News Briefs 7/15/22
Lewes annexation group meeting July 15
The Lewes Planning Commission Annexation Subcommittee will meet at 11 a.m., Friday, July 15, at City Hall, to discuss and review annexation zones.
Find the full agenda and a meeting link at lewes.civicweb.net.
Lewes Parks & Rec to meet July 18
The Lewes Parks and Recreation Commission will meet at 6:30 p.m., Monday, July 18, at the Rollins Center.
The agenda includes continuing discussion of lawn and landscaping maintenance contract specifications in response to concerns about current services.
Find the full agenda and a meeting link at lewes.civicweb.net.
Lewes tree ordinance group meeting July 18
The Lewes Planning Commission Tree Ordinance Subcommittee will meet at 5 p.m., Monday, July 18, at the Rollins Center.
Committee members will discuss existing tree ordinances and options for the city; the public is encouraged to attend.
Find the full agenda and a meeting link at lewes.civicweb.net.
Lewes approves minor subdivision
During its July 11 meeting, Lewes Mayor and City Council approved the creation of one new parcel of land with a residual parcel, for a minor subdivision at 111 New Road.
A 10,000-square-foot minimum lot size is required to create a minor subdivision of the property; however, 111 New Road was granted a variance to have one lot of 9,342 square feet with access off University Drive, along with the residual 10,000-square-foot lot containing the house.
Pilottown Road BPW work to begin July 18
Lewes Board of Public Works General Manager Austin Calaman said mill and overlay work will begin July 18 on Pilottown Road from New Road to the old Lewes Dairy property. Pending weather conditions, he said, he expects completion by July 23.
Mill and overlay is the final construction step in that area.
Special Rehoboth meeting July 19
Rehoboth Beach commissioners will hold a special meeting at 9 a.m., Tuesday, July 19, in the commissioners room of city hall, 229 Rehoboth Ave. The agenda calls for discussion and consideration of individual candidates’ qualifications for employment as Rehoboth Beach city manager. The agenda says there could be an executive session.
A full agenda, meeting materials and a livestream are accessible at cityofrehoboth.civicweb.net. Only in-person attendees may make comments. For more information, contact the city at 302-227-6181 or information@cityofrehoboth.com.
Sussex council not meeting July 19
Sussex County Council will not meet Tuesday, July 19. The next regularly scheduled meeting is at 10 a.m., Tuesday, July 26, in the county administration building, 2 The Circle, Georgetown.
Coastal airport runway needs repairs
The Delaware Coastal Airport's main runway was constructed out of concrete slabs by the federal government in 1942. Several layers of hot-mix asphalt ranging in thickness from 5 to 8 inches have been added over the years, including during a project in 2013.
Now, sections of the concrete base are starting to deteriorate. During Sussex County Council's July 12 meeting, assistant county engineer Mark Parker said staff is concerned that areas of crumbling concrete they have found are indicative of other areas on the runway. “We need a more comprehensive assessment of the entire runway pavement,” he said.
Council voted 4-0 to award a contract to Delta Airport Consultants not to exceed $125,000 for an assessment, which will include options for repairs and estimates of cost.
Parker said the assessment should be completed by late fall, and he will return to report results to council.
No Delaware Electric Coop election
There will be no election for Delaware Electric Cooperative board members this year, as three candidates are running unopposed. Charles Towles Jr. of Smyrna, Patricia Dorey of Millsboro and Thomas Brown of Seaford were nominated by petition pursuant to the co-op’s bylaws. The trio will join the board at the Delaware Electric Cooperative Annual Meeting at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 16, at the Delaware State Fairgrounds. The business meeting will be held in the Dover building.
DEC considers 18% rate increase
Delaware Electric Cooperative’s board of directors is considering an 18% increase to rates to take effect in September. The proposed change would increase the rate from $0.023 per kilowatt-hour to $0.046814 per kilowatt-hour. The change to an average member’s monthly bill would be $24. The last increase occurred in February 2022, when rates increased 8%. A public hearing will be held at 5 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 18, in the Dover Building at Delaware State Fairgrounds in Harrington. Members will also be able to watch the meeting virtually. According to information on the co-op’s website, record inflation continues to result in steep increases in the cost to produce power. The cost shocks have been made worse by the war in Ukraine, as the U.S. is shipping record amounts of liquefied natural gas to Europe to wean the continent off Russian energy sources.
RD20 Democrats to meet July 21
The Delaware 20th Representative District Democratic Committee will meet virtually at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, July 21.
Campaign updates will be provided by candidates Stell Parker Selby, House District 20; and Jack Bucchioni and Russ Huxtable, Senate District 6.
There will also be an update on changes to Delaware’s voting process, including mail-in voting.
Any registered Delaware Democrat may participate in RD20’s committee meeting. Non-committee people must register by emailing rd20.deldems@gmail.com with their legal name and street address for verification.
For more information, go to rd20deldems.com or find Delaware’s 20th RD Democratic Committee & Friends Group on Facebook.
The RD20 committee is the local Democratic Party organization for Sussex County residents in Lewes, Milton, Belltown, Pinetown and Nassau, and sections of Harbeson and Georgetown.
Food distribution slated for July 18
The Food Bank of Delaware will host a drive-thru food distribution event at 10 a.m., Monday, July 18, at Crossroad Community Church, 20684 State Forest Road, Georgetown. Participants should make sure their trunks or back seats are cleared out so volunteers can load food.
Advance registration is requested for faster check-in, but on-site registration will also be available. Service will be first-come, first-served, and assistance is limited to one per household. Recipients must bring proof that they live in Delaware, such as a state-issued ID, utility bill or Delaware SNAP benefits card. To register in advance, go to Jul18Sussex.eventbrite.com.
RD41 Dems to hold virtual caucus July 21
The Representative District 41 Democratic Committee will hold a virtual caucus at 7 p.m., Thursday, July 21, via Zoom, to elect new committee members following the recent redistricting.
Any registered Democrat residing in RD41 may participate in the election, and a business meeting to elect new RD41 officers will immediately follow.
Nominees for committee membership must be registered Democrats residing in RD41 for at least one year before the caucus date and attend the caucus. Elected committee members will serve until the first quarter of 2025; they are expected to attend meetings and party functions, and perform other tasks and duties as local party leaders.
Preregistration is required; contact Mary Anderson by emailing eppa@mchsi.com or texting 302-542-7188 for meeting details and to register.
