Old Church Steeple Part Of Planned Reef Addition

OCEAN CITY — The newest addition to the growing artificial reef system off the coast of Ocean City will include a structure with a large medal cross mounted atop of it, a contribution from a decades-old church in Selbyville damaged in Hurricane Sandy last fall.

For more than a decade, the Ocean City Reef Foundation has been steadily expanding the artificial reef system off the coast of the resort with eight sites ranging from as close to shore as one mile to as far as 20 miles. In that span, the foundation has submerged tons of material from old boats to retired military equipment to discarded construction material, enhancing habitat for fish and other sea creatures, which has, in turn, improved offshore fishing for recreational anglers and created new opportunities for diving enthusiasts.

The latest addition ready for deployment includes numerous concrete pipes and conduits and a complicated structure fashioned out of various pieces of scrap metal. What makes the newest addition unique, however, is a large metal cross affixed to the stop of the structure. For about 60 years, the cross sat on top of the steeple at the St. Martin’s in the Field Episcopal Church in Selbyville.

The church was damaged during the storm last fall and church officials contracted Mumford Sheet Metal to make a copper steeple to replace the old one. St. Martin’s pastor David Archibald said this week the church was built in 1952 and the steeple had never been replaced to his recollection, making the old cross now mounted to the artificial reef structure a little over 60 years old.

Stuart Mumford’s son Walter fashioned the new steeple for St. Martin’s out of copper, making the old cross available for a different purpose. Mumford then affixed the old cross to the structure he was preparing for the reef foundation. Ocean City Reef Foundation’s Greg Hall said the cross, metal structure and other materials could be sunk as early as this weekend.

“I thought it was something he had made, but as it turns out, it was the cross on top of a steeple from an old church in Selbyville,” he said. “Whenever we get a window of nice weather, we’re going to take that barge load out to the Jimmy Jackson Reef and send it down. It seems appropriate somehow.”

The Jimmy Jackson Memorial Reef is about 10 miles off the coast of the resort. Jackson, well known around the marinas in Ocean City and all over the sportfishing world, died in April 2010 in a diving accident in the Bahamas, but his memory and legacy live on with the growing artificial reef system in his name.

Captain Monty Hawkins of the Reef Foundation said this week the latest contribution that could go down this weekend continues a run of momentum for the organization. The last major addition was a 50-foot retired Baltimore water taxi that was sunk over Russell’s Reef in December.

“We’re really starting to get a breath of life here,” he said. “Donations are up, membership is up and there seems to be a renewed interest in what we’re doing.”

Funds Sought To Address Huey’s Storm Damage

OCEAN CITY — The Vietnam-era Huey helicopter erected in 2011 as part of a permanent memorial and display at the Ocean City Municipal Airport in West Ocean City was damaged during last week’s severe storm and now needs a little help from the community for repair.

The decades-old Huey helicopter was mounted at the airport in 2011 after the Ocean City Aviation Association (OCAA) was able to secure the relic of a bygone era in military aviation. The Huey helicopters were in service for nearly 50 years and served all branches of the armed services and the government before the fleet was retired in 2011.

The Huey helicopters gained their fame during the Vietnam War, and one became available for display after the fleet was retired in 2011. The OCAA jumped at the chance to obtain one for permanent display as part of a memorial at the Ocean City Airport. While the helicopter and the associated memorial at the airport represent the Vietnam War, the display is in honor of all who have served in the armed forces.

The helicopter is 48 feet long including the back rotor blades. It had been stationed in Indiantown Gap, Pa. before being transferred to the Ocean City Public Works Department in July 2011. Later that fall, it was mounted near the entrance to the airport in West Ocean City as part of a permanent memorial. The helicopter is mounted eight feet in the air on a 20-degree angle with its large overhead rotors secured with cables.

However, during last week’s severe storm, which ravaged the resort area with high winds, flooding and power outages, the cables snapped, allowing the rotors to spin unsecured. OCAA President Ton Oneto on Wednesday explained the damage to the Ocean City Economic Development Committee (EDC) and appealed to the business community for financial help to make the necessary repairs.

“The high winds from our recent storm took their toll on the Huey, snapping the restraining cables on both rotor blades,” he said. “We will have to bite the bullet and modify the existing system to avoid future occurrences of this kind.”

Oneto explained the expense of repairing or modifying the cables, combined with the OCAA’s share of the final touches on the display’s landscaping, plaque and mount have the organization reaching out to the community for help. While no formal estimates have been obtained, the repairs and additions are expected to cost around $1,600.

