Five Things to Know About Thursday's Council Meeting

City Council on Thursday passed another round of zoning relief for homeowners rebuilding after Superstorm Sandy and dramatically increased fines on trucks taking shortcuts through neighborhoods, but here are five other things from the meeting that might be of interest:

• South End Sand: Astronomical high tides over the past five days have eroded sand over the length of Ocean City, Business Administrator Mike Dattilo reported to City Council. But officials from the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and federal Army Corps of Engineers will be in town next week for a meeting related to design specifications for an approved but unscheduled south-end beach replenishment project between 34th and 59th streets. Dattilo has no confirmation but said he remains hopeful (based on various interactions with the two agencies) that the project will be completed before summer 2014.
• 29th Street Surfing Beach: A new surfing beach at 29th Street will remain open to surfers only on weekdays. Traditionally a beach for launching catamarans, the potentially dangerous mix led to a call to eliminate surfing altogether. But because weekdays see few sailors, the city will experiment with the Monday-to-Friday surfing schedule, Dattilo reported.
• Tax Bills: City Council approved the extension of the grace period for tax payments to Aug. 20, and all tax bills are now in the mail. Because of fluctuating property tax assessments based on an internal reassessment effort and on tax appeals, the tax burden is shifting. Dattilo said 8,100 property owners will see a property tax decrease from 2012-2013, and 9,600 will see an increase.
• Gary Pasternak: "A great father and a great citizen" is how Councilman Mike DeVlieger described Gary Pasternak, who died while kayaking last weekend in the ocean off 21st Street. DeVlieger offered his condolences to the Pasternak family.
• Utility Advisory Commission: City Council passed the first reading of an ordinance that assigns fewer members and fewer meetings to the Utility Advisory Commission and asks the Commission to interact with new utilities, such as Internet service providers. The second reading is scheduled for Aug. 8. At the suggestion of DeVlieger, representative to the Utility Advisory Commission, City Council voted to table a resolution to oppose the proposed closing of Comcast's customer-service office in Ocean City. DeVlieger suggested the Commission and city should have more time to work with Comcast before taking the action.