OCEAN CITY, Md. -- Town leaders are looking to up-the-ante when it comes to enforcing regulations for outdoor displays. Businesses that fail to follow the rules could have its license revoked or suspended.
Officials feel that in the past, certain businesses were venturing outside of what their permits allowed in terms of outdoor displays. The hope here is more sever repercussions will lead to those businesses falling back into line.
Racks of t-shirts, flip-flops, sunglasses or hats located in front of a business are commonplace on the Ocean City Boardwalk. Business owners tell us they can play a huge role in attracting customers inside.
"You can present your merchandise, but they definitely need to crackdown on it," said Jay Knerr, owner of The Kite Loft.
Knerr said each year he has to apply for a permit from the town, and it comes with a set of guidelines.
"We have to have setbacks so far, we're only allowed a certain amount of merchandise, we have to present the floor plan for what's going to be out there," said Knerr.
With such a large amount of businesses on the boardwalk though, there are bound to be a few rule breakers.
"Several merchants, not all of them, most of them comply," said Knerr. "But several of them want to go beyond that, they put out too much merchandise or they go beyond their setback limitations."
The problem is, the town's code did not allow for very serious enforcement in the past. Businesses would get a warning, and then a slew of fines, and eventually their permit could be taken away.
"But then there was nothing, no violation if you just had these displays with no permit at all," said City Manager Terry McGean.
A proposed ordinance aims to change that.
If passed, the town would be able to hand-out fines for a first time violation, versus a verbal warning. The number of violations that can take place before a permit is suspended would also be reduced.
Businesses displaying without a permit could be in jeopardy of having its license suspended or taken away.
Before any rule changes do take place, the mayor and city council will need to sign off.
