New rules on Ocean City boardwalk

 Street performers on Ocean City’s boardwalk will now have to play by a new set of rules.

Monday Ocean City  city council unanimously voted to pass three new ordinances for Ocean City performers, with the hope it will decongest the boardwalk and make it more enjoyable for all who inhabit it.

“I think it’s really to create a balance on the boardwalk to create an atmosphere where the street performers and the businesses and the pedestrians can all work together and can all live together up there and really make it a better place for everybody,” said Ocean City mayor Rick Meehan.

The new ordinances will forbid street performers from performing past 1 a.m., using props over 5 ft. and require performers to sign up each week and weekend at city hall to reserve their spots.

“I believe it’s each week for the following week if I’m not mistaken. I believe it’s you sign up on Monday and that permit is good until Thursday and then Thursday you sign up for the weekend and that’s good until Monday,” said Ocean City boardwalk musician Alex W. Young.

Boardwalk musicians tell 47 ABC, the ordinance that bothers them the most is the 1 a.m. curfew. Musicians said that the ordinance is unfair because shops and restaurants are allowed to play their music past 2 a.m.. 

“I even brought up the point today I said I’d like to keep in mind that the bars themselves are open till 230 am and the bands play till 2 am they completely ignored that,” Young said.

Meehan however viewed that as a non – factor.

“I’m not sure there’s that many stores on the boardwalk that are open past 1 am in the morning I really don’t see that as an issue because crowds really begin to dwindle after midnight,” Meehan said.

City officials view the new ordinances as a step in the right path, performers view them as an attack on their first amendment rights.

“It bans a wide selection of free speech. It’s not narrowly tailored it’s not to a target it’s just broad and over encompassing,” said Ocean City performer Mark Chase.

Despite the restrictions the new ordinances bring — boardwalk performers say they are resilient and will adapt.