Dennis W. Dare
city engineer, then city manager, then councilman · active c. 1986–2025
City Engineer of Ocean City through the entire beach fight, appointed City Manager on 2 April 1990 after Joseph Braun's resignation, and in the post for two decades — the engineer who built the beach then running the town. His report of 6 January 1992 is the clearest account in this record of what a coastal town does in the week after water: nine State Highway dump trucks, five from the Sanitary Commission, three to four feet of sand in the Inlet parking lot, the Red Cross at the Baptist church, and the renourishment money meant to repair dunes spent instead on moving one out of a car park. Eight days later he told the council the storm was not a disaster: "The damage to the Town itself was not significant enough to be categorized as a disaster." In 1995 he put the arithmetic of the convention centre expansion on the record. By 2012 he sits on the council that once appointed him.
In the record (51)
1986 · 1986-01-06
The council met fifty-two times in 1986 — the first year it sat weekly — and opened the year by lifting a building moratorium
"DISCUSSION ON BUILDING MORATORIUM … Then I think we probably need a motion to go ahead and lift the building moratorium." Mayor Roland E. Powell in his first full year; Council President Granville Trimper; Councilmen Duggan, Meehan, Moore, Ellis, Trumpower, Hurley; City Manager Anthony W. Barrett; City Solicitor Guy Ayres III; City Engineer Dennis Dare; City Planner Jesse Houston; Zoning Administrator Blaine Smith; Clerk/Treasurer Sheldon Dietert. In 1946 the council met thirty-one times; in 1957, forty; now every week of the year.
Rick MeehanAnthony W. BarrettGranville TrimperGuy R. Ayres IIIJesse Houston
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1989
Forty-nine meetings, about 1.32 million characters, and still one source — sixteen years after the county paper stopped
City Manager Barrett; City Solicitor Ayres; City Engineer Dennis Dare; City Planner Jesse Houston. The Maryland Coast Dispatch was five years old and the Maryland Times-Press had been publishing since November 1988, held at Enoch Pratt. Neither is in this corpus.
Anthony W. BarrettGuy R. Ayres IIIJesse Houston
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1990 · 1990-04-02
After two city managers in one year, the council appointed Dennis W. Dare — the City Engineer through the entire beach fight — and he would run the town for two decades
Anthony Barrett's successor Joseph Braun resigned on 8 March, months into the job, in a special session called for nothing else. President Hurley: "In the meeting with Mr. Joseph Braun today, he has informed me of his desire to resign. It is with sincere regret that I hereby accept the City Manager's resignation. I do understand the impact that his move to Ocean City has had on his family … This action will be official at his request at 5:00 p.m., Friday, March 9th." Braun: "It is with great regret that tonight I am resigning as City Manager of Ocean City. … I particularly want to thank my department heads." Three weeks later Dare was appointed. He had given the boardwalk updates in 1986 and the replenishment reports ever since.
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1990 · 1990-04-10
When the Beach Patrol asked for red lights and sirens on its ATVs, Mayor Powell said the town 'was becoming known as Siren City', and two motions to strip the lights off the Beach Patrol and Fire Marshal vehicles died for want of a second
Item 9 of the work session of 10 April 1990, "Use of lights and sirens on the Beach Patrol and other city vehicles": "This item also came as a result of the budget hearings in that the Beach Patrol would like red lights and sirens on their ATV's. Mayor Powell felt these vehicles did not need lights and sirens nor did the Fire Marshal vehicles. He stated the Town was becoming known as 'Siren City.'" Councilman Steckman moved to have the equipment removed from both departments' vehicles - "This motion died for lack of a second" - then from the Beach Patrol vehicles alone, which also died. Councilman Hall's motion to leave things as they were and add no more "was 3-4, Hurley, Meehan, Hacking, and Steckman against." City Engineer Dare asked whether either department had a written policy "or if it was just verbal understanding" and had the matter held to 1 May so one could be written; "President Hurley questioned that even with written policy, how do you teach common sense. Mr. Dare responded that a penalty, such as removal of a vacation day, could be enforced." On 1 May Recreation Director Perlozzo brought a draft policy and Clay Stamp explained that Blazers carried beach patients on the tailgate to the top of the street, and "lights/sirens are necessary because the beaches are so crowded."
Ocean City Beach PatrolRoland E. "Fish" Powell
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."
Maryland Department of Natural ResourcesRick MeehanVincent Gisriel Jr.
Source · checked 2026-09-10
1991 · 1991-12-10
The one municipal trace of the Halloween storm is a line in the 10 December status reports: the city engineer had met the Corps about 'the recent beach damage', and Phase I of a two-phase repair-and-renourishment would cost $165,000 out of the maintenance fund
Work session of 10 December 1991, synopsis item 13: "City Manager Dare reported that the City Engineer had met with the Corps of Engineers today regarding the recent beach damage. There will be two phases: one for repair and the second for renourishment. Phase I is expected to cost $165K and the Town's portion would come out of the maintenance fund." Neither the word storm nor a date appears; the item sits between term-limit talk and the day-care study, forty days after the record 7.8-foot tide of 31 October. It qualifies rather than contradicts the measured absence already recorded for November-December 1991: the storm never became an agenda item, but its consequence did, as a maintenance-fund line reported by the city manager. The same session's Planning and Zoning report carries the letter of map revision still "being pursued."
United States Army Corps of EngineersTerry McGean
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1992
A hundred and six documents and a changed council: Meehan in the chair, Mathias and Mann arriving, Gisriel still on the floor
Mayor Roland E. Powell; Council President Richard Meehan; Councilmen Gisriel, Hall, Mann, Mathias, Westfall; Councilwoman Sally Hacking; City Manager Dennis Dare; City Solicitor Ayres; City Planner Jesse Houston; Finance Director Martha Bennett. About 1.35 million characters across 106 documents — more paper than 1990 and less text, the archive form settling in.
Rick MeehanGuy R. Ayres IIIJesse HoustonVincent Gisriel Jr.
