of the county Fire Chiefs Association, said emergency service calls are increasing,

with a total of 6,055 calls in the county last year, 239 of them occurring in Ocean City. Altogether, 2,444 fire incidents were reported and of 9,993.50 personnel hours were spent on calls, he said. With that demand, Jerscheid said, fire companies need more support. “Our biggest concern right now is the staff,” Jerscheid said. “As we sit right here, right now, we are one incident away from stripping everything from Berlin south, EMS wise.” He added that it takes the Pocomoke company an hour and 15 minutes to respond to a call, take the patient to the See FIRE Page 6

ELIZABETH BONIN/OCEAN CITY TODAY

Worcester County Commissioner Joseph Mitrecic addresses the concerns of county fire service workers during a special session in Snow Hill on Wednesday, Feb. 19.

Another sidewalk to be expanded, this one up north

BOARD MEETING Workers begin wood replacement on the Boardwalk off Talbot Street on Tuesday, Feb. 18. ELIZABETH BONIN/OCEAN CITY TODAY

Another incentive to move to OC? By Josh Kim Staff Writer (Feb. 28, 2020) What originally began as a discussion of creating a building incentive to draw more people to Ocean City has expanded to a twoin-one building and moving incentive

to increase the resort’s year-round population. City Planning and Community Development Director Bill Neville originally presented the incentive idea to the mayor and council last month on Jan. 14.

In essence, the city would provide a waiver or rebate to new people who committed to building a single-family home and using it as their primary residence. The incentives would also apply to renovation projects that entailed more See RESORT Page 5

By Josh Kim Staff Writer (Feb. 28, 2020) The Ocean City Council approved a $68,133 sidewalk-widening project on Tuesday, as well as a request for approximately $380,000 for an extensive amount of street work. “Now that we are wrapping up the Robin Drive project, Hal’s [Public Works Director Adkins] next mobilization is moving up to the north end of town,” City Engineer Terry McGean said. “Once again, under the Complete Streets [program], we as a staff get together and look at each of the streets that Hal proposes to repave, for other improvements that might be warranted, whether they be for pedestrians, bicyclists, ADA etc.” In order to widen sidewalks, a street must meet a set of criteria. Each street must align with a traffic signal and pedestrian crosswalk on Coastal Highway. It must have high bayside developSee FOUR Page 3


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