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News Briefs 7/2/21

July 2, 2021
Dewey investment committee to meet

The Dewey Beach Investment Committee will meet at 5 p.m., Thursday, July 8, at the Lifesaving Station, 1 Dagsworthy Ave. Members will hear the town manager’s presentation of financial needs for the remainder of 2021 and planning for 2022, and discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the budget. Brown Advisory will provide a portfolio-review update, and members may vote on possible new investments. A joint workshop among budget and finance, audit, and investment committees will be discussed.

Dewey finance committee to meet

The Dewey Beach Budget and Finance Committee will meet virtually at 4 p.m., Friday, July 9. Members will review and discuss preliminary year-to-date budget performance, and discuss new revenue stream opportunities for the town. A link to the meeting will be available at townofdeweybeach.com.

Rehoboth Beach City Hall closed July 5

In observance of Independence Day, Rehoboth Beach City Hall, 229 Rehoboth Ave., will be closed Monday, July 5. Residential trash pickup will remain on the regular schedule. Visit cityofrehoboth.com for a trash collection calendar. For more information, contact the city communications department at 302-227-6181, Ext. 522 or communications@cityofrehoboth.com.

Henlopen Acres Town Hall closed July 5

In observance of Independence Day, Henlopen Acres Town Hall, 104 Tidewaters, will be closed Monday, July 5. For details, call 302-227-6411.

Delaware courts to lift emergency order

Delaware Courts will end the judicial emergency as of Tuesday, July 13, in a decision released June 29. Chief Justice Collins J. Seitz Jr. lifted the emergency order, while authorizing the judicial workforce to return to 100 percent staffing on July 6. Delaware Courts dropped its mask mandate July 1 for all fully vaccinated individuals, including both employees and visitors to state courthouses. Those who are not yet fully vaccinated or are immunocompromised must continue to wear masks in Delaware Courts facilities. Those who are simply more comfortable wearing a mask should continue to do so without any hesitancy, Seitz said.

Sussex council not meeting July 6

Sussex County Council will not meet Tuesday, July 6. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be at 10 a.m., Tuesday, July 13.

Lewes approves bathroom project

Lewes Mayor and City Council voted 4-1 June 29 to move forward with a project to construct ADA-compliant bathrooms off the city meeting room at the Rollins Community Center using city funds rather than federal money received through the American Rescue Plan Act. Although the project was eligible for the federal funds due to the Rollins Center being a key component to the city returning to in-person meetings coming out of the pandemic, city officials did not want to pay an additional $71,000 in prevailing wages, which is required for projects utilizing federal funds. The bathroom project was already included in the city’s budget for this fiscal year, with the winning bid coming in at $289,000. Additional engineering costs will bring the project to about $300,000 in total. Council considered whether to postpone the project due to current market conditions for construction materials, but determined the project was a priority and voted to move forward. Councilman Khalil Saliba was the lone vote against, as he did not think there was a problem using the federal funds. The city is set to receive $1.7 million over the next two years, and the money may only be spent on certain items. The new bathrooms at the Rollins Center are expected to be ready for use in October or November.

GA approves Lewes BPW charter changes 

The Delaware General Assembly has approved two changes to the charter of the Lewes Board of Public Works. The changes in SB 194 must be signed by Gov. John Carney before going into effect. The bill amends the BPW’s charter to provide the utility with the general authority to sue and be sued. It also clarifies that the BPW will need consent from Lewes Mayor and City Council before extending utilities to property outside Lewes city limits. The charter changes mark the end of a years-long dispute between the BPW and mayor and city council, as each group agreed to the changes after months of negotiations with Sen. Ernie Lopez, R-Lewes; Rep. Steve Smyk, R-Milton; and Speaker of the House Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach. 

Lewes City Hall, BPW offices closed July 5

The offices of Lewes City Hall and the Lewes Board of Public Works will be closed Monday, July 5, in observance of the Fourth of July holiday. The city’s trash and recycling service will be one day later than the normal schedule. 

SDARJ town hall set July 13

The Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice will present Meet the Underserved Communities of Sussex County at a virtual town hall meeting from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 13, via Zoom.

Many small, historically Black communities are not only unknown to the majority of county residents, but also often ignored by state and county governments. Yet, these off-the-beaten-path communities have persisted, and in many cases, thrived for generations. The evening program will feature a panel of community leaders who will share their history, challenges and accomplishments over the years. Bruce Wright from First State Community Action Agency will provide an overview of underserved communities in the county and discuss the Strong Communities Initiative that has been developed to assist them. Panelists Brenda Milbourne, Evelyn Wilson, and Loretta Benson will share their reflections on the communities they represent: West Rehoboth, Coverdale, and the New Hope and Old State Road areas of Ellendale. To register, go to sussexde.eventbrite.com or go to sdarj.org for details.

Republicans to host family picnic event

The Big Tent Event, a friends and family picnic hosted by Republicans for Sussex, will be held from 2 to 5 p.m., Sunday, July 11, at American Legion Post 28 pavilion, 31768 Legion Road, Millsboro. All are welcome to enjoy an old-fashioned picnic of hamburgers and hot dogs, sides, chips, ice cream and cold drinks, along with door prizes. A one-hour airplane ride for three over Sussex will be sold at auction. The cost is $20 per adult; children under 12 enter free. RSVP to R4sussex@gmail.com or call 302-945-2586.  

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