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1992 · 1992-01-06
The renourishment money set aside to repair dunes was spent instead on moving the dune out of the Inlet car park — three to four feet of sand in places, and the dune at 30th Street "pretty well destroyed"
"State Highway the last several days has had nine dump trucks, two graders, and two loaders in Town. The Sanitary Commission has provided us with five dump trucks, four backhoes; and they even used their jetvac on some of the storm drains today … The moving of the beach sand by the contractor retained by the Corps, utilizing the City, county, and state funds that was originally going to repair the dunes, began today. … We have three-to-four feet of sand in some areas at the Inlet parking lot up to the area around 30th Street where that dune was pretty well destroyed … The golf course — Tom retained a certified soils consultant to really analyze the turf … the potential is if we don't get the salt off of it in a timely manner … the Red Cross is setting up at the Baptist church at North Division Street … And the garage worked on 49 vehicles during the two days." — City Manager Dare. The Halloween nor'easter of 1991 left no trace in these minutes; the storm of 4 January 1992 fills them.
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1992 · 1992-01-14
The January nor'easter was not a disaster, because the beach absorbed it: "The beach replenishment project should fall under the beach maintenance fund. The damage to the Town itself was not significant enough to be categorized as a disaster."
Councilman Gisriel asked whether the City Manager had estimates of beach damage costs. City Manager Dare "stated that the storm damage falls into several categories and that requests seeking federal disaster relief is for public and private facilities. The beach replenishment project should fall under the beach maintenance fund. The damage to the Town itself was not significant enough to be categorized as a disaster." This is what the two million a year bought, stated the first time it was ever billed. The council then reallocated $150,000 meant for the Worcester Street parking lot to repairing the Inlet lot, and argued about tar-and-chip at $35,000 against hot mix at $140,000 — hot mix winning because tar and chip "does get torn up when the bulldozers move sand."
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1993 · 1993-07-19
The Winterfest of Lights was financed as a new project in July 1993, with a performance bond required and the Chamber of Commerce pledging half the cost over three to five years, and its first ceremony was announced that November
Synopsis of the regular meeting of 19 July 1993, item 8: "At the previous work session discussion had taken place regarding financing the Winterfest of Lights project which had been rescheduled for tonight's meeting for more input. City Manager Dare informed the Council that the deadline had been extended until the next day. Martha Bennett provided options as to how the financing could be transacted. Everyone agreed that a performance bond should be required. Councilman Mathias moved to have the proper documents executed with the least exposure of risk for the Town. Councilman Westfall seconded. Louise Gulyas, representing the Chamber of Commerce, assured the Mayor and Council that the Chamber's commitment was solid in that over a three-to-five-year period, they will provide 50%. The motion was amended to include an executed document from the Chamber of Commerce. The vote was 6-0 with Councilman Duggan absent." On 1 November Jim Whittemore, requesting the 11th annual Christmas parade, "commented on the Winterfest of Lights in that it should be a worthwhile addition to the Town's festivities"; the 15 November index carries "ANNOUNCEMENT OF WINTERFEST OF LIGHTS CEREMONY" and the 6 December index "PRESENTATION OF CHECK FOR WINTERFEST OF LIGHTS" and "COMMENTS REGARDING WINTERFEST OF LIGHTS." The word 'Winterfest' does not occur in any 1993 document before July. The cost figure is on transcript pages missing from the text layer.
Ocean City Chamber of CommerceJames N. "Jim" Mathias Jr.
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1994
Ninety-eight documents and about 1.92 million characters, with Richard Meehan giving way to George Feehley in the chair through the autumn
Mayor Roland E. Powell; Councilmen Duggan, Hall, Mann, Mathias, Westfall; City Manager Dennis Dare; City Solicitor Ayres; City Planner Jesse Houston; City Clerk Carol L. Jacobs. Both Meehan and Mathias would later hold the mayoralty.
Rick MeehanGuy R. Ayres IIIJesse Houston
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1994 · 1994-08-15
A four-month-old Boy Scout troop of fourteen boys won the soft-drink concession at the Beach Boys beach concert for 10% of sales, after the city solicitor confirmed they could not go on the payroll and a councilman said he did not want the mayor to go to jail
Regular session of 15 August 1994. City Manager Dare first reported that 3,500 of the 6,500 chairs for the concert had sold by Friday with close to 500 general admissions, and that the 1993 concert - "the quarter million dollar endeavor" - had returned about $6,500 from 20% of the artists' T-shirt sales and about $4,800 from the single Pepsi stand. Tom Anton, scoutmaster of Troop 225, "a brand new scout troop. We just chartered back in April", asked to staff that stand: the boys would wear uniforms, it would count toward Eagle Scout service hours, and the troop's 1994-95 budget was "approximately $7,000. And as of right now, I've been dipping into the parents' pockets every month"; a car wash at Delmarva Power on 83rd Street had already been spent on a camping trip to Assateague. He offered to work for 10% where restaurants ran at 15% payroll. Councilman Westfall: "How old will the young fellows be?" - "Average age of 12, some are 14; some are 11" - "Will we have any problem with child labor laws and minimum wages?" City Solicitor Ayres: "We can't put 'em on the City's payroll or you definitely do have a problem", but as a group donation it was probably fine. Westfall: "I don't want the Mayor to go to jail." Councilman Mathias warned it sounded like a good idea "until the Girl Scouts come in and the American Cancer Society comes in" and that the Boardwalk businesses "that live for those 100 days" should get a lottery for the concession in future. The vote was 6-0 with Councilman Mann absent, the stand to sit "behind the mixer board" where nobody sat anyway.
