News Briefs 03/06/20

Rehoboth environment committee to meet March 6
The Rehoboth Beach Environment Committee has scheduled a meeting for 11 a.m., Friday, March 6, in the commissioners room of city hall, 229 Rehoboth Ave. The agenda calls for continued discussion on single-use products, a presentation on 5G findings, a discussion on a sustainability plan and a discussion on impervious surfaces. For more information call 302-227-6181. A full copy of the agenda can be found at city hall or online at www.cityofrehoboth.civicweb.net.

Lewes budget meeting set March 6
Lewes Mayor and City Council will meet at 1 p.m., Friday, March 6, at city hall to continue discussion about the fiscal year 2021 budget, which will begin April 1. Officials have met with all departments and committees over the previous four budget meetings and will work to complete the budget ahead of council’s Monday, March 16 regular meeting. For details, call 302-645-7777.

Dewey planners to meet March 7
Dewey Beach Planning and Zoning Commission will meet at 12:30 p.m., Saturday, March 7, at the Lifesaving Station, 1 Dagsworthy Ave. Members will discuss the status of driveway compliance and proper signage, and assign a member to develop draft recommendations or ordinance language. Commissioners will also assign a member to review best practices presented by the resilient community partnership project regarding individual responsibility for stormwater runoff, and will discuss possible town code changes regarding neglected and abandoned homes and properties.

Dewey commissioners to meet March 7
Dewey Beach commissioners will hold a town meeting at 9 a.m., Saturday, March 7, at the Lifesaving Station, 1 Dagsworthy Ave. Members will discuss the fiscal year 2021 draft budget and possibly vote to make changes for consideration by the budget and finance committee, and may also vote on amendments to the investment policy. Other possible votes include approving an ordinance setting a definition for closing time and accepting a revised proposal from Remington & Veronica Engineers.

Milton historic committee to meet March 10
Milton Historic Preservation Committee will meet at 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 10, at Milton library to hear three requests for alterations to properties in the historic district. First, 2 B Squared LLC, owner of 102 Federal St., is seeking a modification of the existing railings around the porch area.  Daniel Copans, owner of 205 Federal St., is requesting to remove an existing wooden fence and replace it with a new, 8-foot wooden fence. Finally, 109 Union Street Milton LLC is seeking to install five new windows and convert an overhead door to a pedestrian door at the rear of its building at 109 Union St.
 
Milton Water Committee to meet March 11
Milton Water Committee will meet at 2 p.m., Wednesday, March 11, at Milton library to discuss long-term water infrastructure plans. In addition, the committee will discuss the progress of ongoing projects, rates and fees, and a back-flow prevention policy.

Route 30-Sand Hill Road work scheduled March 11
The Delaware Department of Transportation will convert the intersection of Route 30/Gravel Hill Road and Sand Hill Road near Milton to an all-way stop to improve intersection safety. New stop signs, warning signs, stop-ahead pavement markings and flashing beacons will be installed. The work will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday, March 11. Motorists should anticipate delays and flaggers will be onsite. Variable message boards will be placed in the area to alert motorists of the new traffic pattern.

Rehoboth commissioner workshop March 9
Rehoboth Beach commissioners have scheduled a workshop for 9 a.m., Monday, March 9, in the commissioners room of city hall, 229 Rehoboth Ave. The agenda calls for discussions on the installation of new 5G wireless towers, parking recommendations for the 2020 season, gross floor area and proposals submitted to do a 3-year look back of the city’s financial statements. For more information call 302-227-6181. The agenda can be found at city hall or online at www.cityofrehoboth.civicweb.net.

Rehoboth budget workshop set March 9
Rehoboth Beach commissioners have scheduled a budget workshop for 1 p.m., Monday, March 9, in the commissioners room of city hall, 229 Rehoboth Ave. For more information call 302-227-6181. A full copy of the agenda can be found at city hall or online at www.cityofrehoboth.civicweb.net.

Rehoboth assessing sewer/stormwater pipes
Rehoboth Beach has contracted with Reybold Construction Technologies and TFE Resources to conduct closed-circuit television inspections and assessment of approximately eight miles of sanitary and storm sewer pipes. According to a press release, the work began March 2. According to the press release, in addition to cleaning the pipes and collecting video data, the contractors will be assessing the condition of the infrastructure, and document its exact location for the city’s GIS mapping system.

