ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETING
The Annual Council Meeting was held on May 13, 1996 with Mayor Hutchison presiding. Council members present were Mr. Lambert, Mr. Tudor, Mr. Leary, Mr. Pitts, Mrs. Malone, Mr. Fenimore, Mr. Salters, Mr. Hare and Council President Christiansen.
Council staff members present were Chief Smith, Mr. Lucas, Mr. O'Connor, Mr. DePrima, Chief Carey, Mrs. Boaman and Mr. Pepper.
The invocation was given by Reverend Doreina Miles. The posting of colors and the Pledge of Allegiance was led by Boyscout Troop #632.
ROBERT H. TUDOR
Noting that this is Mr. Tudor's last official Council Meeting, Mayor Hutchison requested a moment to relay appreciation to Mr. Tudor for the many years he devoted to the City of Dover. He stated that Mr. Tudor has been an outstanding Councilman, a good leader and a good friend to the Mayor and Council and to the citizens of Dover. Councilman Tudor expressed his appreciation to everyone that helped him over the years. He stated that someday each member of Council will also be faced with leaving their elected positions and he hopes that they will feel as lucky as he does to have been given the opportunity to serve their City. He is proud that as he leaves his position, the City is in such wonderful condition. The City is entering into another year without a tax increase, the power plant issue has been resolved, which he feels will be wonderful for the City for many years to come, and the City just completed review and update of its Comprehensive Plan. All of these are outstanding accomplishments of which we should be proud. Mr. Tudor commended the City Manager for the work he has accomplished and Mayor Hutchison and members of City Council for their dedication to their positions.
AGENDA ADDITIONS/DELETIONS
Mrs. Malone moved for approval of the agenda, seconded by Mr. Leary and unanimously carried.
OATHS OF OFFICE - MAYOR AND COUNCIL
The Honorable Myron T. Steele, Vice-Chancellor of the Court of Chancery, administered the Oath of Office to members of City Council, as follows:
Mayor - James L. Hutchison
First District - Thomas J. Leary
Second District - Robert W. Lambert
Third District - William P. Truitt
Fourth District - John W. Pitts
STATE OF THE CITY MESSAGE - MAYOR JAMES L. HUTCHISON
Mayor James L. Hutchison stated that this is his third State of the City Message and it is the City's finest hour. He stated his pride in the City's accomplishments over this past year, attributing the success to the City's leadership, beginning with the City Manager, City Council, City staff and the people we serve. He alluded to the Duke/Louis Dreyfus contract, stating that the City was able to reduce our work force by a total of 44 employees, thereby reducing our total cost of operation by $2.5 million per year. As we finish the 1995/96 fiscal year, we carry over into next year's budget $569,000. This money is now committed towards expenses for the next fiscal year. Mayor Hutchison offered the following remarks:
STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS
MAY 13, 1996
Each year the City of Dover continues to enjoy new growth and the City Council and City staff are faced with many new challenges. As in the past, I am confident that we will make good decisions that will benefit every one of our citizens. It is the responsible and visionary decisions made in the past that have led us to the sound financial position our City enjoys today.
In fiscal year 1976/77, the City's total annual budget was $19,000,000 ... in fiscal year 1986/87, the total annual budget was $66,000,000 and in the proposed 1996/97 fiscal year budget the total annual budget is $80,000,000.
The City of Dover taxpayer's have enjoyed a low property tax rate for many years. Although the quality of services continue to increase, our tax rate has not increased since 1993. Our infrastructure needs are being met and are fully funded. We are constantly updating infrastructure to meet future demands more efficiently.
Emphasis is placed on maintaining our streets, alleys, curbing and handicapped accessible ramps. By the end of August we will have completed our resurfacing and maintenance program at a cost in excess of $400,000. Special appreciation goes to our local legislators who provide a significant amount of funding for this program through contributions from their Suburban Street Aid funds.
Rather than automatically contracting certain types of jobs, we are currently utilizing our own employees for as many projects as possible. This has resulted not only in a savings of money to the taxpayers, but in better use of the human resources already available to us. In the Public Works Department, we are using a newly formed Construction Crew and are already seeing tremendous results. The new Water Treatment Plant is now complete and functional. We continue to fine tune its operations and to train our own employees to run it. Completion of this project brings us into compliance with the Clean Water Act. We have begun to change our water meters to allow for remote meter reading. The changeover should be complete within three years. This will give us the ability to read meters from outside of all structures and can be done in conjunction with the reading of electric meters. This is a great example of how we are streamlining our programs and we will continue to look at other areas where this can be accomplished.