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1994 · 1994-10-03
Bad weather tore up the twentieth Sunfest's tents on the same weekend as an extensive fire at 9th Street, and the mayor told the council the employees and firemen had made "something out of something that could have been a real catastrophe"
Regular session of 3 October 1994. Councilman Feehley, on the Sunfest statistics: "Would the solid waste include those beat-up tents?" City Manager Dare: "They're still down there." Mayor Powell: "I think a few words of praise should be said for the City employees ... they went far beyond what they had to do this past week during the Sunfest ... Public Works was just terrific. And all others that took a part, you know, the employees of the Convention Hall. Everybody pitched in. And I think they made something out of something that could have been a real catastrophe ... And also of course the fire at 9th Street, I think once again the firemen proved to us that when the chips are really down, they can stand up and be counted ... And they were doing it when the call came in that many of 'em were down trying to help secure the Sunfest and save what they could." The synopsis records Sunfest solid waste up 18% over 1993, water 2% less, bus and train ridership down; Feehley "commended Mayor Powell for his role during the Sunfest/fire calamities." The Tourism Commission minutes of 11 October, reported on 1 November, followed up: the chairs were "taking a beating from the salt air" and moving the site farther north was discussed. The 27 September packet had billed the festival as the "20th Anniversary Edition" with a commemorative poster "signed by Mr. Sunfest himself."
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1995
Ninety-eight documents and about 2.23 million characters — the archive still growing, and still the only source
Mayor Roland E. Powell; Council President George Feehley; Councilmen Duggan, Gisriel, Hall, Mann, Mathias, Meehan; City Manager Dennis Dare; Finance Director Martha Bennett; City Solicitor Ayres. Two hometown papers had been publishing for years by now and neither is held here.
Rick MeehanGuy R. Ayres IIIVincent Gisriel Jr.
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1995 · 1995-04-01
The town borrowed to double a convention centre that loses money, because a $1.4 million loss shared with Annapolis is smaller than the $824,000 loss it already carried alone
City Manager Dare: "In 1996 and 1997 the operating deficit of the Convention Center is [$]824[,000] — and then it grows to 908. In 1998 when the building's expanded, the operating deficit is gonna be 1.4 million but we're only gonna pay half of it, the 709 — which is less than the 824. And the bottom line, guys, is … with the 50% contribution from the state, once this building's up and functional and being utilized, the increased business is gonna pay for your 50% of the operating costs." Councilman Hall: "'Cause you're getting half from the state." Finance Director Bennett: "You're getting half from the state. The first two years we're paying 100% of it." Gisriel, restored to the council, pushed back on the projections — "if we've been approaching this conservatively, how can we be going lower in these projections today?" — and Bennett conceded the earlier figures had been November estimates. Bonds are the word of the year, 424 mentions, nearly all of them this building.
Roland E. Powell Convention CenterVincent Gisriel Jr.
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1996
1996 is Roland Powell's last year as mayor, closing the eleven-year term that began with Harry Kelley's death and ran through the pumping of the beach
Ninety-three documents, about 2.26 million characters. Council President George Feehley; Councilmen Duggan, Gisriel, Hall, Mann, Mathias, Meehan; City Manager Dennis Dare; Finance Director Martha Bennett; City Solicitor Ayres. Powell had first appeared in this record as a councilman in the town's full-page advertisement in the Democratic Messenger's centennial edition of August 1969.
Rick MeehanGuy R. Ayres IIIVincent Gisriel Jr.
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1997
James N. Mathias, Jr. became mayor in 1997 — the councilman who had sat through the beach fight, the convention centre bond and the open-meetings argument
Council President Richard Meehan; Councilmen Duggan, Gisriel, Hall, Mann, Steckman returned; Councilwoman Howard; City Manager Dennis Dare; Public Works Director Hal Adkins; Superintendent of Transportation Woodrow W. Shockley. Ninety-eight documents, about 1.86 million characters. Mathias had seconded the 1994 motion to thank Senator Smelser for restoring a quarter of a million dollars to the beach fund; he would later serve in the Maryland Senate.
Rick MeehanHal AdkinsVincent Gisriel Jr.
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1998
Clay Stamp appears in the record as Emergency Manager — the town's storm response now a named post rather than a mayor phoning weather stations
Ninety-five documents, about 1.49 million characters. Mayor James N. Mathias, Jr.; Council President Richard W. Meehan; Councilman Lee Duggan as Secretary; Councilmen Gisriel, Hall, Mann, Steckman; Councilwoman Nancy L. Howard; City Manager Dennis Dare; City Clerk Carol L. Jacobs. In 1978 Kelley had listened to three or four weather reports and supposed they were wrong; in 1984 the town assembled a disaster vehicle out of bid lots without knowing what to put the radio in.
Rick MeehanVincent Gisriel Jr.
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1999 · 1999-01-12
A council hearing on hydraulic clam dredging heard that Ocean City had no sea-grass beds before 1991 and now had beds a thousand feet wide, and a councilman called the coastal bays "our little pond in the back yard and it's fished out"
For the work session of 12 January 1999 the council invited Dr Donald Boesch of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, DNR biologists, the National Park Service and the Natural Resources Police, "precipitated", President Meehan said, by "the continual fishing and dredging in the bay ... year round". Boesch: "in 1990 and before, as best we have records, you didn't have grass beds here along Ocean City ... they've only begun to return since 1991 and ... every year we see a slight expansion of those grass beds." Aerial photographs showed scarring in the beds from boat propellers and clam dredges; DNR's Lee Carr said the bed off the convention centre ran "over 1,000 feet out in some areas", and the Natural Resources Police confirmed dredging was lawful anywhere more than 300 feet from shore - "300 feet is a city block," City Manager Dare put in. Councilman Hall: "This is our little pond in the back yard and it's fished out. There's nothing left in it. We need help." Bill Outten of DNR said the delineation task force had 23 members, "like 6 of 'em are watermen". Mayor Mathias closed by rejecting "closure, banning, prohibiting" in favour of "a balanced program", and County Commission president Jeanne Lynch, in the audience, said the county would take the same subject up the following Tuesday.
