QUARTERLY OPEN TOWN MEETING
The Quarterly Open Town Meeting was held on February 2, 1998 at 7:00 p.m. with Mayor Hutchison presiding. Members present were Council President Christiansen, Mr. Lambert, Mr. Pitts, Mr. Leary, Mr. Truitt, Mrs. Malone, Mr. Salters and Mr. Weller. Mr. Carey was absent. Staff members present were Major Hirt, Mr. O’Connor, Mr. DePrima and Mrs. Boaman.
The invocation was offered by Councilman Reuben Salters, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
AGENDA ADDITIONS/DELETIONS
Mr. Leary moved for approval of the agenda, seconded by Mrs. Malone and unanimously carried.
Mayor Hutchison stated that this meeting will provide an opportunity for the various committees and organizations associated with the City of Dover to share their goals and objectives with members of Council and with the public.
OVERVIEW OF DIRECTION OF CITY OF DOVER
James R. O’Connor - City Manager
City Manager, James R. O’Connor, gave a brief overview of improvements made during the past year. Continued improvement to our infrastructure was one of the City’s goals for 1997. There has been significant growth in the City and surrounding area which impacts our infrastructure. Mr. O’Connor stated that several improvements have been made, including completion of the North Loop water main. This project tied the water mains from Route #13 to McKee Road to Kenton Road. This provides a complete loop for the water system on the north end of Dover. The needed improvements to Whiteoak Road are ongoing which also includes improvements to the Towne Point/Whiteoak Lift Station. The improvements to the lift station will improve and increase the capacity in this area of Dover. In addition to the roadway improvements, a new 16" water line is being installed that will extend down Whiteoak Road and across Route #13. This will provide the fifth and largest connection between the east and west sides of Dover.
During 1997, efforts were made to improve the reliability of our electric distribution system. The efforts resulted in an improvement of approximately 87%, which has substantially reduced incidences of outages. The increased reliability is the direct result of improvements to substations and upgrading of our monitoring systems.
Major roadway improvements are on-going, with improvement costs in excess of $2 million. Most of the funding for these improvements was provided by our local legislators. DelDOT has resurfaced a portion of Route #13 and more resurfacing is planned during the next year. It is anticipated that Scarborough Road will be under construction by spring. Signalization of Walker and College Roads with Kenton Road, as well as the required widening of the roadway, is currently underway.
A goal outlined by Mayor and Council to improve our computer systems is also being met. A contract has been signed with HTE to provide software to tie all City departments to the AS400 system. The combined billing for water/sewer and electric has gone well and we are currently including monthly informational statements with the utility bills. This has provided an excellent opportunity for the City to communicate with its customers.
There were no increases in taxes or fees during the past year and there was an overall reduction in the total number of employees, yet the City continues to expand its level of service to its citizens.
Anthony DePrima, City Planner
Mr. Anthony DePrima, City Planner, stated that 1997 was a year of growth for the City of Dover and actually exceeded our predictions for the year. During the past year, the Planning Commission approved in excess of 500,000 sq. ft. of new floor area for non-residential developments, which is a 23% increase over 1996. Retail development dominated the increase in non-residential development. Another area of increased development is the area of public and institutional uses, with over 160,000 sq. ft. of projects in this category.
Continued growth in the retail sector and public and institutional sectors indicates that Dover will be a dominate urban center on the Delmarva Peninsula. One area that has not shown active growth is the area of housing. During 1997, there were no new subdivision approvals and no new apartment complexes built. However, work continued through the conceptual stages for two major housing developments (John Hunn Brown Tract and the Village of Cannon Mills). The two housing developments will bring 840 units to Dover but they have not yet gone through the Planning Commission process.
There has been an increase in senior housing and Mr. DePrima predicts that the City will continue to see this growth during 1998. One transitional facility (a 100 bed facility) was approved last year and he predicts the approval of at least two more similar facilities during 1998.
The three other indicators reviewed when looking at growth are (1) value of construction, (2) the number of business licenses issued, and (3) the number of certificates of occupancies issued. During 1997, over $52 million of value of construction was claimed on building permits. This is an increase of 51% over the values of 1996. With respect to certificates of occupancy, Mr. DePrima stated that the total of 234 new housing units is very close to the number issued in 1996, which reflects his earlier comments that housing is remaining flat. Business licenses increased by only 3%, but this remains a steady growth area in the City.
Referring to housing, Mr. DePrima reminded Council that Dover experienced a housing boom during the 1960's and 1970's. As these homes begin to age, required maintenance increases. The City’s housing and property maintenance program experienced a 15% increase in the number of inspections performed.
The Community Development Block Grant Program launched a home ownership program which entices citizens to purchase and invest in older homes. Over 50 individuals signed up to participate in a workshop on this new program.