The City's parks and greenway projects include the development of Schutte Park. As much as $200,000, which has been derived from grants and from developers' parkland reserve funds, is earmarked for continued development of Schutte Park. Over $300,000 in grant funds will be used for tree planting, walking/jogging and biking along Greenway Projects.
The City's flowers and beautification programs have become the pride and joy of the community. This program consists of 53 flower beds and 20,450 flower plantings. Certainly, we could clearly see the beauty of the efforts of the City's Grounds Crew this past weekend as we celebrated Old Dover Days. This event was celebrated by many of our residents and visitors who enjoyed the hospitality and the beauty of our City.
Our library continues to provide a wonderful service, not only to the residents of the City of Dover, but to all residents of Kent County under an agreement with Kent County Levy Court that reimburses additional expenses incurred by non-City residents. Citizens are now able to access the Internet through the City of Dover Library, from their own home computer or from a terminal in the Library. These new programs have proven beneficial to all Kent County and City residents and is an example of how working together benefits everyone.
Expansion of our police station has recently begun. This is a $3.8 million project that should be completed by the spring of 1997. This expansion will provide a safer environment for our police department and will be an improvement not only for our police personnel, but also for the general public. Although the debt service on this project begins in July 1996, there will be no tax increase as the City has been able to save the required amount of money to cover the debt service expense for at least three years. Crime prevention continues to be one of my highest priorities, as we continue to place significance on education, especially with our young, on community policing and on community awareness. Certainly a high priority of the City must be traffic issues throughout the entire City. We must continually work with DelDOT to address our traffic needs. A program recently started, the Citizen Police Academy, has been very successful in providing civilian members of the community an opportunity to share in understanding the challenges of policing in the 1990's.
Expansion of our computer system remains a very important goal for me, the City Manager and City Council. Although we have made steps in this area, we have a long way to go. I sincerely hope that City Council will give their complete support to our Information Services Department. I fully believe this is an area that will ultimately save us money, will save time for our employees and will provide a great source of information for our customers.
Completion of the updated Comprehensive Plan is a major accomplishment of the City of Dover. There was a considerable amount of work that went into updating our Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Map, all of which was performed in-house. This is another example of how we have saved money by utilizing our own staff rather than contracting the work out to others. This new Plan will take us into the 21st century and will provide us with the necessary tools for properly planning and managing growth in Dover. Mr. Anthony DePrima and his staff deserve an enormous amount of praise, not only for development of the Plan, but for including the public in every aspect of its review.
One of our greatest achievements this year is the completion of the Duke/Louis Dreyfus contract for the power plant operations, which became effective in March 1996. This is a public/private partnership which is very beneficial to our customers. It guarantees a supply of electricity without the expense of millions of dollars that the City would have had to expend to add additional capacity to its system. This is a very competitive business and as retail wheeling comes to us, we must make every effort to be creative and to remain competitive.
I cannot begin to express my appreciation to Bob Lambert (Chairman of the City's Utility Committee), the Members of City Council, James O'Connor (City Manager), Mike Karia (Finance Director), and Lester Blakeman (Generations Manager), our consultants and many, many other City employees for their diligence in bringing this contract to fruition. Most importantly, I praise the members of City Council for having the fortitude to pursue the concept of this contract and the courage for making what will become the most important decision they will ever make on behalf of the City of Dover.
In the Electric Department we have continued to upgrade our substations, transformers and distribution lines, resulting in far fewer electrical outages than ever before. Our system reliability has increased significantly and electric outages are at an all-time low.
As we move into this next year, it is my hope that we will continue to make business and industry an important part of our City. With the addition of Sunroc, we now have over 317 new jobs for our citizens and they are in the process of hiring an additional 70 employees. The new operations of Playtex has increased their work force by 9%. The recent expansion of Dover Downs has resulted not only in new jobs, but in many more visitors to our city which benefits other businesses in Dover. As they increase their seating for Nascar Racing events, we will see even more visitors in our City.