Once the data is collected, the city will conduct a risk analysis to prioritize areas for maintenance and/or replacement in order to operate the system most efficiently. Work is anticipated to be complete by the end of the month. For more information, contact the communications department at 302-227-6181 Ext. 522 or communications@cityofrehoboth.com.

Lewes committee to discuss coronavirus March 11
The Lewes Board of Health will meet at 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 11, at city hall to discuss the city’s response to coronavirus. For more information, call city hall at 302-645-7777.

Cape referendum meeting set March 9
Cape Superintendent Bob Fulton will provide information about the Tuesday, March 31 capital expense referendum and answer questions at a community meeting at 6 p.m., Monday, March 9, at Cape Henlopen High School.

Sussex County Council meeting March 10
Sussex County Council will meet at 10 a.m., Tuesday, March 10, in the county administration building, 2 The Circle, Georgetown. Included on the agenda is an announcement of the hiring of a new planning and zoning director, and a possible vote on an updated memorandum of understanding between Sussex County and Delaware Department of Transportation on land-use applications. See a complete agenda at www.sussexcountyde.gov. Meetings are broadcast live on the county website.

Route 1 lanes to close in Dewey Beach
Delaware Department of Transportation contractor George & Lynch will be removing and replacing three crossroad pipes on northbound and southbound Route 1 Dewey Beach between Hall Avenue and Palmer Avenue. During the week of March 9, Route 1 northbound/southbound lane closures will occur from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays when lanes will be reopen to traffic. During the week of March 16, southbound Route 1 traffic will be directed to northbound Route 1. For the weeks of March 23 and March 30, there will be traffic flow on either of the two lanes in opposite directions. All work depends on weather conditions and is anticipated to be completed by Monday, April 6.

Rehoboth awards signage project
During a meeting Feb. 21, Rehoboth Beach commissioners awarded a contract of roughly $236,000 for the wayfinding and signage project to South Carolina-based Hilton Displays LLC. The bid award includes the project base bid and three add alternates. A total of five bids were received. According to a press release Feb. 24, the intended benefits of the wayfinding program are to improve the flow, to identify points of interest and their proximity, and to improve visitor safety and the overall visitor experience. In addition to installing wayfinding signs, the project includes gateway enhancements, information kiosks and a new parking brochure.

Rehoboth to host comprehensive development plan expos
The Rehoboth Beach Planning Commission will host two comprehensive development plan community expos from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, March 21, and Saturday, April 4. Both expos will be taking place in the convention center, 229 Rehoboth Ave. The topics for March 21 include economic development, connectivity and infrastructure. The topics for April 4 include environment, housing and quality of life. The expo provides an interactive experience to learn about the CDP, what has been accomplished in the last 10 years, resources, funding opportunities and services that can help Rehoboth. Planning commissioners, city staff, officials from other government agencies and nonprofits will be on hand to discuss the state-mandated plan. 

These expos play an important role in the development of a strategic vision for the future of Rehoboth for the next 10 years and beyond. The expo will have stations for specific topics staffed by knowledgeable people, supplied with informative materials to facilitate conversations. For more information, contact 302-227-6181 Ext. 522 or communications@cityofrehoboth.com.

SDARJ focuses on 2020 Census March 10
The impact and implications of the 2020 Census will be the focus of the Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice Town Hall Meeting Tuesday, March 10, 7 p.m., at the Trinity Faith Christian Center, 15516 New Road in Lewes. The program will be presented by Sheila Bravo, president and CEO of the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement, Sandy Spence, chair of the Delaware League of Women Voters’ Complete Count Committee, and Bernice Edwards, executive director of First State Community Action Agency. In mid-March the U.S. Census Bureau will send households initial invitations to respond online, by phone, or paper questionnaire.

Statistics gleaned from the census determine the number of seats each state holds in the U.S. House of Representatives and are used to decide how billions of dollars in federal funds will be allocated for programs such as Medicaid, SNAP, Head Start, unemployment benefits, housing vouchers, school lunch programs, disaster relief, and services for seniors and veterans with disabilities. For more information go to www.SDARJ.org.