News Briefs

Sharp, Mills to take oath of office

Rehoboth Beach commissioners Stan Mills and Toni Sharp will take the oath of office at 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 20, in the city commissioners’ room and begin three-year terms.

Mills and Sharp ran unopposed this year after former Commissioner Pat Coluzzi decided not to seek re-election. Mills is entering his third term in office, while Sharp begins her first.

The commissioners will also elect officers for the next year: Commissioner Bill Sargent – vice mayor, Commissioner Lorraine Zellers – secretary, Ann Womack – assistant secretary, Priscilla Smith – treasurer and Paula Simpson – assistant treasurer.

The commissioners will adopt a resolution setting a public  hearing on a proposed ordinance that would increase the side- yard setbacks for lots larger than 50-by-100 feet in residential districts.

Ordinances to be considered for adoption include amending the city code’s definitions of reckless, careless and inattentive driving and setting penalties for those offenses; clarifying and adding additional requirements regarding bicycle safety equipment; and raising the age for which a person must wear a helmet on a bicycle from 16 to 18, matching city code with state law.

Finally, the commissioners will award a contract for a new self-contained, trailer-mounted vacuum leaf collector and award a bid for street improvements on Surf Avenue.

Meetings set to discuss health care plan

A public meeting has been scheduled for 3 to 5 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 18, at Delaware Technical Community College-Owens Campus, Lecture Hall, Georgetown, to discuss Delaware’s State Health Care Innovation Plan, part of a public comment period that continues through Sept. 25. The meeting will cover background on the State Innovation Model, the context and the case for change, an overview of the plan, and question-and-answer sessions.

Milton to discuss off-street parking

The Milton Planning & Zoning Commission will meet at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 17, at the Milton Public Library. The group will discuss a policy establishing conditions by which the commission will grant off-street parking waivers. The item was referred to the commission by town council. For more information, call town hall at 302-684-4110.

Milton economic committee to meet

The Milton Economic Development Committee will meet at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 19, in the WBOC conference room. WBOC is located at 1 The Square near Cannery Village. The group is set to discuss fall and winter events, the committee’s budget and participation in a home-based business chamber of commerce entrepreneur expo. For more information, call town hall at 302-684-4110.

Sea level rise video featured at meeting

The Citizens Advisory Committee of the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays will meet at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19 at the CIB offices on Inlet Road in Delaware Seashore State Park to view a video and hear presentations on sea level rise.

Brenna Goggin, environmental advocate for the Delaware Nature Society, will introduce “Rising Tides: Delaware’s Response to Sea Level Rise” – produced in recognition of Delaware’s Sea Level Awareness Week running Sept. 14 to 22.

Also presenting will be Chuck Reed, a lead environmental scientist with Pepco Holdings Inc. He will give an overview of Pepco’s efforts to address climate change and sea level rise. Jeffrey A. Gebert, chief Coastal Planning Section with the Philadelphia District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will give a summary of the hydrological studies on the Indian River Inlet.

For more information, call Sally Boswell at 226-8105, email outreach@inlandbays.org or go to www.inlandbays.org.

Milton historic homes info to be updated

Beginning at 9:30 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 19, six to eight staff members and graduate assistants from the University of Delaware’s Center for Historic Architecture and Design will roam Milton’s historic district updating information for the National Register of Historic Places.

These students will work in groups of two and will need to access homeowners’ property in order to photograph and map all structures on the property. These individuals will be carrying University of Delaware identification and will make every effort to answer any questions residents may have.

A second site visit is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 3. A third visit, on a yet to be determined date in October or November, could be needed to complete this project.

Earlier this year, the Town of Milton received approval for a Certified Local Government grant from Delaware’s FY2013 Historic Preservation Fund allocation. The money will be used to update historic home data.

The first Cultural Resource Survey for Milton was completed by a group of citizens in 1980. This survey was amended in 1982 and submitted by the State Historic Preservation Office as the inventory and nomination for a Milton Historic District, to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places of the U.S. Department of the Interior. This designation was approved in 1982.

There are 198 properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form and within the town’s Historic District. A review of the data in the inventory indicates there may be some important information that is required to bring the nomination up to the current standards.

For more information, call town hall at 302-684-4110.