OCEAN CITY, Md. — The Ocean City Mayor and Council will meet Tuesday to discuss whether to ask state lawmakers to amend a bill that could allow bars and restaurants in town to sell alcohol to-go during special events.
The legislation would allow the Worcester County Board of License Commissioners to issue a special permit to establishments that already hold liquor licenses. This permit would let customers take beer, wine, or spirits outside the business during designated events. As written, the bill would apply to all Worcester County towns, including Ocean City.
The Ocean City council is considering requesting that the bill apply only to towns outside the corporate limits of Ocean City, citing concerns about the city’s large-scale events. With festivals such as the St. Patrick’s Parade, OC BikeFest, Cruisin’ Ocean City, and the Air Show drawing thousands of visitors, the council is concerned that to-go alcohol could make it harder to control open containers, prevent underage drinking, and manage public safety.
The council will discuss the issue during its meeting Tuesday.
Tune into CoastTV News at 5 and 6 p.m. for further developments.