Maryland Coastal Bays ProgramJames N. "Jim" Mathias Jr.Rick Meehan
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1999 · 1999-08-16
Faced with the first application for a tattoo parlour in the town's history, the council passed an emergency ordinance in six days requiring that a physician do the tattooing, with $5 million of insurance, a $500 licence and a $1,000 fine
At the work session of 10 August 1999 "Mayor Mathias addressed the recent submission of an application to establish a tattoo parlor in town, noting if it got approved, it would be the first. Also, a pawn shop has opened here ... Members of the Police Commission had met prior to this meeting and fully support exploring every avenue to deny the application." The City Solicitor and City Planner "were instructed to investigate ways to deny the application as soon as possible." Six days later, at the regular session of 16 August, Ordinance 1999-27 amended Chapter 61A, Licensed Tattoo Establishments: "the major amendments stipulate the person performing the tattoo must be a physician or osteopath, the medical malpractice and liability insurance increases to $5 million, the license fee increases to $500, and the fine for a convicted violation increases to $1,000." Councilman Gisriel objected that the ordinance "was too hastily prepared without considerable study and leaves the Town vulnerable for litigation whereby the existing ordinance has been in the code since 1985 with no applicants"; Ayres said it was modelled on a New York City ordinance upheld on appeal. The applicant, Michael Copley of Wind Chimes Tattoo, "stated he has been practicing this art for 20 years with no complaints" and that the ordinance was unfair since his application "had already been filed and met the current test". It passed 5-2 on first reading and 5-1-1 as an emergency ordinance, with the mayor's concurrence. In May the City Manager had already answered an Orlando firm proposing to sell tattoos carrying "messages" under the peddling exemption: "we do not understand what you are proposing."
James N. "Jim" Mathias Jr.Vincent Gisriel Jr.Guy R. Ayres III
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2000
Ninety-six documents, about 1.6 million characters, and a quiet year — the beach is built and the convention centre rebuilt, and the town has run out of large things to argue about
Mayor James N. Mathias, Jr.; Council President Richard W. Meehan, with President Lee Duggan later; Councilmen Gisriel, Hall, Steckman; Council Members Nancy Howard and Fitzsimmons; City Manager Dennis Dare; Emergency Services Director Clay Stamp; City Clerk Carol L. Jacobs. From here the record's subject changes: what a resort buys once it has finished building.
Rick MeehanVincent Gisriel Jr.
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2000 · 2000-04-25
The council voted $20,000 to dedicate the rebuilt Boardwalk in 2000, $15,000 of it for a five-minute Fire Art fireworks display like the one on New Year's Eve, and the mayor asked that the plaque by the arch thank the visitors and residents
At the work session of 25 April 2000, "City Manager Dare addressed the Boardwalk dedication. Special Events Coordinator John Sullivan presented a sketch of the seating arrangement. Negotiations have been confirmed with Fire Art to do a five-minute fireworks display, similar to that on New Year's Eve, at a cost of $15,000. Request was made to allow a total of $20,000 for the dedication. Councilman Duggan moved to approve; seconded by Councilman Hall. The vote was 6-1 with Councilman Gisriel opposed. Mayor Mathias commented on the plaque that will be hung near the arch and requested another line be added thanking the visitors and residents. City Engineer Terry McGean will look into this." On 6 March the mayor had passed on "the appreciative comments he has heard regarding the Boardwalk renovations."
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2002
Ninety-six documents, about 1.55 million characters, one source — and a council that has shrunk to a settled group
Mayor James N. Mathias, Jr.; Council President Richard W. Meehan; Councilmen Jim Hall, Steckman, Gisriel; Council Member Nancy Howard; City Manager Dennis Dare. The same names recur through the whole of block 1.5, which is itself a fact about the town: the people who settled the beach question stayed to govern what it produced.
Rick MeehanVincent Gisriel Jr.
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2003
Eighty-eight documents, about 1.91 million characters, now including the Planning and Zoning Commission's own transcripts — the record's centre of gravity moving from the council to the commission
Mayor James N. Mathias, Jr.; Council President James S. Hall; Councilmen Gisriel and others; City Manager Dennis Dare; Planning Director Jesse Houston; Zoning Administrator Blaine Smith; Commission Attorney Will Esham. The decisions that shape the town are increasingly taken in a room the council does not sit in, and this corpus can read it only because the transcripts are filed with the minutes.
Jesse HoustonVincent Gisriel Jr.
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2003 · 2003-01-21
The National Aquarium's marine mammal programme handed out twelve certificates at a council meeting to the people who recovered a right whale off Ocean City the previous summer
At the regular session of 21 January 2003, under new business, David Schofield of the National Aquarium Marine Mammal Research Program, with Cindy Perry, gave a PowerPoint on "rescues and recoveries of stranded mammals that took place in this area this past season" and showed renderings of a sponsors' kiosk proposed for Sunset Park. The minutes then record: "Certificates of Acknowledgment were presented to the following for their involvement in the recovery of the right whale this past summer: Mike Hill, Carl Zimmerman, Jack Kuhmer (sp?), Dale Dickerson, Dick Malone, Dennis Dare, Brian Tinkler, Ward Kovacs, Dell Baker, Hugh Hummel, Mark Sampson, and Larry Sackadorf." Mayor Mathias used the occasion to repeat a two-year-old request that the National Aquarium acknowledge Ocean City's partnership in Baltimore; Schofield said he would reintroduce the subject.
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2003 · 2003-03-17
After the winter's snowstorms a resident complained that sidewalks were never cleared, and the City Manager answered that clearing them was the property owner's job
Under comments from citizens at the 17 March 2003 regular session: "Pauline Romanowski of Sailing Road voiced concern over sidewalks not being cleared during recent snowstorms. City Manager Dare responded it is the responsibility of the property owner to maintain sidewalks for any impediments." Two weeks earlier, on 3 March, Public Works Director Hal Adkins had told the council the S. Philadelphia Avenue streetscape project was "about five weeks behind" owing to "the combination of rain days, snow days, sub-freezing stretches, and clean-up days."
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2004
Eighty-nine documents and about 2.29 million characters, with Joseph Hall II and James Hall both on the council alongside Lloyd Martin and Joseph Mitrecic
Mayor James N. Mathias, Jr.; Council President Richard Meehan; Councilmen Vincent Gisriel, Jr., Joseph Hall II, James Hall, Lloyd Martin, Joseph Mitrecic; Council Member Nancy Howard; City Manager Dennis Dare; Public Works Director Hal Adkins; City Solicitor Guy Ayres III. Martin and Mitrecic would both later serve as mayor or council president; the bench of the next twenty years is assembled here.
Rick MeehanGuy R. Ayres IIIHal AdkinsVincent Gisriel Jr.
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2005
Ninety-four documents and one source, in the year the town was told its seasonal workforce needed feeding
Mayor James N. Mathias, Jr.; Council President Richard Meehan; Councilmen Joe Hall, Jim Hall, Hancock, Lloyd Martin, Joseph Mitrecic; Council Member Nancy Howard; City Manager Dennis Dare; Public Works Director Hal Adkins; Deputy City Clerk Virginia A. d'Eustachio. What the students themselves said, and what their housing was actually like, is not in this record at all — the two accounts of them here are both given by other people on their behalf.
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2008 · 2008-03-03
City Manager Dennis Dare and his wife Liz were grand marshals of the 2008 St. Patrick's Day Parade, which ran southbound from 45th to 61st Street on 15 March
The parade permit was approved at the regular meeting of 19 February 2008: "St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival, on Saturday, March 15, 2008, starting at 12:00 p.m., from 45th to 61st Street - southbound. Council Secretary Nancy Howard moved to approve; seconded by Council Member Jim Hall. The vote was unanimous." At the regular meeting of 3 March the mayor "announced that Dennis and Liz Dare are the Grand Marshals for the St. Patrick's Day Parade on March 15, 2008", in the same list of remarks in which he congratulated the Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association on its Convention Center show, called the St. Patrick's Day soccer tournament at Northside Park a success, and promoted the Parrotheads' Mardi Gras at the Carousel. Two weeks later, on 17 March, the minutes open: "Mayor Meehan gave an Irish Blessing."
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2008 · 2008-04-21
After a 3-3 tie in February and a 4-3 vote a week later, the council in April 2008 unanimously adopted a joint-meeting plan that created a single Fire Chief over the volunteer company and the paid fire-EMS division, with volunteer chief Chris Larmore in the post
Work session of 12 February 2008: "Chief Larmore asserted that the Fire/Rescue Service needs 'one Fire Chief'. He advised that, in 2007, administrative decisions for the Fire Service were made without his knowledge causing dissention." Emergency Services Director Joe Theobald "acknowledged that Chief Larmore should have operational authority on the fire ground" but was "concerned about giving the Chief administrative authority over the Fire/EMS Division at this time"; the career firefighters' union president, Michael Maykrantz of IAFF Local 4269, was "concerned about the Volunteer Fire Chief having complete authority over the City's career Fire/EMS employees." Pillas's motion to appoint Larmore interim chief failed 3-3-0. On 19 February Council President Mitrecic's own plan passed 4-3 (Hall, Howard and Pillas opposed) over the caveat that Larmore step down as volunteer chief. On 17 March the Volunteer Fire Company's president Jay Jester called the mayor's plan "fatally flawed" and proposed instead "to separate the Fire Service from Emergency Medical Service responsibilities" ("it is cheaper to hire a Firefighter than a Paramedic/Firefighter"), which the IAFF's Kevin O'Connor opposed. A joint meeting with the volunteers was held at the Convention Center on 14 April, and at the regular meeting of 21 April 2008 Mitrecic "explained that this recommendation establishes the new Fire Chief Position and the organizational structure of the Ocean City Fire Service. Ocean City Volunteer Fire Chief Chris Larmore pledged to work with City Manager Dare to establish goals, policy and procedures for his Department. Council Member Mary Knight moved to approve the recommendation from the Joint Meeting; seconded by Council Member Jim Hall. The vote was unanimous." A memorandum of understanding with the volunteer company followed on 27 May; by 30 September Larmore was presenting as "Ocean City Fire Chief", the department was taking offices at the 14th Street headquarters with $10,000 of the $25,000 cost from the volunteers' board, and on 1 December a new department seal was adopted.
Ocean City Volunteer Fire Department
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2009
Eighty-nine documents and about 2.71 million characters — the densest year in the corpus, and still a single source
Mayor Richard W. Meehan; Council President Lloyd Martin; City Manager Dennis Dare. Thirty-six years after the county paper stopped and twenty-five after the Maryland Coast Dispatch was founded, this record still reads Ocean City only through its own government.
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2010
Ninety documents and about 4.37 million characters — nearly twice any earlier year, because the packets now carry full engineering specifications and bid documents
Mayor Richard W. Meehan; Council President Lloyd Martin; City Manager Dennis Dare; Special Projects/Grants Coordinator Wayne Pryor. The record's growth is no longer a growth in deliberation but in attachment: more paper, less argument. The kind of sentence that made 1972 and 1988 legible is now rare.
Source · checked 2026-09-02
2011 · 2011-08-01
A bride and groom appeared before the council in August 2011 to ask for fireworks off the beach at the Golden Sands for their September wedding, and got them on condition they paid the town's security bill
The only private-event request at the regular meeting of 1 August 2011 (Regular Session #14): "Private Events Coordinator Lisa Mitchell presented a request for wedding fireworks off the beach of the Golden Sands on September 24, 2011. Present for questions was Assistant Fire Chief Dave Hartley, Marissa Bowers (bride) and Eric Waskiewicz (groom). City Manager Dare expressed concern about the Town's cost for security. Council Member Joe Hall moved to approve the event if the applicants is willing to reimburse the Town's expenses for security; seconded by Council Member Ashley. The vote was unanimous." Four months earlier, on 4 April, the tourism director had told the same council that Maryland Life magazine had named the Ocean City beach the state's "Finest Wedding Venue."
