OCEAN CITY — Although a business has offered to provide a new scoreboard for Carey Stadium for free, the city isn’t waiting.
On Thursday afternoon during a special meeting to approve new ordinances on a curfew, Ocean City Council approved a contract for just less than $30,000 to buy and install a scoreboard to replace the aging one that has been limping along for years.
Mayor Jay Gillian explained the city won’t be wasting any money. “We’re not just being something temporary.”
“This is something that we need and if the other one comes, that’s great,” the mayor said. “We’ve done everything we can to keep (the current one) alive.”
He explained if the business comes through and donates a scoreboard for Carey Stadium, the new one would be moved to the Tennessee Avenue field. That scoreboard is aging as well.
The plan is to have it installed in time for the fall sports seasons at Ocean City High School.
The contract approved Thursday with Varsity Scoreboards of Murray, Ky., is for $29,288 to purchase and install the 24 foot by 8 foot football/soccer scoreboard.
According to the quote from Varsity Scoreboards, the scoreboard will have 26”, 20” and 15” LED digits with protecting shields, home/guest score, “To Go,” and “Ball On” and “Down” screens, a clock and horn. It also will have electronic team names and a conversion for soccer. The soccer will include “Penalty” and “Shots” screens.
The scoreboard at Carey Stadium between the high school and boardwalk has had operational problems for years and wasn’t working during the spring season. It was off during the Cape-Atlantic League championship lacrosse games, won by the Red Raider boys and girls.
Back in the fall, Gillian’s administration proposed installing a roughly $2 million high-tech, LED scoreboard with screens on both sides, one facing the bleachers in the stadium and the other facing the boardwalk. The proposal was made at the October meeting with plans to include it in the five-year capital plan.
The scoreboard would have be used for a multitude of events, including high school, youth sports, the Nor’easters soccer team, outside sporting events and non-sporting events such as graduations, concerts or even movie nights or Philadelphia Phillies watch parties, Ocean City Business Administrator Savastano said at the time.
“This is a substantial project and investment,” Savastano said, “on the order of $2 million.
The city later backed away from that proposal.
By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff