News Briefs

Milton Personnel Committee to meet

The Milton Personnel Committee will meet at 4:45 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 8, at the Milton Public Library. The group will continue to review the town’s personnel policies. For more information, call town hall at 302-684-4110.

Sussex wins financial award for 11th year

Sussex County has earned high marks again from an international group of financial experts, getting notice for the 11th consecutive year for outstanding auditing and budgeting practices.

The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada, based in Chicago, recently awarded the county its Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the 2012 comprehensive annual financial report.  The award is among the highest forms of recognition for governmental accounting and financial reporting. For the first time, staff completed the report, saving the county $30,000, said Finance Director Gina Jennings.

Milton economic committee to meet

The Milton Economic Development Committee will meet at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 8, at the WBOC Conference Room at 1 The Square. The group is set to discuss the status of the Sustainability Pop-Up Art Show and the Delaware Economic Development Office’s Pop Up Program. Also on the agenda are a discussion of a business recruitment workshop, a facade improvement project and a billboard advertising proposal. To see the full agenda, go to milton.delaware.gov or call 302-684-4110.

Bird knocks out power to half of Lewes

An act of nature caused a power outage affecting half the City of Lewes when a bird flew into a substation lightning arrestor.

Darrin Gordon, Lewes Board of Public Works general manager, said the bird’s flight ended around 4 p.m., July 24, when it was electrocuted after coming in contact with 69,000 volts. A BPW repair crew went quickly to the Schley Avenue substation, and power was back on after a 23-minute outage, Gordon said.

Rehoboth election board to meet Aug. 9

The Rehoboth Beach Board of Elections will meet at 8:30 a.m., Friday, Aug. 9, in the city commissioners’ room to declare commissioner candidates Toni Sharp and Stan Mills elected to three-year terms. Sharp and Mills ran unopposed and will be officially sworn in at the Friday, Sept. 20 meeting.

Dewey agrees to delay Ruddertowne move

At its July 19 meeting, Dewey Beach Town Council unanimously agreed to delay moving Town Hall into the Ruddertowne complex. An agreement between Ruddertowne developer Dewey Beach Enterprises and the town obligates the developer to provide at least 3,000 square feet of first-floor space for town use.

Town Manager Marc Appelbaum told council the first phase of construction is nearly complete, but DBE plans to include designated town space in the next phase of construction. The developer can offer temporary space in the first phase of construction or pay the town $20 per square foot, or $5,000 a month, for each month until a certificate of occupancy is issued for the next construction phase, Appelbaum said.  “I do not like the prospect of being in a temporary space, then moving one to two years later,” he said in a letter to council. They agreed to take the monthly compensation and wait to move into Ruddertowne until the next phase of construction is complete.  They also directed Appelbaum to explore temporary space outside of the town hall building on Rodney Avenue.