“The last wind storm did some damage and we need a little help repairing that,” he told EDC members. “Any help you folks can give us will be appreciated.”

Contributions can be mailed to the OCAA Memorial Fund at P.O. Box 4355, Ocean City, Md. 21843-4355. Questions can be referred to Oneto at 410-641-6888.

Freeman Stage Announces Summer’s Special Concerts

OCEAN CITY — The Joshua M. Freeman Foundation yesterday announced that The Freeman Stage at Bayside, an outdoor performing arts venue located off Route 54 in the Bayside community, is set to celebrate its sixth season of bringing arts and entertainment to the Mid-Atlantic region.

The Freeman Stage has attracted over 120,000 audience members since 2008, with a diverse offering of dance, theatre, live music, and children’s performances.

The 2013 season will include over 50 performances between Memorial Day and Labor Day, including five special concert events that will include Lyle Lovett & His Acoustic Group on July 10; nine-time Grammy award winner Sheryl Crow on July 14; country superstar Darius Rucker on Aug. 8;, five-time Grammy award winner Michael McDonald on Aug. 10; and Pat Benatar with Neil Giraldo on Aug. 13.

Tickets for all paid performances will go on sale to the general public on Monday, April 1 at 10 a.m.

“We have just released our 2013 schedule of events and we couldn’t be more excited about the diversified programs and special concert events that our sixth season will offer to our community,” said Patti Grimes, executive director of the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation. “So many gifted and talented artists are scheduled to grace our beautiful stage. Adding the special concert events to our lineup over the last few seasons has been a huge success, and we hope that the performances in 2013 will continue to attract new patrons, while also bringing awareness of the importance of Arts in our community. Because of the generous support of organizations like our season sponsors – The Meltzer Group, NV Homes at the Beach, Sodoka, Inc. Charitable Foundation, and Carl M. Freeman Companies – we are again able to offer free admission to 65% of our performances.”

In particular, Grimes was pleased to report PNC Bank has been secured again to sponsor the popular children’s performances on the weekends.

“This year, we welcome back PNC Bank’s Grow Up Great program – whose mission is to prepare children for success in school and life — as a sponsor of our Saturday morning children’s performances. It’s these kind of partnerships that are necessary for the continued success of our mission at The Freeman Stage at Bayside and in our communities,” Grimes said.

Jennifer Joseph, PNC Senior Vice President and Market Executive, said, “Studies have proven that an arts-rich environment helps children succeed in school and life. By partnering with the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation to offer children an array of free artistic activities throughout the summer, PNC is demonstrating its support of arts education and the positive impact it can have on a child’s future success.”

Among the performances scheduled this season are such crowd favorites as the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, Clear Space Theatre Group, Jesse Garron’s tribute to Elvis, First State Ballet, and the Morgan State University Choir. Also returning in 2013 are the Arts & Jazz Festival, Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, local artist John Donato, and Tommy Edward as Sir Rod.

Performers new to the outdoor stage this summer include Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience, the Official Blues Brothers Revue, Classic Albums Live, Hits of the Great White Way with Franc D’Ambrosio, Cherish the Ladies, the Doo Wop Project, Bruce in the USA, and many others.

New to The Freeman Stage this year will be two nights called “Locals Under the Lights”, where local artists will have their moment in the spotlight to perform right on the Freeman Stage.

The Freeman Stage at Bayside will officially kickoff the 2013 season on the evening of May 25 with a performance of AGA-BOOM, a family fun event featuring physical comedy. Regular weekly performances at The Freeman Stage will commence on June 14 with a performance by the Mid-Atlantic Symphony and will continue throughout the year.  

The Freeman Stage is a program of the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation, who partners to present memorable performances and provide inspired arts education for all. This program is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. Grant support is also provided by the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour, the Carl M. Freeman Foundation, the Sussex County Council, and the State of Delaware.

For a complete listing of all the season’s events, or to find out how to volunteer at The Freeman Stage, call 302-436-3015 or visit www.freemanstage.org.

State Probe Finds No Misconduct At Berlin Fatal Accident Scene

BERLIN — While the Berlin Fire Company (BFC) was found without fault in the transporting of an accident victim in December that ultimately died, the agency that investigated the incident did warn that “significant underlying tensions” between the company and the town of Berlin are a cause for concern.

