CCW Minutes & Attachment

COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE The Council Committee of the Whole met on February 14, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. with Council President Sudler presiding. Members of Council present were Mr. Anderson, Mr. Boggerty, Mr. Neil, Dr. Pillsbury, and Ms. Arndt. Mr. Hare and Mayor Christiansen were absent. Civilian members present for their Committee meetings were Mr. Shevock (via WebEx) (Legislative, Finance, and Administration), Mr. Tholstrup, and Mr. Lewis (via WebEx) (Parks, Recreation, and Community Enhancement). Mr. Contant (Legislative, Finance, and Administration) was absent. ADOPTION OF AGENDA Mr. Neil moved for adoption of the agenda, seconded by Mr. Rocha and unanimously carried. PARKS, RECREATION, AND COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT COMMITTEE The Parks, Recreation, and Community Enhancement Committee met with Chairwoman Arndt presiding. Adoption of Agenda Mr. Neil moved for adoption of the agenda, seconded by Mr. Anderson and unanimously carried. Mayor and Council Reports Council President Sudler Mr. Sudler reported that he called a Special Council Meeting on January 26, 2023, to discuss the Proposed Loitering Ordinance #2022-26 and the constituents’ safety concerns and complaints. Mr. Sudler stated that on January 27, 2023, he met with Ms. Roberts a Delaware State University Administrative Assistant to discuss scheduling a random water quality testing between the University and the City of Dover. Delaware State University is currently waiting on a certification so that its students can participate in that process as an onsite work initiative. Mr. Sudler stated that he met with Dr. Cade, Superintendent for the Capital School District, regarding bullying and gang activity complaints in William Henry and East Dover against some Hispanic children. He also forwarded the information to the Safety, Advisory, and Transportation Committee for their review. Mr. Sudler also stated that on February 12, 2023, he presented a Certificate of Recognition and Congratulations to Reverend Dr. Erika D. Crawford for her fifth year of Pastoring the Mount Zion AME Church located at 101 North Queen Street. The event was held at Maple Dale Country Club and Mr. Sudler was joined by Mayor Christiansen and Senator Trey Paradee. First District Dr. Pillsbury reported that she attended the City of Dover Chili Cook-off on February 8, 2023, and that there were some amazing chilis and everyone seemed to have a good time. Dr. Pillsbury also reported that on February 11, 2023, she attended the City of Dover Fire Department Annual Banquet in Dewey Beach. Dr. Pillsbury stated that the dinner was a lovely event and very well done. Mr. Rocha stated that Dr. Pillsbury, himself, and Councilman At-large, Mr. Boggerty, are having a Town Hall Meeting on Thursday, March 2, 2023, at Maple Dale Country Club. They will be providing information on the upgrades to Kenton Road. Mr. Rocha stated they are trying to get DelDOT to come back since they were at the last town hall meeting and more constituents have questions. Mr. Rocha

COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING FEBRUARY 14, 2023 PAGE 2 also went to the Center for Global Africa at Delaware State University on February 7, 2023. Mr. Rocha noted that he and Mayor Christiansen met Dr. Julius Garvey, son of Marcus Garvey. They offered a Tribute on behalf of the City of Dover for his work in connecting the Center for Global Africa and building ties with the African Union and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). Second District Mr. Hare was absent. Third District Mr. Neil stated that he responded to numerous concerns or complaints from constituents and shared those responses with Councilwoman Arndt as well as Councilman Boggerty. They involved housing and the like. Mr. Neil also stated that he severed as a judge at the City of Dover Chili Cook-Off and survived. Mr. Neil stated that he works with a lot of state legislators dealing with housing issues that only the state legislature can handle. Mr. Neil stated he spent a lot of time last Thursday in court trying to prevent a person who lives on a leased land home from being evicted. Mr. Neil thinks this is for very questionable reasons, as she is the president of the homeowner’s association, and as soon as you are you become marked with a bullseye. Ms. Arndt stated that she attended a meeting last week with City Manager David Hugg and members of the Kent County Conservancy regarding their latest property acquisition and the possibility of being able to access their property through adjacent city land holdings. The Conservancy members suggested maintaining portions of the city-owned property as a meadow to reduce mowing costs and to improve habitat. Mr. Hugg is following up with additional information. Ms. Arndt also added that she spoke to a resident of Edgehill who wanted to pass along kudos to Ms. Sierra Brown from Code Enforcement for having an abandoned car towed. He said she was professional and courteous, and that he appreciated her efforts in improving his neighborhood. Ms. Arndt stated that she also attended the City of Dover Fire Department Annual Banquet, and she feels that it is humbling to see these volunteers put so much at risk to provide such a valuable service to the city, and it was an honor to attend. Fourth District Mr. Anderson stated that he would like to thank the staff for their quick response with a less than 24- hour turnaround time on getting a crosswalk sign put up as requested in the South State Street area. Mr. Anderson had confidence that it would be done but when it was done by that afternoon, he was both surprised and impressed. Mr. Anderson stated that there has been some movement with certain issues such as crime within the Hamlet, which is a positive. Mr. Anderson thanked the staff for some good conversations surrounding the Raise Grant. Mr. Rocha is working on that. Mr. Anderson would like to see a meeting happen as quickly as possible so that it can be brought home since there are only two more weeks left to get it submitted. Mr. Anderson stated that he has attended so many Capital City 2030 presentations that he may be able to do one. Mr. Anderson stated that the dedication of the DDP and the leadership is really going to help move the city forward. The DDP is a key partner along with many other partners within the city. Mr. Anderson stated the Capital School District had a meeting regarding the Crest Development. They need the council’s help in extending the sidewalk to make it safer for the school children at the new middle school. Mr. Anderson would like to submit that for consideration and ask that council reach out to Capital School District for details. The residents believe it is important for the safety of the children. Mr. Anderson stated that he has had great conversations regarding affordable housing with Mr. Hugg, City Manager, Director Gray, Ms. Harvey, and Mr. Rocha. They have some great innovations, that when the time is right will cause some excitement and have a positive impact on the community. Mr. Anderson explained that he has heard some complaints

COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING FEBRUARY 14, 2023 PAGE 3 downtown, from different places, that they are ready for the lighting south of Division Street. Some people would like to explore the idea of a community office, in the place that Mr. Harrington has offered to donate if a substation is not done. Also, Mr. Anderson stated that the people of Woodcrest, and some other areas had some questions regarding crime in their areas. Chief Johnson has worked to get some of those answers. Mr. Anderson yielded his time to Chief Johnson. Chief Johnson reviewed a Fourth District summary of criminal activity and response to that activity in certain neighborhoods that were requested (Attachment #1). Mr. Sudler stated that on January 6, 2023, at 12:03 p.m., he spoke with Katie, the manager of Irish Mikes about the alleged undesirable behavior and safety concerns at Irish Mikes in preparation for the January 26, 2023, meeting. Also, on January 31, 2023, Mr. Sudler spoke with Dr. Jones, Dean of Wesley College Cipher Delaware State University concerning the coalition board they have put together regarding the allegation of sexual assault cases at DSU. Mr. Sudler stated that he is working with Ranchero Aztecas’ new business owners, Representative Sean Lynn, and Representative Carson, regarding some business licensing components which they have been waiting eight months to receive. Mr. Sudler stated that they have obtained some resolution and would like to thank Representative Sean Lynn and the Clerk’s Office Director, Ms. Bennett for helping coordinate things. They were able to assist the business owner of Ranchero Azteca and they are very pleased with the assistance. At-Large Mr. Boggerty stated that he was able to finalize a contact with a representative from Delaware State University and Chief Johnson with the possibility of establishing an internship for the cadet program which will increase the recruiting pool if a college student who needs an internship can serve as a cadet. Mr. Boggerty stated that he will include the chair of the Safety, Advisory, and Transportation Committee so they can all be looped in on the meeting. Mr. Boggerty stated that he had mentioned the previous day an initiative he is assisting in bringing help to communities in low to moderate-income areas where healthcare is not provided. TOVA Community Health is doing a blood drive where they will also offer services to address educational needs. They will be putting together a book drive to help increase literacy in those areas. Also, Mr. Boggerty stated he recently spoke with the Parks and Recreation chair and Mr. Harry Stenson, the University of Delaware Athletic Director, and Chief Operation Officer, who wants to partner with our Parks and Recreation Department to sponsor programming, camps, and other initiatives. Mr. Boggerty punted this connection to Councilwoman Trish Arndt who chairs the Parks and Recreation Committee and Director Robin Eaton. Mayor Mayor Christiansen was absent. Review of Active Recreation Plan – Leander Lakes III Apartments on part of the property at 2285 Forrest Avenue (Planning Reference #S-23-04) (Mary Ellen Gray, Director of Planning and Inspections) Ms. Mary Ellen Gray, Director of Planning, and Inspections reviewed the background and analysis regarding the Active Recreation Plan – Leander Lakes III Apartments on part of the property at 2285 Forrest Avenue.

COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING FEBRUARY 14, 2023 PAGE 4 Responding to Mr. Neil, Ms. Gray stated that one of the playgrounds was converted to a more adult- friendly spot. There are no specific comments in the report. Ms. Gray stated that she could not speak as to why they changed the playground; however, it is an improvement upon the plan to have a more adult play area as children, teenagers, and kids growing up can use it. Ms. Gray also stated the changes to the walking trail were in response to a comment in the report. Responding to Mr. Sudler, Ms. Gray stated that they did comment regarding handicap accessibility, they are required to have accessibility to the trails, and they must be of a substance where wheelchairs can easily have access. One of the main recommendations is that all these facilities are accessible. Responding to Mr. Sudler, Ms. Gray stated that includes the playground areas, yes. Responding to Mr. Sudler, Ms. Gray stated that there is no requirement to have the playground equipment modified so that all users can use them. Mr. Sudler stated that the facility or the actual structure itself may not be amenable or useable by handicapped individuals. Ms. Gray may want to investigate that because what is the point of having it accessible if the infrastructure that is there can not be used by handicapped individuals? Responding to Mr. Tholstrup, Ms. Gray stated that there are comments in the report asking what material is intended for the ground cover in the playgrounds, and it can be asked that they be accessible. Also, they do not require any Electric Vehicle charging stations, but that can be asked for. They are building from scratch, so why not include some? Mr. Tholstrup stated that he would like to see if there is any consideration for using solar power on the rooftop of the buildings. Responding to Ms. Arndt, Ms. Gray stated that bike parking was articulated and that it should be located at every one of the apartment buildings. If any of the bike parking facilities are proposed internally, the plans should note as such, but it appears they do not have that detail yet. Ms. Gray made a note that Ms. Arndt would like to see the bike parking be covered as a benefit to the residents. Responding to Mr. Rocha, Ms. Gray stated Calvary Baptist Church is listed as the owner of the record and the equitable owner, the developer is Leander Lakes. Responding to Mr. Rocha, Ms. Gray stated she believes Calvary Baptist Church intends to sell but they are in the middle stage until the request is approved. Responding to Mr. Rocha, Ms. Gray stated that the number of units does not rise to the level of having a traffic study, and any requirement for a light, turn lane, or median adjustment would be through DelDOT since it is a state-maintained road that it is going onto. Those discussions would have to be between the developer and DelDOT. DelDOT would be made aware of the request through an entrance application that would be done as a required part of the process. Ms. Gray stated that it is not the City of Dover’s decision on whether a light would be placed there but DelDOT would do the analysis and decide if the traffic would either be making a left or right coming out of there. Ms. Gray also stated that DelDOT would direct the applicant as to what road improvements need to be done to mitigate the traffic.

COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING FEBRUARY 14, 2023 PAGE 5 Responding to Mr. Sudler, Ms. Gray stated that the requirement from DelDOT is that the threshold of 220 units is required for a traffic impact study. Responding to Mr. Sudler, Ms. Gray stated to her knowledge, since Forrest Avenue is a state- maintained road, that would be the purview of the State Department of Transportation to conduct any sort of traffic study. Mr. Rocha stated that council can request our City Manager or Assistant City Manager to have something like that done if there is a concern. Mr. Anderson moved to recommend accepting the recommendations of the revised plan, as recommended by staff. The motion was seconded by Mr. Sudler and unanimously carried. Ms. Arndt moved for an adjournment of the Parks, Recreation, and Community Enhancement Committee meeting, hearing no objection the meeting adjourned at 6:55 p.m. LEGISLATIVE, FINANCE, AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE The Legislative, Finance and Administration Committee met with Chairman Anderson presiding. Adoption of Agenda Mr. Neil moved for adoption of the agenda, seconded by Mr. Sudler and unanimously carried. Downtown Dover Partnership Presentation on Next Steps of Downtown Dover Master Plan (Diane Laird, Director of Downtown Dover Partnership) Ms. Diane Laird, Director of the Downtown Dover Partnership, reviewed the presentation Next Steps of Downtown Dover Master Plan. Responding to Mr. Boggerty, Ms. Laird stated that they meet twice a month on the Base, welcoming newcomers every other Thursday and a third time virtually. Responding to Mr. Rocha, Ms. Laird stated they are prepared with the approval of the board next Wednesday to put an RFP out for that person, and she believes they have the funding covered at the moment. That person will oversee the plan, they need to have experience in developing large projects, recruiting investors who want to make those developments, and being able to streamline the process within the city and other entities. Ms. Laird stated this will be one of the first steps. Ms. Laird stated that they can put requests for information out, but that they need proper marketing materials. In terms of transportation projects, the Kent MPO is working on three professionally and one in-house, one will be started in July for the fiscal year 2024. By this time next year, they should be applying for RAISE funds or any funds available at that time. In terms of TIFF funding, the conduit bonds, which are the things that council can enable, they are working closely with Dave Hugg on. Responding to Mr. Rocha, Ms. Laird stated that his question about the infrastructure does bring up the fact that she has a grant written from last year that was not awarded by the state. The study for the infrastructure in the downtown roads is needed, that was a $400,000 proposal so that may be a good one to put forward.

COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING FEBRUARY 14, 2023 PAGE 6 Mr. Neil stated that there will be a lot of naysayers, some even in the room. There is one person on Council who has seen it work. Mr. Neil saw it work when he was in Baltimore as the Press Officer for the Mayor of Baltimore and saw the renaissance of the inner harbor. This is a colonial town, and it can work. The sooner the first shovel is in the ground the better. The project manager is not a 9 to 5 day, and it depends on that. One thing that is significant and what impressed him the most about Mosaic is that they bring the money and will invest. Mr. Neil stated that he feels they are going to be a partner on this all the way through because it is part of their resume. Mr. Neil stated he is anxious to see it and the faster it happens, the happier he will be. Mr. Neil mentioned the field of dreams the previous night, this is the field of dreams that he sees because he has been a part of it before and it does work. Mr. Anderson stated that he too is a believer that they have ninety-five percent of the pieces in place and just need to close the deal. Mr. Anderson stated that they cannot stop where they are and if they can commit with the partners that they are going to make this work then it will. If the citizens believe it will work, then it will. If the business community believes it can work, then it will. They will gather all the partners who will gather the investment. There is something about a belief that is contagious. Mr. Anderson stated that the task for the next year or two is to move things step by step. Certain things take a bit of time, like Memorial Park, they need to go through the process and start developing a master plan for that. Mr. Neil moved to recommend referring the idea of Memorial Park to the Parks, Recreation, and Community Enhancement Committee for review. The motion was seconded by Mr. Sudler and unanimously carried. Mr. Anderson stated that now they have enabled conduit bonds and TIF, there are a few next steps that need to be taken. They have been waiting on the plan so that boundaries can be developed in the TIF resolution and invite the county, school district, and state into it. Mr. Neil moved to recommend authorizing staff to develop a resolution and coordinate with other governmental entities. The motion was seconded by Mr. Rocha and unanimously carried. Mr. Neil moved to recommend authorizing staff to pursue the RAISE grant and bring it back on the February 27, 2023, agenda if they deem it feasible but it would have to be approved before March 1, 2023. The motion was seconded by Mr. Rocha and unanimously carried. Mr. Neil moved to recommend referring to the Safety, Advisory, and Transportation Committee for a review of the first steps of the Loockerman Street temporary changes as recommended in the Mosaic plan. The motion was seconded by Mr. Sudler and unanimously carried. Mr. Neil moved to recommend staff to report back in thirty days on the movement of conduit bonds. The motion was seconded by Mr. Anderson and unanimously carried. Responding to Ms. Arndt, Mr. Anderson stated we want them to give us a report on either bringing a resolution or giving us a report on where it stands. Mr. Anderson moved for adjournment of the Legislative, Finance, and Administration Committee meeting, hearing no objection the meeting adjourned at 7:44 p.m.

COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING FEBRUARY 14, 2023 PAGE 7 Mr. Sudler moved for adjournment of the Council Committee of the Whole meeting, hearing no objection the meeting adjourned at 7:44 p.m. Roy Sudler, Jr. Council President AB/ar Attachments Attachment #1 - Voting District 4 Crime Reports Analysis

ATTACHMENT #1 Council Committee of the Whole Meeting of 02/14/2023 City of Dover Voting District 4 Crime Reports Analysis February 1, 2021 to January 31, 2022 Compared to February 1, 2022 to January 31, 2023 Date: February 10, 2023 Data Source: CrimeView

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Crime Reports (February 2021 to January 2023) 2

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Voting District 4 4

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