Maryland Department of Natural Resources
government · active attested 1972–2009
Also known as DNR
The State department that held the money and the rules for the beach, and therefore the town's most constant counterparty in Annapolis. It ran the December 1972 session whose press list is the only surviving record of who was covering Ocean City in a year the county paper did not exist. Delegate Hickman "declared war" on its lead-shot regulation in 1973. It was in the room when the dune line war ended in 1975 — "the Department of Natural Resources and the Attorney General's office and the Senators and ourselves got together … Ocean City gave up an awful lot." From 1986 the beach is a line in the State budget under a DNR replenishment plan, and in 1994 DNR asked half a million for replenishment, a committee removed it, one senator restored $250,000, and the council voted 7-0 to write two letters, one angry and one grateful.
In the record (3)
1979 · 1979-11-15
Secretary of Natural Resources James Coulter came to a special session to lay out a stone-groin programme for the whole beach, built in bundles of ten from the south end, and left with a Key to the City he asked the mayor to autograph
Special session of 15 November 1979. Coulter explained that Maryland's coast policy gave "some twenty-two miles of our coastline on Assateague" to open space and "the northern nine miles, essentially Ocean City," to "high density family recreation-type uses"; that Delaware had been consulted and no work would be done "within a mile of the Delaware border without first discussing the consequences"; and that the town would not be "doing something to the scale of twelve-to-thirteen million dollars all at once" but "a series of groins that will be built perhaps in bundles of ten starting from the southern end ... with appropriations from the General Assembly ... year-by-year." Councilman Harrison: "it's a great day for this Town that this jetty program is finally jelling together." President Frame: "I think the Mayor and Secretary Coulter had a few words back and forth but it's always nice to see them join hands." Mayor Kelley: "You won't believe it I gave him Key to the City and he got out the door (Secretary Coulter), he said wait a minute Harry I want you to autograph it on the back." Councilwoman Conner thanked him "from the business community also."
Harry W. KelleyG. Hale Harrison
Source · checked 2026-09-10
1991 · 1991-02-20
Offered a tugboat for the fishing reef, the council balked at $5,700 to move it, then voted $2,000 as a one-third share once service clubs and the county commissioners were said to be paying the rest
At the work session of 12 February 1991 (synopsis item 11): "A tug boat has been offered to the City that could be sunk near the Blenny but moving it would be at the City's expense, $5,700. No interest was shown at this time." Eight days later, at the regular meeting of 20 February, President Meehan reported that the proposer "has since gone to some members of the private community, some of the local service organizations. And he believes he has a commitment from them for one-third of the money. And he also told me that he believes that the county commissioners will also agree to pay one-third of the costs which will decrease the cost to the Town from $5900 to $2,000 ... I spoke to the Mayor prior to the meeting tonight and although he voiced opposition to the $5900 expenditure, he thought that by the other parties becoming involved and our costs being reduced to 33% that he would endorse us going ahead." Councilwoman Hacking: "I make a motion that we expend that $2,000 ... for the purpose of sinking a boat as long as we're not having to go out there and watch it happen." Meehan: "We're inviting everybody that ever was on it to come down and watch it go under." Hall: "Some'll be invited to stay on it." Councilman Gisriel asked how far out the Blenny lay - "I've been confused about whether our corporate limits are two-to-three miles" - and was told "It's out by the Jackspot," about twelve miles. The vote, taken after the chair had nearly adjourned without it, was unanimous, subject to the private and county money being appropriated. On 15 April City Manager Dare reported a letter from John Foster of DNR saying "we could come up with the same scenario that we had with the USS Blenny," and the council authorized the solicitor to negotiate the contract of sale; the 1 July agenda still carried an "inquiry as to date of tug sinking."
Rick MeehanVincent Gisriel Jr.Dennis W. Dare
Source · checked 2026-09-10
1993 · 1993-06-29
The state asked to take over the town's permit for the offshore reef where the submarine USS Blenny had been sunk, the site having become a fishing and diving ground as more barges and ships went down on it
Synopsis of the work session of 29 June 1993, item 3: "DeWitt Myatt and John Foster from the DNR made an appearance to request transfer of the fishing reef permit from the Town of Ocean City to the DNR in order to more effectively administer activities at the site. The original permit was obtained for the sinking and placement of the USS Blenny. This site has since become an advantageous fishing and diving spot as other barges and ships have been sunk there. The DNR plans to enhance the ecosystem under the reef, approximately a four-acre area." The council's disposition is on a synopsis page missing from the text layer.
Source · checked 2026-09-10