During 1997, the Inspections and Planning Department continued implementation of the recommendations of the Comprehensive Plan, completed the Housing and Community Development Plan, the Bikeway Plan, completed the amendments to the C-2 zone, expanded the Historic District, and developed a Senior Housing Zone. For the next two years, they hope to continue implementation of the Comprehensive Plan recommendations and to develop a Route #13 corridor plan to enhance the appearance and effectiveness of Route #13. They plan to continue work on development of new street standards to bring more flexibility and sensitivity to our street building requirements. Lastly, they plan to work on the annexation and boundary plan, in cooperation with Kent County, and to work with the County on the location of agricultural districts around the City and the protection of Silver Lake.
Robbins Hose Company
In the absence of Fire Chief Carleton E. Carey, Jr., a report on the Robbins Hose Company was presented by Council President Christiansen. The Robbins Hose Company is entering the 116th year of volunteer service to the City of Dover and its surrounding area and is the only all volunteer fire department in the nation to serve a state capitol. The volunteers answered 864 calls for help during 1997. Fires at the Woodmill apartment complex in January and the Ice Plant in August taxed the skills and training of their firefighters. During the Woodmill fire, 75 firefighters responded to the alarm at 10:56 a.m. and the fire was under control within 20 minutes. At the Ice Plant fire, 98 firefighters persevered for 26 hours, working rotating shifts, along with the help of our neighboring fire companies, to bring the stubborn fire under control.
The Robbins Hose Company continues to grow with the City as well as their membership and continued enthusiasm and dedication. For the year 1998, they are planning vigorous recruitment programs to bolster the number of trained firefighters available. A joint recruitment effort with neighboring fire companies is planned for each of the high schools within their respective fire districts. Intensive training on fire and heavy rescue techniques such as confined space, high angle trench, and ice and vehicle rescues are planned. Their very successful fire prevention program taught fire safety tips and prevention to over 3,500 children this year. This program has been expanded to include over 500 adults. The Robbins Hose Company has recently purchased two new pieces of fire apparatus into service (1997 Pierce 2,000 gallon per minute pumper and a 1997 Pierce custom heavy duty rescue truck).
The members of the Robbins Hose Company relay their appreciation to Mayor, Council and the City Manager for their continued partnership in the quest to make our City a safe and beautiful place to live. Council President Christiansen relayed his appreciation to the members of the Robbins Hose Company and their families for their continued dedication to our City.
Mayor Hutchison and members of Council joined Council President Christiansen in relaying appreciation to the Robbins Hose Company volunteers and their families.
BRIEFING BY VARIOUS CITY ORGANIZATIONS
Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce
Mr. Allen S. Hedgecock, Executive Vice President of the Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce, addressed members of Council relative to recent actions of the Chamber and their goals for 1998. Mr. Hedgecock reminded Council that many of the Chamber’s goals and projects coincide with those of the Central Delaware Economic Council and Kent County Tourism.
The Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce has approximately 800 members. The Chamber serves most of Kent County and they are the largest business organization south of the canal. One of the new initiatives they are working on is a strategic plan for the City of Dover and Kent County, consisting of five units of priority, which are based on what they feel are the necessities needed to make our community a better place to live. They are as follows:
► education
► transportation
► military
► recreation
► drug awareness
Some of the issues being pursued are an interchange at S.R. 1/Route #8. They are supporting the Kent County General Aviation Airport to be chosen by DelDOT, in conjunction with Delaware State University. This would allow DSU to bring their flight program back from New Castle County to Kent County.
They continue to support the construction of a civic center. Dover Air Force Base is one of the Chamber’s highest priorities and they work very closely with the Base on many projects. The Chamber maintains membership on many local organizations and stays very active with legislative issues.
Central Delaware Economic Development Council
Mr. Dan Wolfensberger, Director of the Central Delaware Economic Development Council, addressed the changes taking place in Kent County. Mr. Wolfensberger distributed a handout outlining economic data from 1986 to 1996, which outlines:
Population increase of approximately 16%
Labor force (persons employed) increase of approximately 68%
Number of businesses increased by approximately 19%
Per capita income increase of approximately 60%
Mr. Wolfensberger stated that in 1986 the largest employer was government. In 1996, the largest employer was wholesale/retail which dovetails with information given by the City Planner relative to the large increase in retail construction. He outlined many other businesses that have shown significant growth during the past few years.
The Central Delaware Economic Development Council will continue to vigorously promote the City of Dover and Kent County as a location for new and expanding businesses.
