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JULY 5, 2019
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County begins revamp of rental regulations Licensing one part of multi-bill package headed for hearings
GREG ELLISON/OCEAN CITY TODAY
The Amazing Josini, or Joseph Smith to friends and family, incorporates a baffled youngster while performing sleightof-hand tricks, Sunday on the Boardwalk near Caroline Street.
By Rachel Ravina Staff Writer (July 5, 2019) With an eye on obtaining more revenue through rental licensing and responding to constituent concerns about short-term rentals, the Worcester County Commissioners on Tuesday embarked on an effort to clarify and simplify the county’s rental regulations. The undertaking dates back to Dec. 18, 2018, when Commissioner Joseph Mitrecic asked Ed Tudor, director of development review and permitting, to tackle the rental issue to “generate revenue from county property owners who rent their prop-
Market forces rule B’walk buskers With regulations thrown out by courts, street performers battle for share of audience By Greg Ellison Staff Writer (July 5, 2019) Now in its second summer after municipal government regulations were deemed unconstitutional in court, the street performer business on the Boardwalk has returned to its earlier self-regulating practices. Guitarist Paul Richardson of New York City, a veteran Boardwalk performer for the past decade, said last summer provided a lesson in market forces. “Sometimes, there’s a ton of per-
formers here and, in that case, maybe we make a little bit less,” he said. “If it’s too hard to find a spot to earn sufficiently, people tend not to come back, so it kind or regulates itself.” Violinist Bill Hassay Jr., who was legally vindicated in 2013 in U.S. District Court after the ACLU challenged an aspect of the noise ordinance on his behalf, said the scene on the Boardwalk has returned to previous practices, following the more recent court ruling against city government’s lottery system of performance space assignments. “The ground impact was people were limited to street ends,” he said. “The big impact is that was ruled unconstitutional and now, with the exception of the North Division and
Dorchester Street ends, you can set up anywhere.” The post-litigation outcome is allowing performers increased flexibility regarding space allotments, which is much the same as when Hassay began serenading tourists with violin music in 1995. “We’ve gone from lawsuit to lawsuit right back to where it originally was,” he said. “Before, when we had to be at street ends, it was kind of constipated, where everybody was locked into one spot, and when we were assigned lottery spots and you had to be there or not.” Concurring with those sentiments was magician Joseph Smith, otherwise known as the Amazing Josini, See WITH Page 78
erties for transient use. Tudor also was directed to update the county’s rental license program during a Jan. 22 Worcester County Commissioners meeting. On Tuesday, Tudor clarified that short-term rentals are 28 days are less because units are rented primarily on a weekly basis. The several pieces of legislation that would effect the changes the commissioners seek would cover zoning, tourism permits, taxation and revenue, and mobile home licenses. Tudor said the first bill is comprised of 17 sections that set requirements for the program. “We’re aiming at the operator so an operator doesn’t have more than one contract See COMMISSIONERS Page 80
Vibrio scare doesn’t mean avoiding water Health dept: bacteria’s presence not unusual By Morgan Pilz Staff Writer (July 5, 2019) Even though the reports were true that a child contracted a serious bacterial infection after playing in the Isle of Wight Bay last week, that doesn’t mean people should stay out of the water, health department officials said this week. What matters, said Debra Stevens, director of community health at the Worcester County See VIBRIO Page 76