Mayor Gee Williams made it clear today that he was not happy with the state investigation and accused those involved of “passing the buck.”

In January, the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) began looking into the events surrounding a Dec. 26 car accident that led to a fatality. After the incident, town leadership questioned whether some BFC members acted professionally in the period immediately following the collision. The pin of the town’s argument was that a Berlin police officer was required to drive a BFC ambulance because company infighting caused some members to not wish to work with others, charges which the company entirely denies.

Both the town council and the BFC asked MIEMSS to look into the matter in January though MIEMSS has only responded directly to the town as of Tuesday.

The agency determined this week that there was no delay of services following the accident and that the BFC members on the scene fully achieved state emergency requirements. Dr. Richard Alcorta, state EMS Medical Director, took point on the investigation.

“As a result, we have determined that the pre-hospital emergency medical services care rendered to the victims of the motor vehicle crash met the standard of care for the delivery of such services; appropriate care was rendered to the patients; and there was no delay in transport,” wrote Alcorta in a letter to Berlin.

During their investigation, MIEMSS agents conducted 48 interviews with 26 people, checked related medical records as well as conducted a multi-panel medical review.

In his letter with the report, Alcorta cleared the BFC of any lack of service or misbehavior following the accident.

MIEMSS findings fall in line with what the company predicted since the investigation began, noted BFC President David Fitzgerald.

“We’re very pleased and it’s what we expected,” he said.

However, Alcorta warned the company and the town that the nearly year-long grudge match between the two parties is jeopardizing safety in Berlin.

According to Alcorta, “significant underlying tensions surrounding the delivery of emergency medical services in Berlin have the potential to impact patient care and must be addressed.” In trying to resolve the months of hostility, Alcorta recommended that the BFC, Town Council, and Worcester County EMS “engage in meaningful efforts” to clear the air.

Fitzgerald has stated for months that his side is willing to meet with the town, potentially with an unbiased third-party present, to negotiate.

Disagreements between the town and company last summer resulted in Berlin yanking all funding, roughly $600,000, to the BFC. Since that time Fitzgerald said his group is willing to play ball and hopes to restore as much of that funding as possible. If the town continues to keep the company cut off, then there’s a risk of equipment and training suffering from the stalemate, he said.

With the town budget season approaching, Fitzgerald confirmed that the BFC plans on submitting a normal budget to the town and will include financial data previously requested by the council.

“It’s still our intent to submit to the town at the normal budgetary time and to submit the information they requested,” he said.

But any “meaningful efforts” at fence-mending aren’t possible right now, according to Williams, who asserted that the state has washed its hands of the issue and left it up to Berlin to clean up a mess he feels the town is unequipped to tackle.

“For now, MIEMSS has passed the buck,” he said. “The letter from Dr. Alcorta in essence says, yes there is a problem here, but it is up to the Town of Berlin to resolve the issue.”

It is Williams’ opinion that the “root of this and other serious problems at the Berlin Fire House” is the command structure and volunteer firefighter leadership. That leadership must be changed, the mayor claimed, before any reduction in tensions becomes practical.

In his response to the MIEMSS investigation, Williams was critical of the BFC. Though MIEMSS cleared company members, Williams asserted that nearly two-dozen firefighters failed to act in a professional manner after the collision.

The ambulance that transported the accident victim on Dec. 26 would not have had a driver if a Berlin police officer hadn’t volunteered, the mayor claimed, since “over 20 Berlin Fire Company members either refused or failed to provide this very basic and simple task.”

“The Berlin Fire Company maintains they are not answerable to anyone, and so far in this sorry episode, apparently they are correct in assuming this is true,” stated Williams. “I believe I have the upbringing and experience to know right from wrong, and if there is any accountability for the unacceptable misdeeds of a few members of the Berlin Fire Company, then I must trust that the legal ramifications of this sordid mess have only just begun.”

Fitzgerald called the mayor’s statements on accountability “the farthest thing from the truth.”

“We are answerable, we feel, to the public and the citizens that we serve when they call us every day for 911,” said Fitzgerald. “We have responded appropriately and efficiently despite the town’s actions to remove the funding.”

The references to MIEMSS “passing the buck” after the investigation also drew criticism from Fitzgerald.

“I think it’s very disrespectful that [Mayor Gee Williams] said MIEMSS passed the buck,” said Fitzgerald. “They are a respected state agency for EMS and if they did an investigation and conducted 40 some interviews, for him to say they passed the buck is certainly not accurate. It sounds like, to me, they did a very thorough investigation.”