Source · checked 2026-09-10
2011 · 2011-09-13
Dennis Dare's twenty-one years as City Manager ended in September 2011 behind a closed door: after a special closed session on 8 September the mayor was signing as "Mayor/Interim City Manager," a councilman was asking for the status of Dare's exit agreement in October and November, and in December the town hired Springsted to search for a successor
Dare gave the report from the City Manager at the regular meeting of 6 September 2011 as usual. Two days later the clerk minuted a "Special Closed Session" of 8 September: "City Solicitor Guy Ayres and City Manager Dennis Dare were absent. Council President Jim Hall called this Special Session to order at 4:00 p.m. ... then, Council Member Ashley moved to convene into closed session to discuss the appointment, employment, assignment, removal or resignation of appointees, employees or officials over whom it has jurisdiction ... The vote was unanimous. [The Council did not reopen the meeting on this day.]" At the work session of 13 September Mayor Meehan reported that "he has met with all Department Heads as acting City Manager," and from 11 October every attendance list opens with "Mayor/Interim City Manager Rick Meehan." Under Comments from the Mayor and Council on 17 October and again on 7 November, "Council Member Cymek asked for a status on City Manager Dare's exit agreement." The regular meeting of 19 December recorded: "On December 13, 2011, the Pension Committee voted, in the open session of the Pension Meeting, to contract with Springsted, Inc. for City Manager Search services. Senior Vice President John Anzivino reviewed Springsted's search process." The minutes never state a resignation, a dismissal, or the terms; Dare had been City Manager since 1990, and the same four-member council majority (Jim Hall, Joe Hall, Pillas, Ashley) had on 3 January refused, 3-4, to lift the public-safety hiring freeze, and it was to that council that the mayor delivered his written objections to the twelve employee-benefit ordinances on 18 January.
Source · checked 2026-09-10
2012
Dennis Dare, City Manager since 1990, is now a Council Member — and David L. Recor holds the post he held for twenty-two years
Mayor Richard W. Meehan; Council President Lloyd Martin; Zoning Administrator Blaine Smith; Planning Commission chaired by Pam Greer Buckley. Ninety-four documents. Dare had been City Engineer through the whole beach fight before taking the manager's chair; he now sits on the body that appointed him. Some documents in the 2012 folder belong to other years, so every quotation must carry an internal date.
Source · checked 2026-09-02
2013
Ninety-one documents and a staff list that has become professional: an ICMA-credentialled manager, a CPA finance administrator, a city engineer and a tourism director
Mayor Richard W. Meehan; Council President Lloyd Martin; Council Secretary Mary Knight; Council Member Dennis Dare; Council Members Pillas, Michael James; City Manager David L. Recor, ICMA-CM; City Solicitor Guy Ayres; Zoning Administrator Blaine Smith; City Engineer Terence McGean; Finance Administrator Martha J. Bennett, CPA; Tourism Director Donna Abbott. In 1957 the town's whole professional staff was a clerk who told the councilmen privately that a bond issue was needed to get Ocean City out of the hole.
Terry McGeanRick MeehanDavid L. RecorGuy R. Ayres III
Source · checked 2026-09-02
2014
Eighty-eight documents and about 4.48 million characters, with a police chief, an emergency services director and a tourism director all named in the record
Mayor Richard W. Meehan; Council President Lloyd Martin; Council Member Dennis Dare; Council Members Mary Knight, Michael James; City Manager David Recor; City Solicitor Guy Ayres; Police Chief Ross Buzzuro; Emergency Services Director Joe Theobald; Tourism Director Donna Abbott. The largest annual volume in the corpus, and still one source.
Rick MeehanRoss C. BuzzuroDavid L. RecorGuy R. Ayres III
Source · checked 2026-09-02
2014 · 2014-02-10
Two taxi companies asked the Police Commission to raise the metered rate from $2.20 to $3.00 a mile, the first change since 2010, and were told to come back with four years of costs
Police Commission minutes of 10 February 2014, item 3: "John Donahue of Nite Club Taxi and Charles Stooksbury of American Veterans Taxi requested the Police Commission's recommendation to increase the per mile rate from $2.20 per mile to $3.00 per mile. The current rate has been in existence since 2010. The per mile rate is split 50/50 between company and taxi driver. The taxi driver must pay for their own gas out of this rate. Gas prices about the same as in 2010; however, cost of living has risen since 2010. Owners supply vehicles and advertising. Present cost is $9.80 for the first 3 miles - includes loading charge + $2.20 per mile. Average fare length in Ocean City is approximately 25 blocks, which is less than 2 miles." Councilman Dare and Mayor Meehan moved to have the two owners "analyze their costs over the past four years and return to the March Police Commission meeting"; the commission "believes it might be time for some sort of increase, preferably an incremental increase." When Donahue returned on 10 March the ask had grown to $3.71 a mile and the loading charge was itemised at $3.20; the commission sent the question to the full council.
Source · checked 2026-09-10
2014 · 2014-08-18
Asked to move a street performer from in front of the Plim Plaza, the mayor reminded the council that the ACLU had taken the town to court over performers twice and won both times
Regular meeting of 18 August 2014, Comments from the Public: "Joe Moore asked the Council to consider the position of the street performer in front of the Plim Plaza on 2nd Street. Council Member Joe Mitrecic moved to refer this matter to Police Chief Ross Buzzuro; seconded by Council Member Pillas. The vote was 6-1 with Dare opposed." Under Comments from the Mayor and City Council: "Mayor Rick Meehan advised that the street performer issue has been addressed on numerous occasions. The Town was challenged by the ACLU in Court and the Town lost both cases. He stated that he is committed to resolving the issues caused by certain performers."
Source · checked 2026-09-10
2014 · 2014-08-26
By 4-3 the council told staff to confine smoking on the beach and Boardwalk to designated areas from 1 May 2015, the first vote in the town's beach-smoking ban
Work session of 26 August 2014, New Business item C, 2015 No Smoking Proposal presented by the Planning and Community Development Assistant Director and Planner: "Council Member Joe Mitrecic moved to instruct staff to implement restricted smoking areas on the beach and boardwalk effective May 1, 2015 and requested that staff prepare a map of designated smoking areas for further review and discussion; seconded by Council Member Dare. The vote was 4-3 with Council Members Pillas, Ashley and Knight in opposition." The question had been coming for months: on 24 March "Council Member Brent Ashley said the Council needs to address the smoke free beach issue", and on 7 April "Brian Demler said he is opposed to banning smoking on the beach." The ordinance itself came the following January, after the election had replaced two of the three dissenters.
