News Briefs 07/17/18

Bob Wheatley voted in as Sussex P&Z chairman
At its July 12 meeting, Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commissioner Bob Wheatley of Laurel was named chair and Commissioner Kim Hoey Stevenson of Lewes was voted in as vice chair. Wheatley has served on the commission since 1995, and Hoey Stevenson was appointed in 2017.

Henlopen Acres planners to meet
The Henlopen Acres Planning Commission has scheduled a meeting for 10 a.m., Friday, July 20, in town hall, 104 Tidewaters.
The agenda calls for an update on the comprehensive plan, and a discussion on traffic and speed limits. For more information, call 302-2276411. A full copy of the agenda can be found www.henlopenacres.delaware.gov.

Special Rehoboth meeting set July 20
The Rehoboth Beach Board of Commissioners has scheduled a special meeting for 1 p.m., Friday, July 20, in the commissioners room of city hall, 229 Rehoboth Ave. The agenda calls for a discussion of visions, goals and priorities as the board focuses on the city's path forward, the potential effects on the 2019-20 budget and the city's capital improvement plan. For more information, call 302-227-6181. A full copy of the agenda can be found at town hall or online at www.cityofrehoboth.civicweb.net.

Rehoboth board meeting set July 20
The Rehoboth Beach Board of Commissioners' monthly meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m., Friday, July 20, in the commissioners room of city hall, 229 Rehoboth Ave. The agenda calls for a permit of compliance hearing for a request by Rise Up Rehoboth LLC to operate a new restaurant with a patio to be known as Rise Up Coffee Roasters at 502 Rehoboth Ave.

The agenda also calls for a possible vote on the funding of Phase II of the wastewater treatment plant, a possible vote to approve installation of a fountain in the Garden of the Navigators and a possible vote to fund a consultant proposal for design of Grove Park canal access. For more information, call 302-227-6181. A full copy of the agenda can be found at town hall or online at www.cityofrehoboth.civicweb.net.

Dewey Town Council sets meeting, hearing
Dewey Beach Town Council will hold a meeting and public hearing at 5 p.m., Wednesday, July 25, at the Dewey Beach Lifesaving Station, 1 Dagsworthy Ave. The public hearing will be held on an ordinance to amend Chapter 185, Zoning, of town code relating to RB-1 and RB-3 resort business zoning districts and PR, PRB-1 and PRB-3 planned resort business zoning districts concerning relaxed bulk standards as recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commission. Council will discuss and possibly vote on the ordinance.

Dewey Infrastructure Committee to meet
The Dewey Beach Town Infrastructure Committee will meet at 5 p.m., Friday, July 27, at the Dewey Beach Lifesaving Station, 1 Dagsworthy Ave. Members will discuss and possibly vote to approve and forward to commissioners a memorandum regarding McKinley Avenue storm sewer outfalls.
Public comments will be also heard.

IR board lowers tax rate for 2019 fiscal year
The Indian River School District Board of Education approved a property tax rate of $3.067 per $100 of assessed value for fiscal year 2019 at its June 25 monthly meeting. The rate is 3 cents less than the 2018 fiscal year, and resulted from reductions to the debt service and tuition components of the overall tax rate.

The minor cap component increased slightly while the current expense component remained unchanged. Superintendent Mark Steele said this was the fourth time in five years the district has been able to decrease the overall tax rate and offer savings to property owners. Indian River currently has the lowest school property tax rate in Sussex County.

Holiday traffic totals 1.5 million on toll roads
Over the long holiday weekend from June 29 to July 4, more than 1.5 million vehicles passed through Delaware's three toll plazas: I-95, Newark, 571,452 vehicles; Route 1 Biddles Corner, 467,903 vehicles; and Route 1, Dover, 493,292 vehicles. More than 64 percent of motorists used E-ZPass to pay tolls. Traffic counts at the two Route 1 toll plazas showed average increases of more than 45,000 vehicles over last year.