I wanted to take a moment to respond to the many who, over the last few days, shared their concerns, suggestions and thoughts regarding the ongoing dispute between elected members of Lewes City Council and the Lewes Board of Public Works.
There is no need for me to provide a historical overview of this unfortunate and, in my eyes, unnecessary dispute. There are reams of taxpayer-funded court material which can provide that information. With that said, I do feel clarification is needed to explain the intentions of myself and my colleagues in the Delaware General Assembly who wish to mediate an equitable resolution to the dispute. Let me be clear: no legislative action will take place prior to the end of the 2020 session of the Delaware General Assembly June 30, which will have a real or perceived negative impact on the duly elected members of either the Lewes Board of Public Works or the Lewes City Council.
In light of the inability to compromise between the two bodies and the ever-growing taxpayer cost toward litigation, Speaker of the House Peter Schwartzkopf, Rep. Steve Smyk and I have offered to convene both sides in order to begin what we hope can be meaningful dialogue toward reconciliation. This decision should not be perceived as anything other than it is: a step forward toward open, meaningful and substantive dialogue between two duly elected bodies of a constituency we all share. For anyone to assume otherwise is lamentable, as at no time have the three of us, individually or collectively, wished to see severed what has been a beautifully beneficial and historic 100-year relationship for the citizens of Lewes.
In closing, it is certainly obvious that the dispute between the members of Lewes City Council and the Lewes Board of Public Works has reached a nadir, and this troubles us greatly as we know these elected officials as exemplary public servants, dear friends and neighbors.
While our invitation for convening this conversation remains open and the pursuit toward a reasonable and agreed-upon compromise the goal, the purpose of this letter was to provide sunshine in regard to our intentions, which I hope are now more clearly understood.
Dr. Ernesto B. López
Senator, District 6
Lewes
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