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News Briefs

July 5, 2013

Bond bill includes money for library, Troop 7

State lawmakers approved a $477 million capital budget for the fiscal year that began July 1. Senate Bill 145 includes about $196 million for transportation projects and another $103 million for school construction.

The bill – which passed the General Assembly June 30 – allocates $1.5 million for con­struction of a new Lewes Public Library. The capital budget also gives $500,000 to Delaware State Police Troop 7 in Lewes to build a new facility. The Bond Bill gave Troop 7 $1.6 million toward a new facility last year. At the time, Sgt. Paul Shavack said con­struction of the new building would not begin for up to five years.

In a July 2 email, Shavack said police are still in the preliminary planning stages of the project. When research is complete, he said, officials would begin searching for land on which to locate the new Troop 7.

Bill puts Delaware in line with Affordable Care Act

House Bill 162 brings the health insurance provisions of the Delaware Insurance Code into compliance with the federal Patient Protection and Afford­able Care Act.

The bill was approved in the House June 25 and passed the Senate in a vote of 12-9, June 30.

HB 162 amends the Delaware Insurance Code to require that dependents be covered until the age of 26 and requires coverage not be denied due to pre-existing conditions.

The bill also adds a provision to the code that prohibits insur­ance companies from imposing lifetime and annual limits on essential health benefits for poli­cies that begin after Jan. 1, 2014; for policies that begin prior to Jan. 1, 2014, the bill sets mini­mum limits insurance companies may impose for essential health benefits.

HB 162 adds several new provisions relating to individ­ual and group health insurance policies, including guaranteed availability of coverage, prohib­iting excessive waiting periods and prohibiting discrimination against healthcare providers.

Health insurance companies must ensure plans offer coverage for all essential health benefits, annual cost-sharing provisions do not exceed the limits imposed by the Affordable Care Act and offer child-only plans.

The bill prohibits discrimina­tion against participants based on health status and requires health promotion and disease prevention programs.

To read HB 162, go to legis.delaware.gov.

Rehoboth planners to decide Rodney Street partitioning

The Rehoboth Beach Planning Commission will hold a public hearing at 6:30 p.m., Friday, July 12, in the city commissioners’ room, on a partitioning applica­tion for 111 Rodney St.

Owners Jeffrey and Trina Va­rone are looking to divide their property into two lots: one lot will be 5,001 square feet, the other would be 5,000 square feet. Attorney Gene Lawson has requested the partitioning on behalf of the Varones.

The planners will continue discussion of the city’s tree or­dinance, including task reports from commission members, identify future research needs, plan a special workshop and de­velop an action plan to seek input from tree companies, builders, surveyors, insurance companies and the public.

Finally, the planners will begin discussion of a new task from the city commissioners to develop an ordinance regulating side-yard setbacks for properties larger than 50-by-100 feet. The com­mission will begin preliminary discussion, including talking with building inspector Terri Sullivan regarding the effect of increasing side-yard setbacks for properties with frontage greater than 50 feet and identify research needs.

NAACP Youth Council meets July 6

The monthly meeting of Low­er Sussex NAACP Youth Council 2719 will be held Saturday, July 6, at 10 a.m. in the Milton Public Library. Everyone is invited to join the young activists of the the Lower Sussex NAACP Youth Council 2719 as they host a Proj­ect H.E.L.P. Chronic Disease Prevention Workshop at the Milton Public Library at 11 a.m., July 6.

Cape tax rate stays unchanged

Cape Henlopen school board took the recommendation of a financial committee and voted June 27 to keep the tax rate the same.

Director of Business Op­erations Oliver Gumbs had recommended reducing the tax rate by three cents, but the Citizens’ Budget Oversight Committee later recommended keeping the tax rate the same because of a pending building referendum. “For three cents, let’s leave it the same,” said Her­man Rotsch, committee co-chair.

Decreases in the tuition and match tax rate are offset by an increase in the debt service rate under the 2014 tax rate.

Milton police ad hoc committee to meet

Milton’s recently formed ad hoc committee to explore the needs of the police depart­ment will meet at 6:30 p.m., Monday, July 8, at the Milton Public Library. The group will discuss the objectives and goals of the committee as well as patrol schedules. For more information, call town hall at 302-684-4110.

Milton Finance Committee to meet

The Milton Finance Com­mittee will meet at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 9, at the Milton Public Library. The group will discuss the fiscal year 2014 bud­get schedule, recommended policies and administrative and code department preliminary proposals. Officials will also take a first look at the public works department’s proposed budget. For more information, call town hall at 302-684-4110.

Milton changes business license penalties

Milton Town Council unani­mously voted to approve an ordinance amending town code regarding penalties for violating the town’s business license ordi­nance. The penalty for violation was changed from no less than $100 and no more than $300 to a minimum fine of $50 and maxi­mum fine of $99. The move was made to prevent a violator from transferring the matter from the Justice of the Peace Court to the Court of Common Pleas, which would result in increased costs to the town for prosecution. For more information, call town hall at 302-684-4110.

Rehoboth board tasks planners with study

The Rehoboth Beach com­missioners unanimously tasked the planning commission with researching and developing an ordinance to change the side­yard setback regulations for lots greater than 50-by-100 feet.

The task comes after the plan­ners raised concern that massive homes were being built on lots larger than standard size using the same regulations as 50-by-100 foot lots. The commission has proposed proportional side­yard setbacks for larger lots that would create more open space on the lot.

In its research, the commission will review cur­rent ordinances, review the effectiveness of existing setback regulations and consider ef­fective methods of protecting neighborhood streetscapes.

Rehoboth retains real estate tax rate

The Rehoboth Beach commis­sioners unanimously approved keeping the existing real estate tax rate of $1.78 per $100 of as­sessed value. The city last raised the rate in 2011 from $1.55 per $100 to the current $1.78 per hundred.

County council awards grants to nonprofits

Sussex County Council award­ed the following councilmanic grants during its June 25 meet­ing: $1,000 to March of Dimes Delaware for The Farmer and the Chef South event and $1,000 to River Soccer Club for tourna­ment expenses. Council presents grants to nonprofit agencies staging events or providing ser­vices to county residents.

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