JENNIFER: MEMORIAL DAY WILL BE HERE BEFORE WE KNOW IT.
MOST OF US PLAN A TRIP TO THE OCEAN.
WITH CORONAVIRUS IMPACTING OUR PLANS.
THE QUESTION IS WILL WE BE ABLE TO GO.
JOINING US BY SKYPE, OCEAN CITY MAYOR RICK MEEHAN.
THANKS FOR JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU, JENNIFER.
IT'S NICE TO TALK TO YOU.
JENNIFER: I TELL YOU WHAT.
YOU HAVE LAID OUT A WHOLE PLAN FOR REOPENING OCEAN CITY.
I'M GOING TO START WITH THE $6 MILLION QUESTION.
ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GO TO THE BEACH THIS SUMMER?
>> YES, YOU ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO.
WE'RE MOVING FOREVER WARD WITH PLANS TO REOPEN.
WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN CONSISTENCY IN OUR ABILITY TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY IS SAFE AND TO ADDRESS ALL THE PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS THAT WE'VE ALL EXPERIENCED WITH THIS COVID-19 VIRUS.
BUT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD IN THAT DIRECTION AND WE HOPE TO BE OPEN SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
JENNIFER: IT ALL STARTS WITH THE GOVERNOR LIFTING THE STAY-AT-HOME MANDATE RESTRICTIONS FOR SURE.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF WHAT MEMORIAL DAY MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
>> IT'S TIED TO THE STAY-AT-HOME ORDER AND ENTERING PHASE 1 OF THE MARYLAND ROAD MAP TO RECOVERY.
THAT WAS MENTIONED TO BE TAKING PLACE SOMETIME IN EARLY TO MID MAY.
WE'RE PLANNING ON THAT.
I HAVE A DECLARATION IN PLACE THAT HAS OUR BEACHES AND BOARD WALK CLOSED UNTIL MAY 15 OR SOONER IF THE GOVERNOR TAKES ADDITIONAL ACTION AND HAVING LODGING AND HOTELS OPEN BACK UP
ON MAY 22, IN TIME FOR MEMORIAL DA WEEKEND.
WE'RE MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION.
WE'RE HOPING THAT'S THE TIMETABLE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO KEEP, BUT THAT'S OUR GOAL.
JENNIFER: SO THAT WOULD BE STAGE 1.
BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT THE DETAILS OF STAGE 2, YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, EVERYTHING OPERATING AT FULL CAPACITY.
IT'S STILL GOING TO BE LIMITED.
>> NO, WE'RE NOT.
EVEN IN PHASE 1, THE STATE IS NOT AT THAT POINT REOPENING RESTAURANTS YET.
WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM CONSIDER LOOKING INTO OPENING UP OUTSIDE DINING AREAS WITH TAKEOUT CAPABILITIES, SOME THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
JUST SO WE CAN TAKE THAT NEXT STEP PROGRESSIVELY, MOVING FORWARD.
BUT AS FAR AS SOME OF THOSE OTHER ENTITIES, THOSE ARE REALLY STATE GUIDELINES THAT WE WILL HAVE TO FOLLOW.
SO WE'RE JUST WAITING TO FOLLOW THEIR ROAD MAP.
JENNIFER: STAGE 2 WOULD INVOLVE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF AN EXPANDED REOPENING OF SOME OF THE PLACES.
>> YES, IT WOULD.
AND THAT WILL COME AFTERWARDS.
OUR GOAL IS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH STAGE 1 OF OUR PLAN AND THE STATE'S PLAN.
REALLY URGE FOR COMPLIANCE, DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO CONTINUE PHYSICAL DISTANCING AND SOME OF THE OTHER MEASURES THAT HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE.
IT'S GOING TO BE INCUMBENT UPON US AND OUR VISITORS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY ADHERES TO THE RESTRICTIONS AND A NEW REGULATIONS SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO PROGRESS AND MOVE
FORWARD TO STAGE 2, THEN STAGE 3.
JENNIFER: ONCE STAGE 1 IS IN EFFECT, PROPERTY OWNERS CAN CHECK ON THEIR PROPERTIES AND START RENTING AGAIN.
IS THAT CORRECT?
>> ONCE WE MOVE FORWARD AND OPEN THE BEACH AND THE BOARD WALK AND THE STAY-AT-HOMED IS LIFTED, YES, PEOPLE WILL COME TO OCEAN CITY.
WE HAVE RENTALS STARTING ON MAY 22.
THAT COULD ALSO BE MOVED FORWARD AS WELL, DEPENDING UPON WHEN THE STAY-AT-HOME ORDER IS LIFTED.