We are very fortunate to have Dover Air Force Base as a part of our community. With so many bases being closed across the country, we are indeed fortunate to have been spared. Not only are the men and women of Dover Air Force Base good friends and neighbors, but they are a viable part of our City. There is currently $92 million of construction underway at Dover Air Force Base and they have a strong financial commitment for at least the next four years.
Every small business in this City is as important as our larger businesses. Diversity in our industrial and commercial base is vital. We must protect the businesses we have and we must continue to look for new companies for our City. Conversion of the old Blue Hen Mall into the Blue Hen Corporate Center is an example of a business success. Not only is this Center now a viable business center, but it houses some of our major employers such as Aetna and Nations Bank. Employment for our citizens is vital for a healthy economy and for the health and well being of our citizens.
The efforts of our three levels of government (the State, the County and the City) have resulted in the best communications between governing bodies that I have ever before experienced. We are working closely with Kent County Levy Court on many issues that effect both City and County residents and our State elected officials have assisted us in numerous ways. I especially wish to thank Senators Still and Bonini and Representatives Wagner and Stone for the funds they have contributed to City of Dover projects. I also want to thank Senators Roth and Biden and Congressman Mike Castle for their support to our City.
I give thanks and praise to the employees of the City of Dover for working so hard to accomplish the goals set by the Mayor and City Council, with many of our department heads doing more with less. I believe that the City of Dover is a wonderful place to work, live and to raise children. We have citizens that care about their community and that participate in the decisions that effect their City. The caring citizens of our community do not hesitate to jump in and participate when they feel it is needed.
The advent of First Night, sponsored by the Greater Dover Committee, is a fine example of citizen involvement. The members of this organization have committed to improving the quality of life in the Greater Dover area. First Night is an artistic and culturally diverse program held on New Year's Eve. This non-alcoholic event will be a wonderful way for families, singles and seniors to bring in the New Year together. Many organizations and individuals have contributed the financial means to bring this cultural event to our City.
There is currently a committee, chaired by E. Stuart Outten, that has been charged with reviewing the possibility of a Civic Center in the Capital City of Delaware. Hopefully, by November of this year, there will be facts to support the issue of whether or not a Civic Center should be built.
Looking at the future, the responsibility of Council and staff is to assist in the continuing growth of our City, but more importantly, as we grow, we must protect the quality of life we now enjoy. Continued efforts are needed in the area of building strong partnerships with our businesses, both large and small, and we must remember that, as far as the businesses we have here today, we cannot just assume they will be here tomorrow. As we begin the new budget cycle, it is imperative to move forward in completing the total computerization of our City. This will enhance our ability to better serve our customers and enhance our capabilities overall of moving towards the 21st century. I am extremely proud to be Mayor of Dover and I look forward to being a part of the many exciting things coming our way in this next year.
JAMES L. HUTCHISON
MAYOR
RECESS
A short recess was declared for photographs of the Mayor and members of Council.
ADOPTION OF MINUTES - REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING OF APRIL 22, 1996
The Minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of April 22, 1996 were unanimously approved by motion of Mrs. Malone, seconded by Mr. Leary and bore the written approval of Mayor Hutchison.
PROCLAMATION - NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK
The City Clerk read into the record the following Proclamation:
WHEREAS, public works services provided in our community are an integral part of our citizens' everyday lives; and
WHEREAS, the support of an understanding and informed citizenry is vital to the efficient operation of public works systems and programs such as water, sewer, streets and highways, public buildings, solid waste collection and snow removal; and
WHEREAS, the quality and effectiveness of these facilities, as well as their planning, design and construction, is dependent upon the efforts and skill of public works officials; and
WHEREAS, the efficiency of the qualified and dedicated personnel who staff public works departments is materially influenced by the people's attitude and understanding of the importance of the work they perform.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JAMES L. HUTCHISON, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF DOVER, do hereby proclaim May 19th through May 25th as "NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK" in the City of Dover and call upon all citizens and civic organizations to acquaint themselves with the problems involved in providing our public works services and to recognize the contributions which public works officials make every day to our health, safety and comfort.
