REGULAR MEETING

January 27, 1964

The regular meeting of City Council was held Monday, January 27, 1964 at 7:30 P.M. with Mayor Carroll presiding. Councilmen present were Messrs. Biggs, Harris, Hayes, Hill, Holpp, Smith and Walls.

The invocation was said by Rev. Howard R. Stewart.

MINUTES

Minutes of the meeting of January 13, 1964 were accepted and bore the written approval of Mayor Carroll.

MUNICIPAL ELECTION

The election officials certified to City Council the results of the Municipal Election held Monday, January 20, 1964 between 1 and 7 P.M. to be as follows:

            For Mayor:                 Crawford J. Carroll                 788 Votes

            For Councilman:

                  First District:        Randolph Hughes                   729 Votes

                                                Robert F. Mausser                  183 Votes

                  Second District:    Melvyn A. Gale                      248 Votes

                                                Julian Massey                         410 Votes

                                                Paul E. Zartman                      311 Votes

                  Third District:       George D. Hill Jr.                   439 Votes

                                                Carleton Walls                        492 Votes

                  Fourth District:     William A. Hayes                   681 Votes

On motion of Mr. Harris, seconded by Mr. Smith the certification was accepted with Mr. Hill voting ‘No’.

HOLIDAY INN

Councilman Holpp presented to Council a report of a meeting of the Utility Committee which was concerned with the request of the Holiday Inn builders for extension of sewer and water to their site, recently annexed to the City. The Inn is to be built by Atlantic Investors of Jacksonville, Florida. The committee worked out a tentative agreement under which the builders would advance the cost of sewer and water lines to be constructed by the City which would be repaid over a period of three years from sewer and water charges, property taxes due from Holiday Inn, and the proceeds of any bond issue which might be approved and sold for the purpose. James Hughes, attorney for Holiday Inn, presented Councilmen with copies of the proposed agreement. Exception was taken to two conditions contained in the written agreement, 1. that Atlantic Investors would be repaid the amount advanced for construction of the lines plus the expense incurred in obtaining the money, and 2. that reimbursement to them would include property taxes collected from anyone who was served by the Utility Committee. The estimated cost of constructing both lines was $35,164. Council discussed with the City Solicitor and Attorney Hughes the conditions proposed in the agreement. On motion of Mr. Hill, seconded by Mr. Hayes, the agreement was referred back to the Utility Committee.

City Solicitor Buckson and Attorney James Hughes during the course of the meeting re-wrote the proposed agreement and with permission of City Council again appeared and read the revised agreement. As rewritten the agreement struck out the provisions for repayment of interest or of expense incurred in obtaining the money and the reimbursement from property taxes collected from other properties served by the line and clarified the language for repayment from sewer and water rents or fees.

On motion of Mr. Hill, seconded by Mr. Harris, the motion to return the agreement to committee was withdrawn. On motion of Mr. Biggs, seconded by Mr. Holpp, Council approved the agreement as revised and authorized its completion. Mr. Hayes voted ‘No’.

ZONING HEARING

A public hearing was duly advertised for this date on a proposed amendment to the Zoning Map which would rezone lands including the proposed Holiday Inn site from its present R-20 zone to C-4, Highway Commerce. Mayor Carroll declared the hearing opened. No one spoke for or against the proposal. The recommendation of the Planning Commission was that the change be approved. They referred to a drainage pipe in the area and expressed concern that no building be erected over the line. Jack Price of Atlantic Investors who will construct the Holiday Inn stated that the drainage pipe was located near the southern edge of the land and no building was planned over it.

On motion of Mr. Harris, seconded by Mr. Walls, Council by vote of 7 to 0 passed the following amendment to the Zoning Ordinance. Councilman Hughes was absent.

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING MAP AND ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DOVER BY CHANGING THE ZONING DESIGNATION OF A PLOT ON U.S. ROUTE #13 FROM R-20 TO C-4.

