Five Things to Know From Thursday's Council Meeting

City Council approved a $344,000 budget for Ocean City's Special Improvement Districts at a public meeting on Thursday, but here are five other things from the meeting that might be of interest:

• SKATE PARK: City Council heard a succession of people speak in support of Mayor Jay Gillian's plan to rebuild a skate park in Ocean City. "We're really not bad people," seventh-grader Ricky Harding said of the skate crowd. Gillian on Friday announced plans to rebuild a skateboard park that closed in 2011. He said the administration will recommend a site near the shuffleboard courts off the boardwalk between Fifth and Sixth streets. But on Thursday, Business Administrator Mike Dattilo said the administration is "not locked in on a recommended site." Councilman Mike Allegretto said council members will meet with the administration to learn more about existing plans for the park and to come up with a plan to include public feedback.
• NORTH-END PUMPING STATION: City Council voted to approve design work for a pumping station that would improve "nuisance flooding" in an area bordered by Second and Eighth streets, West Avenue and the bay. The design is one step in a process that could see the Federal Emergency Management Agency fund $5 million of an $8 million project.
• 15TH STREET PLAYGROUND: City Council voted to advertise for bids on replacing the playground equipment and play surface at the 15th Street playground. The request also calls for replacing the basketball courts and adding a portable bathroom building.
• NINTH STREET BIKE CROSSING: City Council voted to advertise for bids on a user-activated crossing signal that will allow bicyclists to cross Ninth Street at Aldrich Road — along the route of the safe-cycling corridor under development from end-to-end of the island. The signal would be coordinated with the full traffic signal at the nearby intersection of West Avenue.
• LAWSUITS AGAINST THE CITY: City Council went into closed executive session to discuss the following lawsuits: Petrozzi, et als. v. Ocean City; Myers v. Ocean City Zoning Board of Adjustment and City of Ocean City; McCracken v. Ocean City, et als (related to Ocean City Beach Patrol).;Petnick v. Ocean City, et als.; Fox Chase Bank v. Ocean City v. Terra Technical, LLC, and Anticipated Litigation regarding Eminent Domain actions to acquire beach lots.