PROCLAMATION - FULL GOSPEL FELLOWSHIP WEEK
The City Clerk read into the record the following Proclamation:
WHEREAS, the Full Gospel Baptist Church State Fellowship of Delaware and Maryland is presently made up of twenty-two local churches with Pastors and congregations totaling over 2,000; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of the State Fellowship is to give individuals the "right to choose" at a time when it is felt that because the needs of people are not being spiritually met, people are leaving denominations searching for answers in other places; and
WHEREAS, the Full Gospel Baptist Church State Fellowship is striving to find new ways to meet the needs of people spiritually, emotionally, and physically; and
WHEREAS, the Full Gospel Baptist Church State Fellowship will be holding its Second Annual Conference at the Calvary Baptist Church in Dover Delaware on May 22 - 24, 1996 and the Presiding Bishop of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, Bishop Paul S. Morton, Sr., will be the keynote speaker on May 23, 1996 at 7:00 p.m.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JAMES L. HUTCHISON, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF DOVER, do hereby proclaim the week of May 19 - 25, 1996 as FULL GOSPEL FELLOWSHIP WEEK in the City of Dover and urge all citizens to join me in wishing the Full Gospel Baptist Church State Fellowship success with its Second Annual Conference and call upon our residents to be especially cognizant of the importance and meaning of this spiritual observance.
The Proclamation was presented to Reverend James Lott who expressed his appreciation for the support of Mayor and Council.
UTILITY COMMITTEE REPORT
The Utility Committee met on April 23, 1996 with Chairman Lambert presiding.
McKee Run 12KV Breaker Replacement of Dover Mall 1 and 2 and Woodcrest Feeders
The replacement of 12KV oil breakers at various substations has been an ongoing project. Several of the obsolete breakers have failed and parts cannot be bought because of the age of the equipment. To prevent further failure and large outages, a program was started to replace these breakers. Staff solicited bids for three (3) ABB Type "V" vacuum breakers. The only bid received was from Wesco Utility of Richmond, Virginia, in the amount of $30,449 for each breaker, for a total cost of $91,347. It was noted that Wesco Utility of Richmond, Virginia, is the sole distributor for ABB in this geographical area. Staff recommended that a purchase order be issued to Wesco Utility for a total amount of $91,347.
Mr. O'Connor explained that the purchase of these breakers is accomplished as funds become available. Since the breakers are quite expensive, it would be impossible to purchase additional breakers beyond those that are earmarked for replacement during this year. He advised members that staff has devised a master plan that indicates which breakers are scheduled for replacement
The committee recommended that a purchase order be issued to Wesco Utility, Richmond, Virginia, in the amount of $91,347.
Mr. Lambert moved for approval of the committee's recommendation, seconded by Mr. Hare and carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
Evaluation of Bids - Residential Waste Containers
The current supplier of residential waste containers for the City is no longer producing the containers supplied to the City under previous contracts; therefore, it was necessary for staff to solicit bids for the purchase of residential waste containers. Three (3) bids were received, as follows:
Amount Per Container Delivered
THC Enterprises, Inc. - Easton, MD $44.68
Toter, Inc. - Statesville, NC $46.60
Rotonics Manufacturing, Inc. - Bensonville, IL $54.85
Upon review of the specifications and the containers to be supplied, staff recommended the purchase of the 96-Gallon HD EVR Automated Cart from Toter, Inc. The low bid submitted by THC Enterprises, Inc., listed several exceptions to the bid specifications and, therefore, did not meet the City's standards and specifications as written and should be considered non-responsive.
The committee recommended that the bid be awarded to Toter, Inc., for the supply of residential waste containers at a cost of $46.60 per container and that a purchase order be issued in the amount of $26,841.60 for each delivery of 576 containers.
Mr. Lambert moved for approval of the committee's recommendation, seconded by Mr. Leary and carried by a unanimous roll call vote.
Mr. Lambert moved for acceptance of the Utility Committee Report, seconded by Mr. Christiansen and unanimously carried.
SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPORT
The Safety Advisory Committee met on April 23, 1996 with Chairman Hare presiding.
Federal Regulations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act - Imposition of Regulations on State and Local Governments (Mr. Fenimore)
Mr. Fenimore presented members with a draft letter to Senators Biden and Roth requesting their support in opposing a proposed amendment to S. 1423 that would impose the federal regulations of the Occupations Safety and Health Act (OSHA) on state and local governments.