>> HOW DO YOU ENVISION SENIOR WEEK HAPPENING, OR CAN IT EVEN HAPPEN AT ALL?
>> I DON'T REALLY KNOW.
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF UNKNOWNS WITH HOW THE SUMMER OF 2020 IS GOING TO PROGRESS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS, EVEN AS WE BEGIN TO OPEN UP EARLY ON AND OPEN BEACHES AND BOARD WALK, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE HAVING ACTIVITIES, TRANSPORTATION IS GOING TO BE LIMITED.
THERE ARE GOING TO BE REQUIREMENTS TO RIDE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
NOT ALL RESTAURANTS WILL BE OPEN.
SO IT'S GOING TO BE UP TO EVERYBODY INDIVIDUALLY TO MAKE A COUPLE OF DETERMINATIONS.
NUMBER ONE, IS IT TIME FOR THEM TO TRAVEL PERSONALLY.
NUMBER TWO, WHEN THEY DO TRAVEL WHAT TYPE OF ACTIVITIES ARE REGOING TO PARTICIPATE IN.
SO, REALLY, A LOT OF DECISIONS WILL FALL BACK ON INDIVIDUALS.
JENNIFER: THEN BEFORE WE LET YOU GO WHAT ABOUT STAFFING IN TERMS OF LIFEGUARDS AND THEN HIRING FOR THE SUMMER?
NORMALLY, YOU GUYS ARE KNEE-DEEP IN THAT RIGHT NOW.
YOU'RE NOT HONESTLY GOING TO NEED THE STAFF YOU WOULD NORMALLY.
>> WE ARE DOWN IN SOME OF OUR STAFFING, BUT LIFEGUARDS ISN'T ONE OF THOSE LEVELS.
WE DO PLAN TO HAVE THE SAME NUMBER OF LIFEGUARDS IN THE STANDS ON MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND THIS WE HAD MEMORIAL DAY OF 2019 SO WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MEET THOSE PUBLIC SAFETY
REQUIREMENTS.
WE HAVE A FEW LESS SEASONAL POLICE OFFICERS AND PUBLIC SAFETY AIDES BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF ABILITY TO TRAIN.
BUT I THINK WE'RE IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE BECAUSE AS WE MOVE FORWARD HERE AND TRANSITION INTO THE SUMMER, THE CROWDS ARE GOING TO START OUT A LITTLE SMALLER, THEN BUILD AND HOPEFULLY BY THE TIME
THAT HAPPENS, WE'LL BE AT FULL CAPACITY OR CLOSE TO IT.
OR AT LEAST AT A LEVEL WE KNOW WE CAN MAINTAIN THE LEVELS OF PUBLIC SAFETY THAT I THINK EVERYBODY IS USED TO WHEN THEY VISIT OCEAN CITY.
NUMBER ONE, WE WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL SAFE WHEN THEY COME TO OCEAN CITY, TO BE SAFE WHILE THEY'RE HERE, AND TO RETURN HOME SAFELY.
THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN OUR GOAL AND THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE OUR GOAL.
JENNIFER: I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T ASK YOU THIS QUESTION.
WE'RE EXCITED TO GET BACK DOWN TO THE BEACH.
WHAT IF PEOPLE CAN'T BE TRUSTED TO MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCE.
HAVE YOU DONE TALKING WITH SOME OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNERS IN TERMS OF HOW TO REALLY CONTROL THAT?
>> YOU KNOW, SO MUCH OF THAT IS VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE.
BUT WE WILL BE PATROLLING THE BOARD WALK AND PATROLLING THE BEACHES AND THE OTHER THING I CAN TELL YOU, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN OCEAN CITY HAS BEEN MEET ASKING GONE TO GREAT
LENGTHS TO PUT TOGETHER PROCEDURES THAT THEY'RE GOING TO FOLLOW, NOTIFICATION PROCESSES THAT THEY'RE GOING TO USE.
THIS IS A TOTAL TEAM EFFORT.
I THINK WE ALL REALIZE HOW SERIOUS THIS VIRUS IS, AND WE ALL WANT TO GET BACK TO SOME SENSE OF NORMAL.
BUT WE'RE ALL GOING TO HAVE TO PLAY A ROLE IN THAT, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO RELY UPON.
IF PEOPLE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION.
JENNIFER: ISN'T THAT RIGHT.
IF WE WANT TO GET BACK TO THE BEACH, WE HAVE TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR RICK MEEHAN.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
HOPE TO TALK