Milton council to debate how to spend federal funding

Milton Town Council will debate how to spend $1.6 million in federal grant funding the town received from the American Rescue Plan at the council’s 6:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 1 meeting, at Milton library.

Under terms of the funding, the town is limited in what the money can be spent on. Among the uses of the funding could be water infrastructure, revenue recovery, broadband, housing or sewer projects. 

What the town will ultimately use the money for will be decided by town council, but Town Manager Kristy Rogers said she plans to recommend using the money for a new well and treatment facility at town-owned land on Federal Street, adjacent to the Rails to Trails. 

This project has been identified by the town’s water committee as a priority project in the committee’s seven-year capital improvement plan. Besides a new well and treatment facility, plans also call for a backup generator to be located on the four-acre site. 

The town purchased the land on Federal Street in 2019 with the idea of using it for future water infrastructure improvements. Besides the well and treatment facility, town officials have also held preliminary discussions on putting a new water tower on that land, although that project is believed to be well into the future. 

Rogers said she is recommending the well and treatment project because the town does not really have any other projects on hand that would qualify for use of the money. The town has not suffered much in terms of economic losses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and there are no housing or broadband projects in the pipeline. 

While Rogers is making pursuit of the Federal Street well and treatment project her recommendation, the decision will ultimately lie with the town council.

Mayor Ted Kanakos said he supports using the money on water infrastructure, and agreed that developing a well site on the Federal Street land is a good use of the funds.

Milton has spent the last several years beefing up its water infrastructure, including using state loans to build a new water main loop at Wagamon’s West Shores, a new well and treatment plant in Shipbuilder’s Village and water main improvements on Atlantic and Chestnut streets and on Atlantic Avenue. 

Appeals hearing on Nov. 1 agenda

The Nov. 1 meeting ‘s most controversial item figures to be a public hearing on a proposed ordinance regulating appeals of decisions from the Milton Planning and Zoning Commission.

The proposal in front of council lays out the procedure for an appeals hearing, but its most contentious issue is that it sets a fee schedule for appeals hearings. 

At first, the ordinance called for an appellant to pay $400 plus a minimum of $1,000 in escrow to cover the costs of the appeal. Town officials said the measure is intended to stop potentially frivolous appeals and recoup the town’s administrative costs. After citizens protested, the language was changed so that if the appellant is successful in their appeal, they will not owe the fees.

Following the public hearing, council will discuss and possibly vote on the ordinance.

In addition, council will hear advisory reports from the Traffic Calming Advisory Ad-Hoc Committee and the written report of the Special Review Committee on the potential annexation of 450 acres on Sand Hill Road that would be developed as a 1,350-unit housing development called The Granary at Draper Farms. The committee has recommended the council approve the annexation.

Council will discuss and possibly vote on a proposal from the Milton Garden Club to transfer responsibility of irrigation systems in town, while ECM Corporation is requesting a time extension on its contract to construct water system improvement. 

There will be discussion on a resolution recommending Delaware Department of Transportation reduce the speed limit on Route 16 in front of the proposed Cypress Grove development, located at the corner of Route 16 and Country Road, from 50 mph to 35 mph, similar to other areas of the Route 16 corridor that run through Milton town limits. 

Finally, council will discuss a resolution on potentially installing pedestrian crossings at the intersections of Chestnut Street and Coulter Street and Federal Street and Coulter Street.