Mr. Fenimore indicated that state and local governments currently provide safe working environments either through the voluntary adoption of appropriate OSHA standards or other safety programs that have been designed to provide the most efficient methods to enhance safe working environments and safety practices. He stated his feeling that any act or amendment to mandate the imposition of federal OSHA regulations on state and local governments would be unnecessary and would produce bureaucratic authority over health and safety issues. Mr. Fenimore stated that not only would the proposed amendment be in violation of and contrary to the spirit of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995, but that it would attempt to impose "big" government on local government. He noted that state and local governments have been experiencing an increased strain on their budgets and resources, and that the proposed amendment would place an additional burden. Mr. Fenimore stated that the imposition of this proposed unfunded mandate on our City is unwarranted and requested members to authorize the proposed letter to be signed by the Mayor and Council President and sent to our United States Senators as soon as possible to ensure that they have this information before the legislation is acted upon.
Concurring, Mr. Tudor advised members that OSHA is no longer receiving federal funds, and therefore, are attempting to become financially independent by issuing fines. He also stated that there is no appeal process provided for fines imposed by OSHA.
Mr. O'Connor noted that, because of the City's high safety standards and practices, the City has below average workman compensation claims.
The committee recommended that on behalf of the City of Dover, the Mayor and Council President be authorized to sign the letter to Senators Biden and Roth.
Utilizing the consent agenda format, Mr. Hare moved for approval of the committee's recommendation, seconded by Mr. Leary and unanimously carried.
Mr. Hare moved for acceptance of the Safety Advisory Committee Report, seconded by Mr. Leary and unanimously carried.
LEGISLATIVE AND FINANCE COMMITTEE
The Legislative and Finance Committee met on April 23, 1996 with Chairman Salters presiding.
Budget Revisions
In June of each year, City Council approves the budgets for the following fiscal year. During the fiscal year, the City revises its budgets in order to meet the changing needs of the City's operations. The Finance Director/Treasurer submitted proposed budget revisions, including an explanation of the major revisions.
During the committee's discussion, Mr. Washington noted that the proposed budget revisions include an additional $2,000,000 in the future capacity fund. Mr. O'Connor stated that these funds are budgeted for fuel or energy purchases. Although the City will no longer need to purchase fuel for at least the next five years for the operation of the Electric Department, it may be necessary to purchase energy from Duke Louis Dreyfus.
The committee recommended approval of the budget revisions as recommended by staff.
Mr. Salters moved for approval of the budget revisions as recommended by the Committee. The motion was seconded by Mrs. Malone and by a unanimous roll call vote, Council approved the following revisions:
CITY OF DOVER
GENERAL FUND
REVISED CASH RECEIPT SUMMARY
FISCAL YEAR 1995-96
1995-96 1995-96 1995-96
PROPOSED
ITEMS APPROVED REVISED
BUDGET BUDGET DIFFERENCE*
PRIOR YEAR BALANCE 1,482,612 1,474,492 (8,120)
FINES & POLICE REVENUE 426,400 412,200 (14,200)
FRANCHISE FEES 209,352 209,352 0
INTEREST TRANS&EARNINGS 255,000 260,000 5,000
LIBRARY REVENUES 38,435 40,900 2,465
KC BOOK REIMBURSEMENT 170,250 170,250 0
BUSINESS LICENSES 750,000 755,000 5,000
PERMITS AND OTHER LIC. 519,000 519,000 0
MISC. CHARGES 45,000 45,000 0
POLICE EXTRA DUTY 100,000 160,000 60,000
PROPERTY TAXES 5,221,922 5,310,000 88,078
RECREATION REVENUE 72,200 62,100 (10,100)
TRANSFER TAX 650,000 675,000 25,000
TRASH FEES 48,700 35,000 (13,700)
GRANTS:
MUNICIPAL STREET AID 410,000 416,000 6,000
POLICE RELATED 150,000 150,000 0
HEALTH - RODENT CONTROL 15,000 15,000 0
CABLE EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT 0 10,000 10,000
EMERGENCY EXP REIMBURSEMENT 0 63,000 63,000
REIMBURSEMENT FOR DEMOLITION 3,450 3,450 0
TRANSFERS FROM -
WATER/WASTE WATER 200,000 200,000 0
ELECTRIC 3,720,000 3,720,000 0
FUND TOTALS 14,487,321 14,705,744 218,423
* A ( ) Indicates a decrease
CITY OF DOVER
GENERAL FUND
REVISED EXPENSE SUMMARY
FISCAL YEAR 1995-96
1995-96 1995-96 1995-96
PROPOSED
APPROVED REVISED