Source · checked 2026-09-10
2015
From 2015 the IQM2 packets include every attachment: 1,541 files retrieved for the year, of which 336 are actual session records carrying about 8.29 million characters
The year and every year after it must be triaged by filtering to documents whose opening pages are a session record. Mayor Richard W. Meehan; Council President Lloyd Martin; Council Secretary Mary Knight; Council Members Doug Cymek, Dennis Dare, Tony DeLuca, Wayne Hartman, Matt James; City Manager David L. Recor, ICMA-CM; City Solicitor Guy Ayres; City Clerk Diana Chavis; City Engineer Terence McGean; Public Works Director Hal Adkins; Finance Administrator Martha Bennett. The corpus's problem has inverted since 1934: the difficulty is no longer that nothing survives but that too much does.
Terry McGeanRick MeehanDavid L. RecorGuy R. Ayres IIIHal AdkinsDiana Chavis
Source · checked 2026-09-02
2015 · 2015-01-20
Charter buses got year-round permitting on a unanimous vote, taken from a Tourism Commission recommendation in the same minute as a decision to send welcome letters to the new state legislators
Regular meeting of 20 January 2015. Council Secretary Knight reviewed the Tourism Commission minutes of 12 January 2015, from which two recommendations were carried: "Council Member Cymek moved to accept the Tourism Commission's recommendation to provide year-round permitting for Charter Buses; seconded by Council Member Hartman. The vote was unanimous"; and "Council Member James moved [to] accept the Tourism Commission's recommendation to send Welcome Letters to the new State Legislators; seconded by Council Member Dare. The vote was unanimous." A town whose season is its subject extends a permit to the whole year without comment, and in the same breath introduces itself to Annapolis.
Source · checked 2026-09-04
2015 · 2015-03-16
The council let a Sunday church service be held under the Springfest tent with its $250 space fee waived, then voted 4-1 to deny a Christian music hour at Sunfest after the city solicitor raised the separation of church and state
Regular meeting of 16 March 2015, Miscellaneous Reports item C, "Private Event Approval Request for Sunday Morning Church Service at Springfest - May 10, 2015". Two motions were taken on the one application. First: "Council Member Cymek moved to allow the Sunday Morning Church Service from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. [sic], under the Springfest tent, and, waive the $250.00 space fee; seconded by Council Member DeLuca. The vote was 5-0 with Council Members Hartman and James absent." Second: "Council Member Dare moved to deny the Christian Music Event at Sunfest, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; seconded by Council Member Knight. The vote was 4-1 with Council Member Cymek opposed. City Solicitor Guy Ayres expressed concern about the separation of church and state." The same evening's consent agenda carried a three-year approval for the Easter Sunday Sunrise Service through 16 April 2017, and the Transportation Committee's recommendation "to grant the OC Baptist Church twenty parking spaces at the 1st Street Parking Lot from 8:00 a.m. to noon on Sunday beginning Easter" was accepted 5-0.
Source · checked 2026-09-10
2015 · 2015-03-16
The city clerk told the council that the 2015 beach equipment franchise auction had brought in $48,000 less than the year before, with the 51st-53rd Street parcel drawing a single $125 bid against a $500 minimum
Comments from the Mayor and City Council, regular meeting of 16 March 2015: Council Member Dare "asked the City Clerk about the resulting revenue in the beach equipment parcel business. City Clerk Kelly Allmond advised that this year's auction resulted in a $48,000 decrease in revenues." The mid-beach bids opened on 10 March show the market: Patrice Murrell, 11th Street $1,563, 20th Street $721, 51st-53rd Streets $125; Will Edmunds, Caroline Street $655; Jonathan Layton, 6th Street $2,001, 82nd-84th Streets $1,001; Patrick McLaughlin, 6th Street $2,650, 11th Street $677, 82nd-84th Streets $787. The award on 16 March gave 82nd-84th to Layton, Caroline Street to Edmunds, 6th and 11th to McLaughlin and 20th to Murrell, rejected "the 51st, 52nd and 53rd Street bid for falling short of the $500.00 minimum", and left that parcel and the 63rd-65th, 69th-71st and 79th-81st Street parcels, "which received no bids", open. On 14 April three of them went for the $500 minimum apiece; 63rd-65th stayed open.
Source · checked 2026-09-10
2015 · 2015-04-20
The White Marlin Open was granted 30 feet of parking on Jacqueline Avenue and 14th Street, plus 15 feet more on the west side, for the week of 31 July to 7 August 2015, by a traffic regulation the Motskos had asked the Police Commission for
Regular meeting of 20 April 2015, City Solicitor item D: "Ratification of Traffic Regulation 2015-01 - Grants permission for the White Marlin Open to use 30 feet of parking along Jacqueline Avenue, 30 feet of parking along 14th Street and an additional 15 feet on west side of Jacqueline Avenue from Friday July 31, 2015 through Saturday, August 7, 2015. RESULT: ADOPTED [UNANIMOUS]." The request had come through the Police Commission of 15 April: "Sasha Motsko and James Motsko came before the Police Commission to request the use of parking spaces along Jacqueline Avenue and 14th Street during the White Marlin Open July 31 through August 7, 2015. Council Member Dare made a MOTION and Commission Chairperson Cymek SECONDED to approve this request and move the request to the full City Council on Monday, April 20, 2015 in the form of Traffic Regulation 2015-001." Two months earlier James Motsko had won, 3-2, a conditional use to put "one (1) ground-mounted small wind turbine" on a residential lot.