With the MIEMSS investigation concluded and the BFC prepared to submit a budget and give the town requested data, Fitzgerald said he’s hopeful that “critical” funding will be restored to the company this spring despite Williams’ claims that fire house leadership is still an issue.

Officials Defend Berlin Stormwater Project Costs

BERLIN — Though a stormwater utility in Berlin and the fees to fund it were officially passed earlier this year, some concerns in the community linger over costs, especially since they exceed predictions made several years ago.

Both town leadership and its stormwater firm, EA Engineering, defended the route Berlin is currently taking with expensive but high impact projects.

The town approved last month a $197,000 contract with EA for design work on four stormwater projects called “tasks,” which would upgraded the stormwater management of several roads in town including Graham, Grice and Nelson avenues, West Street near Abbey Lane, William Street near the electrical plant and Hudson Branch at Flower and Showell streets.

Hudson Branch at Flower and Showell streets is currently the priority since federal funding for the project should be available this year. All of the first year’s projects were given prevalence based on a 2007 Army Corps of Engineers’ stormwater study as well as a more recent University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center (UMEFC) report completed in 2012. The town’s decision to go with a community funded stormwater utility was heavily influenced by the university report.

When the first list of projects was announced, some eyebrows raised over the price tag. Accountant Jay Bergey, who vocally opposed the formation of a stormwater utility that he feels will be supported “on the backs of town businesses,” has criticized Berlin for spending beyond its means.

“They need to do it in a business-like fashion,” he asserted. “Find out what they’ve got, get the ditches clean and working. See what areas they need to concentrate on and then go from there and budget based on what they can afford to spend.”

Others in the community voiced worries to this paper over how costly design work for the first four projects will be especially when compared to predictions made by the Army Corps in 2007.

The most obvious example is with the town’s current priority project of Hudson Branch at Flower and Showell streets. In 2007, the corps anticipated total construction costs for that project to fall into the $40,000 to $50,000 range based around a culvert replacement. The design cost offered by EA and approved by the council this year was $48,000 and will not include any construction costs.

However, Town Administrator Tony Carson and EA Engineer Darl Kolar defended the disparity, pointing out that the Corps study is aged and that stormwater regulations have since been altered.

Most of the projects listed in the Corps’ report also had “huge price ranges,” noted Carson, with minimum and maximum estimated costs sometimes being hundreds of thousands of dollars apart. The university study, he added, is closer in line with the EA estimates.

“They, I think the Corps, is doing a very cursory, okay here’s how much a section of pipe costs, here’s the length of pipe, and here’s how much it will cost,” Kolar said. “What I’m anticipating it doesn’t include, permitting is a big thing. We have to do wetland delineations, we have to do a joint permit application with Maryland Department of Environment and the Corps of Engineers.”

With the design component that EA is handling, Kolar said that additional costs will come from contract documents, specifications and drawings.

“Then you have the solicitation of the bids, you have the bid advertisement, the bid review, and stuff like that,” he said. “And that’s just to get the contractor to provide a price to it.”

A more realistic construction estimate for the Hudson Branch project would be in the $125,000 to $175,000 range, according to Kolar.  

Carson also commented on other concerns expressed to this paper about the nearly $200,000 design project being contracted to EA without first going through a bid process. EA was selected as the town’s stormwater engineer years ago, said Carson.

“We selected EA as our stormwater engineer through a competitive process a few years ago,” he remarked. “So that’s the time when you determine who has the best knowledge, who will be able to do the projects in the most cost efficient manner.”

Carson compared the process to what was done with how Berlin handles wastewater through a long-time firm.

“Once you start with a firm and you’re satisfied with them you continue using them,” he said, “because they will have the historic knowledge and from a cost standpoint will always be less expensive.”

Carson revealed that he has also spoken to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a likely funding source.

“It was done the correct way. I even made sure with the USDA prior to going to council with the design because they’re usually the ones who will make a determination if they’ll pay for the design work … we exceeded their levels,” he said.

Berlin Electric Crew Praised For Storm Work

BERLIN — During Monday’s Mayor and Council meeting, several new special events were approved in town, a public hearing on solid waste was held and the town’s electric utility was praised for their actions during the storm last Wednesday.

(CENTER/BOLD)Special Events Okayed

Charity races in Berlin were in the news this week with three different approvals for non-profit events being passed, two in April and one in December.

