Five Things to Know From City Council's Meeting on Thursday

In the first City Council meeting after Hurricane Sandy struck Ocean City, much of the discussion was related to the storm cleanup and recovery efforts. But here are five other actions that might be of interest:

• City Council voted to advertise for bids to remove underground storage tanks and remediate pollution. The tanks are on the grounds of the vehicle maintenance facility on Haven Avenue between 10th and 11th streets. They have not been used for decades.
• City Council voted to support new recommended speed limits for the Route 52 causeway. The state is recommending changing the speed limit to 45 mph for vehicles heading out of town and to 45 mph for inbound vehicles (current speed limit is 40 mph) until they reach a point about one-third of a mile from Palen Avenue (somewhere on the new Ninth Street Bridge). At that point, the speed limit would decrease to 35 mph.
• City Council voted to extend the grace period for the quarterly taxes due Nov. 1. The vote authorized an extension to Nov. 20. 
• City Council voted to take advantage of low interest rates and combine bond issues (see attached PDF for details). The $9.9 million plan is a smaller version of a similar idea rejected by state earlier this year.
• City Council voted to authorize changes to a contract for a roof replacement at Peck's Beach Village. The changes are related to work that has already been competed at the Ocean City Housing Authority residences near Fourth Street and Haven Avenue.