News Briefs

Rehoboth board to meet March 21

The Rehoboth Beach commis­sioners will meet at 7 p.m., Friday, March 21, in the city commission­ers’ room to consider awarding a contract for a fire hydrant and isolation valve inspection and maintenance project.

The commissioners will also consider adopting the 2014-15 city budget and adopting a reso­lution establishing a deferred compensation plan for full-time city employees.

Rehoboth streets committee to meet

The Rehoboth Beach Streets and Transportation Commit­tee will meet at 9 a.m., Monday, March 24, in the city commis­sioners’ room. Among the issues the com­mittee will discuss are street markings for Surf Avenue, the city’s bicycle parking map, snow removal on downtown sidewalks, bike racks at the entrances to shopping lanes, changes to the scooter permit program and a proposal to require flashing lights on bicycles.

Other topics include the city’s skateboard policy, discouraging bike riders from using Columbia Avenue and the proposed Break­water Trail head on Rehoboth Avenue.

Rehoboth board to hear two cases March 24

The Rehoboth Beach Board of Adjustment will hear two cases at its regular meeting, 7 p.m., Monday, March 24, in the city commissioners’ room

In the first case, owners Laura Davis, trustee of the Harris Liv­ing Trust, is appealing a building inspector’s decision and, in the event the appeal is successful, requesting a variance for prop­erty at 46 Maryland Ave. Davis’s attorney, David Hutt, is arguing two lots owned by Davis are separately titled but are merged and require partitioning. The variance request is to allow one of the lots to be a minimum of 4,973 square feet with 49.75 feet of street frontage, less than the 5,000 square feet and 50 feet of frontage the city normally requires.

The second case is a variance request by attorney Douglas Marshall on behalf of James Clubbs, owner of 315 Stockley St. Marshall is requesting a .5 foot variance from the 6-foot side yard setback requirement on the west side of the property.

Rehoboth planners set subdivision hearing

The Rehoboth Beach Plan­ning Commission unanimously approved on March 14 moving to a public hearing on a minor subdivision application for prop­erty at 114 and 118 St. Lawrence St. and 113 Lake Dr. Charles and Kathleen Bailey and David and Suzanne Rowland own the prop­erties. The Baileys own 118 St. Lawrence St.; the Rowlands own 113 Lake Drive, and both couples own 114 St. Lawrence St. The properties would be divided into three lots: one lot would be 6,920 square feet, the second lot 5,025 square feet and the third lot 11,279 square feet. Building inspector Terri Sullivan said the buildings on the properties would be demolished.

A date for the public hearing was not set.

FOIA presentation at Sussex council meeting

Sussex County Council will meet at 10 a.m., Tuesday, March 25, in the county administra­tion building on The Circle in Georgetown. Included on the agenda is a presentation by the Delaware Attorney General’s Office on the Freedom of Infor­mation Act. Four public hearings are scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. See a complete agenda at sussexcountyde.gov.

Sussex staff filling in for vacated position

Sussex administration staff – including Administrator Todd Lawson, Deputy Administrator Hal Godwin and Communica­tions Director Chip Guy – are temporarily running the county’s economic development office following the resignation of Di­rector Julie Wheatley on Feb. 28. “We will cover as long as we have to,” Lawson told council at the March 18 meeting. “We will develop a path forward to fill the position as soon as possible.” Councilman Vance Phillips, R-Laurel, suggested that the path might include discussions with the Sussex County Economic Development Action Commit­tee to create a private-public partnership that might save the county money.

Lewes council meeting rescheduled

The Lewes Mayor and City Council meeting originally scheduled for March 17 was moved to Tuesday, March 25, due to the latest winter storm. The 2013 Elaine Bisbee Award will be given to an outstanding city em­ployee who displays dedication to Lewes. Council will also vote on the possible enactment of a moratorium on special excep­tions in the marine-commercial district. A discussion will be held regarding a policy to sell or lease public land under the jurisdic­tion of the city. To view the full agenda, go to ci.lewes.de.us.

Scientists to address Inland Bays water quality at March 28 meeting in Lewes

Three presentations related to water quality trends, nutrient monitoring and water quality modeling in the Inland Bays and Sussex County will be given at the Delaware Center for the In­land Bays Science and Technical Advisory Committee meeting Friday, March 28, from 9 a.m. to noon, at the Department of Natu­ral Resources and Environmental Control Lewes Field Station, 901 Pilottown Road in Lewes. The public is invited to attend.

DNREC scientist Hassan Mir­sajadi will present Updates on Water Quality Condition of the Inland Bays focusing on trends in nutrient concentrations and loads, and offering an overview of several management actions and their effect on water quality. Dr. Damian Brady of the University of Maine School of Marine Sciences will speak about Water Quality Modeling in Dela­ware’s Inland Bays: Where Have We Been and Where Should We Go?

Brady will discuss the results of a CIB-funded project to assess the model and the data used to calculate the current Total Maxi­mum Daily Load levels for the Inland Bays. Dr. James Glancey of the University of Delaware will present his work on the Evaluation and Enhancements of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Model for Predicting the Impact of the Poultry Industry on Water Quality.

Presentations from past STAC meetings can be viewed at www.inlandbays.org.