Source · checked 2026-09-10
2016 · 2016-08-30
Arguing for a tax differential, the council secretary told the county's consultant that fewer than 300 of Worcester County's 6,600 public-school students came from Ocean City while the town's taxpayers funded 59 per cent of the county budget
At the work session of 30 August 2016 Ed Donahue of Municipal Financial Services Group presented the tax differential report, recommending "a $0.269 tax differential on the County tax rate of $0.770 resulting in a $0.687 County tax rate for Ocean City." The clerk recorded: "Council Secretary Knight noted Ocean City taxpayers fund 59% of the Worcester County budget. The $79 million dollar County school system was not considered in this study and should be included. Less than 300 Ocean City students of 6,600 attend Worcester County schools. Mr. Donahue stated the school system was not included in the study since it is available to Ocean City. Council Member Dare agreed the study should include the school system." Commissioner Mitrecic's quarterly report of 20 June had put the county's Board of Education budget at $81,193,802 within a $188,872,655 county budget, and said "Ocean City gets 6% back from County; other areas get up to 67% return." On 29 November the mayor reported a letter to the County Commissioners requesting a tax differential for the FY18 budget.
Source · checked 2026-09-10
2016 · 2016-11-10
In the November 2016 municipal election Rick Meehan was returned as mayor unopposed with 1,894 votes, newcomer John Gehrig Jr. topped the council poll with 2,026, and Doug Cymek lost his seat after eight years
At the organizational meeting of 10 November 2016 Board of Supervisors of Elections member Jamie Albright certified the results: "For Mayor: Rick Meehan 1894. For Council: Douglas S. Cymek 1175; Dennis W. Dare 1355; Tony DeLuca 1496; John Gehrig, Jr. 2026; Mary Knight 1310." Five candidates had stood for four seats (the list approved 17 October showed Meehan "running unopposed"). Worcester County Clerk of Circuit Court Susan Braniecki swore in Meehan, Dare, DeLuca, Gehrig and Knight; Lloyd Martin was re-elected Council President without opposition, and Mary Knight Council Secretary after Gehrig's nomination of Matt James "died due to lack of second." The council "thanked Doug Cymek for eight years of dedicated service." Election Day bus service to the polls was free, and 938 riders took it. Worcester County Commissioner Joe Mitrecic led the prayer and pledge.
Source · checked 2026-09-10
2019 · 2019-04-30
Seven months after Hurricane Florence spoiled the 2018 Bikefest the council gave the promoter $24,000 of tourism money for the lost revenue, over Dennis Dare's objection that the town was not the event's insurance company
Work Session of 30 April 2019, New Business A: the Tourism Advisory Board chair requested four grants, the fourth "$24,000 to Bikefest to supplement 2018 event loss of revenue due to Hurricane Florence. Funds are available in the Tourism Department's FY19 budget. Council Member Dare did not support the Bikefest request, noting it is the event holder's responsibility to obtain insurance that would cover costs associated with unexpectedly needing to cancel rather than relying on the town as its insurance company." John Medlin had spoken against it in public comment. The motion to approve all four proposals - the others were $3,000 for a wheelchair lacrosse tournament, up to $20,000 of flooring rental for convention-centre basketball and $8,000 for the Kings of the Mat wrestling tournament - carried. The 2019 OC Bikefest, with 2020 and 2021 date holds, passed on consent on 20 May for 12-15 September.
Source · checked 2026-09-10
2020 · 2020-10-19
Life-Saving Station Museum curator Sandra Hurley retired in October 2020 after 39 years, the longest of five Keys to the City the mayor handed to retiring employees that year
First item of the regular meeting of 19 October 2020, the first held back in the council chambers since March: "Retirement Recognition of Museum Curator Sandra Hurley. Mayor Meehan presented a proclamation and Key to the City to Ocean City Life-Saving Museum Curator Sandra Hurly recognizing 39 years of dedicated service." The clerk spells the name both ways. The same proclamation-and-key went that year to Electronic Services Manager Bob Dimaio for 25 years (28 April), Fire/EMS Deputy Chief David Hartley for 28 years (12 May), and on 15 December to Police Records Management Supervisor Michelle Monico for 22 years and Property/Evidence Technician Mary Marshall for 35. On 2 November the departing Council Member Dennis Dare "shared thoughts about 38 years of public service."
Source · checked 2026-09-10
2023
Terence J. McGean, PE became City Manager — the second engineer to make that move after Dennis Dare in 1990
McGean had reported the Public Safety Building's leaks after Irene in 2011 and measured the boardwalk against the seawall in 1993. Dare had been City Engineer through the entire beach fight before taking the manager's chair. In a town whose central problems are sand, water and elevation, the person who understands the infrastructure keeps becoming the person who runs it. Three hundred and ninety-one session documents, about 8.69 million characters, filtered from 1,603 packet files covering 104 meetings; City Clerk Diana Chavis, MMC.
Source · checked 2026-09-02
2024 · 2024-10-09
The council refused to certify Leslie Smith as a 2024 council candidate after the town's short-term-rental compliance contractor and Airbnb showed her Ocean City address rented out for more than sixty nights
At the Special Meeting of 9 October 2024 called to accept the municipal election candidates, Dennis Dare in public comment "shared concerns about the domicile of council applicant Leslie Smith who is known to reside in Bishopville." Eight other candidates were approved unanimously one by one - Peter Buas and Rick Meehan for Mayor; Tony DeLuca, Tony DeSanctis, John Gehrig, Denis Jenkins, George Leukel, Jake Mitrecic and Larry Yates for Council. For Mrs. Smith "a public hearing commenced to further review domicile requirements." She "accompanied by legal counsel Joe Moore, provided sworn testimony as to her primary residence," and Moore produced an Affidavit of Domicile for the Convention Center Drive address. "Council President James referenced reports from Deckard Technologies and Airbnb labeled for the record as Exhibit A with Subparts 1-6. These reports reflected the rental of the Ocean City property over 60 nights which posed questions as to the intent of primary residence." The motion to approve her "as qualified pursuant to Charter Section 407" was defeated 2 to 3 (James, Knight and Savage against; DeLuca abstaining). Deckard Technologies was the firm the council had hired on 13 February 2024 for $159,000 a year to find unlicensed short-term rentals; eight months later its data was used to keep a candidate off the ballot.
Source · checked 2026-09-11