While I am reluctant to wage the Lewes City Council election in letters to the editor, it is important to set the records straight on a number of important issues.
City finances: It has been suggested that the city does not maintain a reserve for funding unexpected emergency expenses. Citizens should rest assured that the city has ample savings for this purpose. We have more than $2 million in an operating reserves fund, which is invested conservatively and is fully liquid. In addition, the city has an investment fund, also carefully invested, of well over $2.5 million. These funds would cover several months of city expenses.
More generally, like all other municipalities, there is no question the pandemic will affect the city’s revenues. Council is making every effort to manage our finances to maintain our high level of city services while minimizing the burden on our taxpayers. For example, every city expenditure is being scrutinized and capital projects have been delayed. Council is constantly looking for new sources of revenue other than property taxes.
Annexation zones: There appears to be some misunderstanding about the city’s zoning for land that is annexed into the city. It is important to bear in mind that annexation cannot be compelled and landowners always have the option of remaining in the county, under county zoning, rather than agreeing to be annexed into the city and subject to city zoning.
Council undertook development of new annexation zones following state approval of Lewes’s 2015 Comprehensive Plan. That plan, like the 2005 plan before it, made annexation of contiguous properties a city priority. Council created a committee composed of citizens and councilpersons to address the issue. This committee worked for 16 months, holding numerous public and open meetings and working with the city planner, to develop the annexation zones. The committee’s recommendations were reviewed by the Lewes Planning Commission and then at a special public hearing, all before the council adopted the zones. These zones provide adequate incentives for annexation and allow a mix of housing styles but, importantly, are generally more restrictive than county rules.
City-BPW relationship: Clarity also is needed concerning disagreements between the city and the Board of Public Works of the City of Lewes. The good news is that after some three years of a push-and-pull relationship, the city and the board have agreed, with the help of our three state legislators, to begin good-faith negotiations and work toward a resolution of the situation. Those negotiations will occur within the framework established by the state-issued charters of the city and BPW. Under the charters, it is clear that the city owns the utilities services managed by the board, that the board is an agent for the city, and that the city has oversight rights over board policies. How to manage the relationship has been the issue of disagreement. The city has never suggested that the board be eliminated, that the city totally control the board, or that the board’s mission be changed.
City support for Lewes businesses: Council has a long history of working with the Lewes Chamber of Commerce. Certainly during my time on council, the council has made every effort to meet the needs of our merchants and support a partnership with them. For example, most recently the council established a Downtown Parking Committee with a majority representation of downtown merchants. The result of this group’s work will be an increase in parking places in the downtown area. And, at the request of the downtown businesses, the city recently provided for free parking downtown during morning hours to support their operation. The city has also been engaged with Beebe Healthcare and the UD College for many years.
Planning for the future: It has been suggested that the city should engage in planning for the future. That is the very purpose of our 2015 Comprehensive Plan. The state requires that all towns like Lewes in Delaware prepare comprehensive plans every 10 years, secure state approval of that plan, and report progress toward implementation of the plan. The state also sets out the guidelines for the development of the plan. By law, comprehensive plans touch all important aspects of the city’s development.
Make no mistake, council is very much concerned about the environment and sea level rise. Our Mitigation Planning Team is actively working on these issues, and the city is a member of the regional Association of Coastal Towns, which also is seeking options to address these issues. In addition, the Lewes Planning Commission is working on protection of our wetlands and new rules for development of properties within the floodplain. Critically, council is concerned with hurricanes and other storms hitting our area, and keeping our citizens safe.
Council operation: For every issue that comes before Lewes City Council, there comes a time for a reality check. There are constraints on just what the council can and can’t do. While all ideas are welcomed and to be explored, the questions of unintended consequences and what is best for the future of Lewes must remain in the forefront of any decision.
There have been calls for the city to be more transparent in conducting the citizens’ business. The work of the council is governed by the city’s charter, our code, and state laws, including the Freedom of Information Act. Except for executive sessions, which are limited to personnel matters, contracts, and litigation issues, all of council’s meetings are open to the public, as are all meetings of the various working groups serving the city. Before we had to use Zoom due to COVID-19, council had begun streaming meetings live. I invite all to attend city meetings and to consider serving on the city’s many commissions, committees, and boards.
Serving on city council is a formidable responsibility, and I take that responsibility very seriously. I study each and every issue, weigh the pros and cons, and evaluate the potential impact on the future of our city. There is still work to be done and I would appreciate your vote for re-election to city council. Experience matters.
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