Five Things to Know About City Council's Thursday Agenda

City Council has a full agenda for its public meeting 7 p.m. Thursday (Jan. 24) in the lecture room at the Ocean City Free Public Library, but here are five things that might be of special interest:

• City Council will vote on the first reading of "an Ordinance Amending Chapter XXV, Zoning and Land Development of the Revised General      Ordinance of the City of Ocean City, New Jersey (Height of Oceanfront R-1 & R-2 same as R-O-1 & R-O-2)." R-1 and R-2 represent residential one-family and residential two-family zones, while R-O-1 and R-O-2 cover residential oceanfront one-family and residential oceanfront two-family zones. (Check back later today for more detail when the city releases supporting documentation for the ordinance.)
• City Council will vote to spend $3.5 million and borrow $3.3 million for various improvements related to its capital improvement plan. (Check back for more detail.)
• City Council will vote to introduce and approve the 2013 budget of the Special Improvement District (the retail section of the Ocean City Boardwalk, the downtown section of Asbury Avenue and the gateway section of Ninth Street). The approximately $300,000 budget is funded by assessments on businesses in the districts (based on storefront footage), and goes to marketing, beautification and promoting special event and administrative costs.
• City Council will vote to advertise for bids on constructing an emergency sand berm to protect the south end.
• City Council will vote to go into executive session to discuss appointments to the Environmental Commission, Ethics Board and Utilities Advisory Commission.