OC council votes to pass smoking ban
OCEAN CITY -- The Ocean City council voted to pass an ordinance to ban smoking at some parks and playgrounds in town.
Officials also plan to draw up an ordinance that would give new town hires and existing employees a third choice in post-employment health care coverage.
If Mayor Rick Meehan signs the smoking ban into law, people found smoking at listed locations would face a maximum fine of $500 and immediate removal from the park. The new rule would be the first town-mandated restriction on outdoor smoking within resort limits.
According to the ordinance, smoking would be banned at Ocean Bowl Skate Park, the Ocean City
Tennis Center on 61st Street and the tennis courts on Third Street. Smoking would also be prohibited at and near the playgrounds at Bayside, Robin, Little Salisbury, Northside, Gorman and North Surf parks.
It would still be allowed in other areas of the parks, for the time being, something Councilman Joe Hall said he would like to see changed eventually.
Council members Brent Ashley, Doug Cymek and Lloyd Martin opposed the ban. Ashley said he understood the reasoning behind the ordinance, but was against a government mandate that prevents personal choice.
"You can't mandate common sense," Ashley said.
The third health benefit choice is a high-deductible insurance plan with health savings accounts funded by the town that would become available for employees hired after July 1 of this year.
The new hires could choose between the present PPO or HMO choices until Jan. 1, when they can opt into the third choice and the town begins funding the savings accounts.
Funds put into the accounts by the town would belong to the employee, and could be used on medical care upon retirement, when the employee could continue to receive the high-deductible benefits.
The funds could also be used to pay for medical expenses during employment, until the employee meets his or her annual deductible.
However, if those funds are used, the account would be depleted upon retirement, leaving them with high deductibles and less income. The town would stop funding the account when the employment was over.
Employees who chose one of the other two choices could do so with the knowledge those benefits would cease upon retirement. They could switch then to the high-deductible insurance, but wouldn't have the benefit of a stocked savings account.
President James Hall pointed out that employees who have higher-deductible insurance may be more prone to monitoring their health and keeping their bodies in shape.
"(A high deductible) might make me want to take better care of my health for the next 20 or 25 years," Hall said.
Kay Moran of Bolton Brothers has been advising the council on its options, and acknowledged that people tend to be more selective about emergency room trips and other nonessential medical issues when they're paying more money out of their own pocket for treatment.
Cymek, Martin and Mary Knight voted against the new option. Cymek said he wasn't happy with the level of benefits that would be offered to retirees.
"I've been in small business for 30-some years," he said. "I treasure my employees and their assets, and anyone who puts that amount of time in should be rewarded."
Cymek also felt the council didn't have all the information it needed to make a decision on benefits for new hires, and he wanted decisions to be made more comprehensively, a sentiment Meehan mirrored.
Meehan was worried about seeing the benefit discussions "piecemealed" between new hires and existing employees, he said, but spoke positively about the discussions.
"We're looking at all the available options, and I think that's important," he said.
smuska@dmg.gannett.com
410-213-9442, ext. 14
Officials also plan to draw up an ordinance that would give new town hires and existing employees a third choice in post-employment health care coverage.
If Mayor Rick Meehan signs the smoking ban into law, people found smoking at listed locations would face a maximum fine of $500 and immediate removal from the park. The new rule would be the first town-mandated restriction on outdoor smoking within resort limits.
According to the ordinance, smoking would be banned at Ocean Bowl Skate Park, the Ocean City
Tennis Center on 61st Street and the tennis courts on Third Street. Smoking would also be prohibited at and near the playgrounds at Bayside, Robin, Little Salisbury, Northside, Gorman and North Surf parks.
It would still be allowed in other areas of the parks, for the time being, something Councilman Joe Hall said he would like to see changed eventually.
Council members Brent Ashley, Doug Cymek and Lloyd Martin opposed the ban. Ashley said he understood the reasoning behind the ordinance, but was against a government mandate that prevents personal choice.
"You can't mandate common sense," Ashley said.
Health Plan
The third health benefit choice is a high-deductible insurance plan with health savings accounts funded by the town that would become available for employees hired after July 1 of this year.
The new hires could choose between the present PPO or HMO choices until Jan. 1, when they can opt into the third choice and the town begins funding the savings accounts.
Funds put into the accounts by the town would belong to the employee, and could be used on medical care upon retirement, when the employee could continue to receive the high-deductible benefits.
The funds could also be used to pay for medical expenses during employment, until the employee meets his or her annual deductible.
However, if those funds are used, the account would be depleted upon retirement, leaving them with high deductibles and less income. The town would stop funding the account when the employment was over.
Employees who chose one of the other two choices could do so with the knowledge those benefits would cease upon retirement. They could switch then to the high-deductible insurance, but wouldn't have the benefit of a stocked savings account.
President James Hall pointed out that employees who have higher-deductible insurance may be more prone to monitoring their health and keeping their bodies in shape.
"(A high deductible) might make me want to take better care of my health for the next 20 or 25 years," Hall said.
Kay Moran of Bolton Brothers has been advising the council on its options, and acknowledged that people tend to be more selective about emergency room trips and other nonessential medical issues when they're paying more money out of their own pocket for treatment.
Cymek, Martin and Mary Knight voted against the new option. Cymek said he wasn't happy with the level of benefits that would be offered to retirees.
"I've been in small business for 30-some years," he said. "I treasure my employees and their assets, and anyone who puts that amount of time in should be rewarded."
Cymek also felt the council didn't have all the information it needed to make a decision on benefits for new hires, and he wanted decisions to be made more comprehensively, a sentiment Meehan mirrored.
Meehan was worried about seeing the benefit discussions "piecemealed" between new hires and existing employees, he said, but spoke positively about the discussions.
"We're looking at all the available options, and I think that's important," he said.
smuska@dmg.gannett.com
410-213-9442, ext. 14
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