Downtown Dover Development Corporation
Mrs. Gigi Windley, Vice-President of the Downtown Dover Development Corporation, was present representing the Corporation in the absence of its President, Mr. Gary Patterson. She relayed the appreciation of the Corporation members to members of Council for their patience and their wisdom in understanding the long term nature of redevelopment. The Corporation spent the first few years of its existence planting the seeds for redevelopment and attempting to create the environment desperately needed for the redevelopment of downtown. They feel that they have been successful due in part to the very strong public/private partnership that the City has extended to the business community.
The Corporation is now starting to see results from their past efforts. They have created financial incentives such as the historic district tax credits and the 21st Century Grant funds which were significant in moving along the agenda of the Corporation. The Corporation, along with the City Planner, strategically planned the best use of the available monies. They targeted the West end of Dover, the north end and the Capitol Theater side of town. Grants have been given to the Capitol Theater ($45,000 last year with a matching fund requirement and $25,000 in the second round of grants). On the west end of Dover, we are beginning to see much needed improvements, especially with the proposed plans of Mr. Duncan for the Hartnett property. In addition, the Ice Plant is now targeted for redevelopment as a Charter School. These improvements will make a significant difference in the downtown area, especially in the west end of Loockerman Street which is the focal point when entering downtown from the western side of Dover.
Mrs. Windley stated that the Corporation works very closely with Main Street Dover and most recently have begun to build alliances at the State level. They now have representatives of the State at most of their meetings which will assist in efforts that require the coordinated efforts of the State and City.
As to the future, the DDDC will continue to target specific projects and areas for 21st Century grant monies and will work to support what has already been invested in downtown Dover.
D/FD Operating Services, LLC
Mr. George Wackerhagen, Vice President and General Manager of D/FD Operating Services, expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to address members of Council. Mr. Wackerhagen reminded Council that last year he relayed that for the upcoming year they would focus on:
► safety
► generation of power aggressively with the City’s generating unit when economically
feasible
► purchase of power aggressively when it is economical feasible
► efficiency of the units
► availability of the plant and reducing the down time of the plant to be effective and readily available
Mr. Wackerhagen reported that during the past year they actually purchased a substantially greater amount of energy on the open market compared to the amount of energy generated from our plants. This was an economical decision but they stand ready on a moment’s notice to be online with their own generation systems. They believe they are a future player in the energy market on the Delmarva Peninsula and in the Mid-Atlantic area.
Mr. Wackerhagen reported that a merger has been completed with Duke Power Company, Duke Louie Dreyfus and Pan Energy, and the company is now known as Duke Energy Company. This is a $23 billion corporation and is the largest energy company in the United States. The City of Dover and its generating facilities will be featured in the Duke Energy Annual Report.
The electric industry is de-regulating. The Delaware Legislature will soon be reviewing a report from the Public Service Commission which makes a recommendation about the retail energy market in the State of Delaware. When total de-regulation comes about, Duke Energy is prepared to move forward under the new guidelines.
They continue to work on upgrades and maintenance at the plant which is very important with a plant of this age. Mr. Wackerhagen stated that in addition to maintenance and upgrades of the unit, they also spent a substantial amount of money to replace the roof on the plant.
In terms of employees, Duke Energy has directed much of their resources towards employee training, which they believe is the best way to meet the competition of the future. They have a new labor agreement with the IBEW which extended the period from one year to the end of their operating contract in 2001.
Duke Energy feels strongly about its involvement in the community and it has channeled its involvement in the community through the United Way organization. He reported that the Kent County organizations raised in excess of $700,000. The 35 employees at the McKee Run Plant raised $11,188.50 which equates to nearly $320 per employee. They are very proud of their employees for their very active support of the United Way organization.
As they look to the future, they have additional improvements planned and plan to continue their work on development of their team. As the industry de-regulates, they will face many challenges but Mr. Wackerhagen stated that he is convinced that they are prepared to meet these challenges.
Mr. Glenn Mahon asked Mr. Wackerhagen how often the safety valves on the steam generating units are tested. Mr. Wackerhagen stated that the insurance company is required by the State to test the units and they are tested as required.
Greater Dover Committee
Mrs. Lynn Appel, Administrative Assistant to the Greater Dover Committee, addressed Mayor and Council. She informed members that the Greater Dover Committee is a dues funded, non-profit organization, consisting of a group of business and professional leaders who’s members are the Chief Executive Officers or senior members of their firms. Their stated purpose is to help identify opportunities in this community, find sound solutions for problems and encourage efforts to make the community a vital and progressive center. To these ends, the Committee seeks to cooperate with and assist government authorities and other private organizations to provide the best quality of life for its citizens.
Projects that the Committee has been involved with during the past year include the initiation of the recycling projects in Dover, sponsored debates for local elections, and contributed the founding money for the at-risk program for the Capital School District. One of their larger projects is the Greater Dover Community Fund which is funded by Committee dollars with matching funds from other organizations. Over the past few years, the Committee has funneled back into the community, through grants for local groups, approximately $30,000.