The first will be Paint the Town Purple, which will be hosted by the American Cancer Society (ACS) to raise awareness for this spring’s Relay for Life.

“We’re simply asking if we could hang purple ribbons or bows on the lampposts that line the street to bring awareness to the issue of cancer and the American Cancer Society’s mission to save lives from cancer,” said ACS representative Debbie White.

White asked that the ribbons be allowed to remain up from April 6 through Mother’s Day weekend, or May 12, which is when the ACS’s popular Relay for Life will take place this year.

The council agreed, with Mayor Gee Williams thanking White and her associates for their partnership with the town.

“We’re glad that you have Berlin as a focal point because we certainly want to be supportive of a number of non-profits including the American Cancer Society,” the mayor said.

The second event will be a 5K Walk/Run memorial fundraiser for St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy and St. Paul’s representative Dale Smack told the council that the church is breaking new ground with the event.

“It’s going to be something different that we’ve never tried before and so far there’s a lot of interest,” he said.

The race will be held April 13 with proceeds going to St. Paul’s. The runners will stay within town limits and can register with the church now or at 7 a.m. on the day of the race.

Though Christmas is still some time off, organizer Lisa Long asked and received permission for a 2013 Reindeer Run to take place on Dec. 7. The event has been growing in recent years, according to Long, jumping from an initial race with 75 participants to more than 300 last year.

“We had a big, big turnout this past year,” she said.

Williams also remarked on the popularity of the event, which this year will donate proceeds to Worcester Youth and Family Counseling Services.

“This is obviously growing in popularity and gets people out in the streets early in the morning,” he said.

Solid Waste Code Tightened

The council tightened the code surrounding bulk yard waste pick-up days in town this week after a public hearing to limit who could use the service passed with no comments.

“Basically, the bottom line, I think what this means is that you have to have regular trash service to participate in bulk or yard waste collection that is done as an extra service at no cost to any resident or customer,” Williams said.

With no comments on the measure, the council passed the amendment unanimously and with no discussion.

Declaration Of Official
Intent To Reimburse

After the amendment to the solid waste code, the council reviewed and passed a declaration that will allow the town to self-compensate funds from grants for money the town spends in advance on stormwater improvements.

“It doesn’t obligate the town to borrow any funds, but what it does is if in fact the town is going to expend its own money for design and engineering when and or if the town does obligate itself for capital improvements on the stormwater management system the monies that the town has expended will be able to be reimbursed out of those bonds or those grants the town receives,” said Dave Gaskill, town attorney.

Gaskill stressed the part about the declaration not forcing the town to do anything or borrow any funds. However, he said that it needs to be in place if the town wishes to spend money in advance of grants and recoup those costs.

Electric Utility Praised

When last week’s storm felled a large tree in town, power was lost in some areas for nearly 11 hours. However, both the council and a resident who was part of the blackout publically thanked Electric Utility Director Tim Lawrence and his crew for their work last Wednesday.

The tree, which fell on Tingle Road around 5:15 p.m., dropped surrounding streets’ power until 7:30 p.m. in most areas or around 4 a.m. in a few extreme cases.

“It was probably one of the largest trees I’ve seen that’s fallen on something,” said Lawrence.

While he wasn’t sure if the crash should be attributed to high winds or a reported lightning strike, Lawrence did tell the council that the devastation was clear with a vehicle actually crushed under the impact. A neighboring house owner, he added, was lucky to have avoided a similar fate for his roof.

Williams thanked Lawrence for his leadership and pointed out that while the outage was rough town response was laudable.

“The bad thing is we had the outage,” he said. “The good thing is that we had crews that could dedicate themselves just to that one spot.”

Resident Ellen Lang, a former town councilwoman, agreed and said Berlin’s crew was amazing.

“I stood in my window and I watched them with two bucket trucks, with spotlights, it was snowing, it was blowing, it was freezing cold,” she said. “The wind chill was 19 degrees outside.”

Lang’s power was restored around 4 a.m. and she thanked Lawrence and his crew for working the entire night in miserable conditions.

County To Keep Berlin Liquor Store Open For Now

BERLIN — Worcester County Department of Liquor Control (DLC) officials confirmed this week that contrary to rumors there are currently no immediate plans to close the county Liquor Mart located in Berlin.

DLC Director Bob Cowger said Wednesday that the fate of the Berlin location will not be decided until after the upcoming tourism season.