WHEREAS, the City of Dover has enacted a zoning ordinance regulating the use of property within the limits of the City of Dover, and

WHEREAS, it is deemed in the best interest of zoning and planning to change the permitted uses from R-20 to C-4 in a plot located between U.S. Route #13 and Silver Lake in the City of Dover,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DOVER:

1. From and after the passage and approval of this ordinance, the Zoning Map and Zoning Ordinance of the City of Dover shall be amended by changing the zoning designation of the following described area from R-20 to C-4 Zone.

All that area bounded on the east by U.S. Route #13, for a distance of approximately 350 feet, on the south by lands of Louis Edgell, on the north by lands of D.F.D. Inc., and on the west by Silver Lake.

Passed January 27, 1964

USO

Miss Prescott of the USO appeared before City Council to explain the need of that organization for funds. She stated that their annual budget is approximately $17,000 of which the major portion will come from their national headquarters, about $2400 from the Dover United Fund, with a balance of $3000 to be raised. She asked the City to help in the matter of the $3000. The USO must soon move from its present location and must find new quarters. A letter from Colonel Humphrey, Dover Air Base Commander, pointed out the need for the local USO and urged that it be given assistance. On motion of Mr. Hill, seconded by Mr. Harris, the matter was referred to the Legislative and Finance Committee.

HILL REQUESTS

George Hill, whose term as Councilman is ending, stated he had certain items to place before Council on which he requested their action, with the following result:

On motion of Mr. Hill, seconded by Mr. Holpp, Council directed that street signs be erected where needed in Morris Estates #1 and #2, as soon as possible.

On motion of Mr. Hill, seconded by Mr. Harris, Council directed that as a safety device, rope be located in some fashion at the ice skating areas adjacent to Richardson Park.

On motion of Mr. Hill, seconded by Mr. Hayes, Council directed that a letter again be sent to the State Highway Department requesting the installation of a traffic light at Wyoming and Governors Avenue, with control trips located at Wyoming Avenue.

A motion by Mr. Hill that priority be given to improvement of Weston Drive and of Reed street between New Street and the Railroad was not seconded.

On motion of Mr. Hill, seconded by Mr. Harris, Council directed that parking on New Castle, Kent and Sussex Avenues and on Collins Drive in Capital Green be limited to one side of the street.

A motion of Mr. Hill that a committee of Council be appointed to work with the Clerk of Council in determining what orders of Council in the past year had not been carried out, and to see that they were done or removed from the books, received no second.

LEGISLATIVE & FINANCE

Councilman Hayes reported that the Legislative & Finance and Utility Committee had met with Mr. Kohkanen of Harriman & Ripley and could only report progress on the matter of refunding the $9,000,000 Electric Revenue Bond issue.

PLANNING COMMISSION

Written reports of the meetings of the Planning Commission were accepted by Council.

DELAWARE TELESERVICE COMPANY

Allen S. Hedgecock appeared before Council on behalf of the Delaware Teleservice Company to request that Dover grant that company a franchise for a community antenna service and grant them the use of existing utility poles for their cable. On motion of Mr. Harris, seconded by Mr. Holpp, the request was referred to the Utility Committee.

SOLICITOR FEE

City Solicitor Buckson has presented the City with a bill for $18,500 for his services in connection with the 1963 General Obligation bond issue of $2,500,000. Councilman Harris stated his desire to be fair to the Solicitor and the City in the matter of a fee. He had listened to the Solicitor and sought advice from other attorneys, bankers, etc. as to the effort required from and responsibility assumed by local attorneys in such bond issues. Although the consensus was not unanimous, what he had learned convinced him that the fee was unreasonable. On motion of Mr. Harris, seconded by Mr. Hayes, Council disapproved payment of the bill.

On motion of Mr. Holpp, seconded by Mr. Hill, Council directed the City Manager to negotiate with the City Solicitor on the fee to be paid for his services on the bond issue.

DELMARVA POULTRY

City Manager Ward reported that representatives of the Delmarva Poultry Association were to meet in his office at 9 A.M., January 28 to discuss the possibility of Dover being the site of the 1965 Chicken Festival. He invited members of Council to attend the meeting.

Council adjourned at 9:30 P.M.

                                                                        City Clerk

All ordinances, orders and resolutions adopted by City Council at its meeting of January 27, 1964 are hereby approved.

Crawford J. Carroll

                                                                        Mayor

January 28, 1964