Their most recent project, which she has been very involved with, is First Night Dover which is a community oriented, non-alcoholic New Year’s Eve celebration. This program has been very successful and has brought thousands of people to downtown for the event. Mrs. Appel stated that the volunteer support from the community to make First Night successful has been overwhelming.
Mayor Hutchison relayed his strong support for the First Night program and conveyed his continued support to the Greater Dover Committee in continuing this event in the City of Dover.
Kent County Levy Court
Mr. Ron Smith was present representing Kent County Levy Court. Mr. Smith relayed that the County has selected the site and construction has begun for the new Emergency Services building. It will be located behind the Winner Ford facility, adjacent to DelDOT property. The cost for the project is approximately $1.8 million and occupancy is expected for late summer.
During 1997, Levy Court was able to lower property taxes which is beneficial to the residents of the City as well as to those outside the City limits. They expanded the library user fees and with the Dover Library representing approximately 70% of the use in Kent County, the City received the vast majority of those funds. This provided approximately $100,000 additional funding for the library. Although they have not yet begun work on their new budget, no tax increase is anticipated for this year.
The need for communication and cooperation between all levels of government becomes more important as the population in both the City and the County continues to increase. One area that all the major metropolitan governments are involved with is the County sewer system. The County just hired a new Engineer and plan to see continued improvements in their system.
In the area of planning and zoning, there has been a lot of discussion at the state level as to how planning and zoning should be administered. Mr. Smith stated that while there may be a need for overview of statewide planning and zoning, it is the County’s position that planning and zoning should be handled at the local level as much as possible.
Kent County Levy Court recently updated many of their zoning documents and they are currently working on an Intergovernmental Coordination Zone which would cover areas of one mile outside of the major metropolitan areas where local governmental would be asked for input and in some cases could cause denial of the requested zoning. This would permit local government to participate in zoning issues for parcels that are located in close proximity to their incorporated limits. There is a reciprocal provision where the County would be given the same level of participation on zoning issues within one mile of the City’s boundary lines.
Mr. Smith stated his feeling that there has been excellent communication and cooperation between Kent County and the City of Dover and he offered his future assistance.
Asked by Mr. Weller if the County has taken a position on the proposed work release center being proposed by the State, Mr. Smith stated that Kent County Levy Court has taken no position on this matter to date.
Kent County Tourism and Visitors Bureau
Ms. Mary Skelton, Executive Director of Kent County Tourism and Visitors Bureau, addressed Mayor and Council. She relayed that the objective of the Kent County Tourism and Visitors Bureau is to bring visitors to our area which is done by promoting Dover and Kent County. This is accomplished in many ways, including advertising, promotions, special events, etc. Ms. Skelton read into the record an upcoming editorial in a local newspaper which outlines in detail the importance of tourism as an industry. Travel and tourism is a multi-billion dollar annual enterprise that provides employment for millions and a form of income to many cities, counties and states. A national survey indicates that travelers spent $467 billion last year, all within the United States. This equates to $888,000 spent every minute.
Ms. Linda Graham, General Manager, informed Council that most visitors come to Kent County because of friends and relatives, travel from approximately 90 miles away, and their income average is between $30,000 and $49,000 (with 50% of our tourists having an average annual income in excess of $50,000). Of those that have visited Kent County, 96% reported that they were satisfied with their visit.
Kent County Tourism is an organization that is on the move. They are constantly striving to do more with as little funding as possible. This next year, they plan to increase the public’s awareness of what they do, including local and state officials. Their long term goals include developing Dover into a destination, support of a civic center, and work on commuter transportation to the area.
As a tourism organization, they spend the majority of their time on marketing. They are working on a new brochure and have started a sports marketing counsel. They plan to work with organizations to bring events to Dover and making sure that once they get here, they are properly accommodated. In addition to any new events, they plan to continue expansion of current events such as Old Dover Days, Thunder in Dover, Firemen’s Convention, etc. Events such as this can be expanded to include multiple days of events, which encourages visitors to stay in our hotels, eat in our restaurants, shop at our stores, etc. Ms. Graham assured members of Council that Kent County Tourism will continue to work very hard to bring visitors to our community.
Mayor Hutchison thanked all present for sharing information on their organizations with the City of Dover and relayed the continued support of the Mayor, Council and City staff.
Mr. Weller moved to adjourn, seconded by Mrs. Malone and unanimously carried.
Meeting Adjourned at 8:25 P.M.
DEBRAH J. BOAMAN
CITY CLERK
JAMES L. HUTCHISON
MAYOR
/DJB