“The Berlin store is scheduled to stay open at least through the summer,” he said. “We just want to see what kind of impact the new store is going to have on it before we make any decision.”

Cowger dismissed rumors that the Berlin Liquor Mart would be closing in April due to a new 4,800-square-foot DLC “flagship store” opening off Route 50 eastbound one-quarter mile east of Seahawk Road. County officials have already confirmed that the DLC’s current West Ocean City location will be shutting down to focus resources on the new, much larger store. However, whether the Berlin store would be closed as well was, and, according to Cowger, still is up in the air.

If the Berlin branch was to close now or later, Mayor Gee Williams expressed his town’s concerns to the county last week that critical funding provided by the DLC, which devotes a portion of the proceeds to the towns that host the stores, will be unexpectedly cut.

“We totally agree with efficiency and whatever is the best service for the public and all that,” Williams told the Worcester County Commissioners last week regarding consolidating DLC locations. “But we have to say for many, many years we received over $100,000 … for that to go from $100,000 to nothing is a bit of a cut to swallow.”

Those concerns were duly noted, promised Cowger, and one reason the DLC has decided to wait and weigh how the Berlin location operates this summer before making an ultimate decision.

“Definitely no decision has been made yet. We want to make sure the town of Berlin will maintain its way,” he said.

Back in February, the financial reasons for the shakeup of the local retail liquor scene were explained. The “flagship” store’s rent will cost $17.50 per square foot annually, or $84,000 paid at $7,000 per month. Currently, the 3,200-square-foot facility in West Ocean City and 1,500-square-foot location in Berlin have a combined annual lease cost of $66,418, according to the county. The West Ocean City lease is $45,575 annually and Berlin’s rent costs $20,843.

According to data provided to the County Commissioners at the February meeting, the DLC reports the West Ocean City had a net income of $24,169 and Berlin’s store lost $43,920 for a combined loss of $19,751. According to the projections for the new location and including just the $84,000 rent for the new store on Route 50, the DLC estimates the loss will turn into a $74,696 profit, which is based on an assumption of a 9-percent increase in sales and a 7-percent decrease in store expenses by closing both West Ocean City and Berlin stores.

Those numbers will have to be adjusted with this week’s decision that Berlin will remain open for the time being, however.

The lease for the new facility is set to begin April 5, or “the date the building improvements are substantially complete.” Once operational, the new store will join all other DLC-run retail outlets in the county in a name change. The current moniker of “Liquor Mart” will be abandoned in favor of the softer “Shore Spirits” name and logo. Featuring three martini glasses and a patriotic motif, the new logo is designed to set the DLC apart from its previous Liquor Control Board (LCB) form.

Council, Volunteers Ink New Agreement

OCEAN CITY – The Mayor and Council and the Ocean City Volunteer Fire Company (OCVFC) celebrated this week the signing of a new contract of sorts between the two entities.

“This is a good occasion today … it has been an honor to stand together with our volunteers, and in this case our volunteer fire company,” Mayor Rick Meehan said.

The mayor stood with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the OCVFC and the Mayor and City Council that he was prepared to sign and execute that moment.

“The OCVFC has provided fire services to and for the Town of Ocean City for over 100 years,” a section of the MoU the mayor read aloud. “The Town of Ocean City recognizes the longstanding commitment of the OCVFC to the public safety of Ocean City and West Ocean City community, its businesses, residents and visitors, the value of the services of the members of the OCVFC to the Town of Ocean City, and the intangible and immeasurable benefit that all such charitable and volunteer organizations bring to civic life and wellbeing of the Ocean City community.”

That in one paragraph, Meehan said, describes what the volunteer fire company does for the community, the greater Ocean City area and all by their volunteerism.

The mayor pointed out the MOU also states, “the OCVFC reserves its longstanding right to communicate directly to the Mayor and City Council on all matters.”

Meehan said, “That is in this memorandum and it is consistent with the practice we have held in the past and did not change and it will not change.”

OCVFC President Cliff Christello thanked the Mayor and City Council, along with City Manager David Recor, and OCVFC 1st Assistant Chief Robert Duke who served as a negotiator between the parties.

“Everything I have had to deal with over the past number of years this was one of the easier ones,” he said. “It reinforces the OCVFC to the Mayor and City Council and that they are willing to work directly with the volunteers and still wants the volunteers to be here. We are one fire department as a whole.”

In 2008, the OCVFC became part of the new Ocean City Fire Department, which also includes the Fire/EMS Division and the Fire Marshals Office.