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REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
The Regular Council Meeting was held on May 27, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. with Council President Bonar
presiding. Council members present were Mr. Anderson, Mr. Dixon, Mr. Lynn, Mr. Perza,
Mr. Slavin, Mr. Hare, and Mr. Hutchison. Mrs. Williams was absent.
Council staff members present were Police Chief Bernat, Mrs. Mitchell, Mr. Koenig,
Mrs. Townshend, City Solicitor Rodriguez, and Mrs. McDowell.
OPEN FORUM
The Open Forum was held at 7:15 p.m., prior to commencement of the Official Council Meeting.
Council President Bonar declared the Open Forum in session and reminded those present that
Council was not in official session and could not take formal action.
Mr. Bruce MacGloan, 53 Planters Run Court, referred to a recent newspaper article that indicated
that property taxes collected were not sufficient to cover the City’s Police Department and his
surprise that their budget was almost $14M, representing over $1M per month. He felt that there was
a big crime problem in the City and that there should be more effort made to rear young people to
become good, law-abiding citizens. It was his feeling that building another basketball court would
not be the answer and he suggested a more individual focus of contacting churches in an attempt to
reach out to the children before they become teenagers and young adults acting out with violence.
He explained the importance of showing children how to live a happy and joyful life and hoped that
the City would consider this matter.
The invocation was given by Councilman Dixon, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
AGENDA ADDITIONS/DELETIONS
Council President Bonar requested the deletion of Agenda Item #9 - Council President Appointments
- 2014/2015 Committees, noting that this item would be considered during the Regular Council
Meeting of June 9, 2014.
Mr. Hutchison moved for approval of the agenda, as amended, seconded by Mr. Hare and
unanimously carried.
Mr. Hare moved for approval of the consent agenda as presented, seconded by Mr. Dixon and
carried by a unanimous roll call vote (Williams absent).
ADOPTION OF MINUTES - ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 12, 2014
The Minutes of the Annual Council Meeting of May 12, 2014 were unanimously approved by
motion of Mr. Hare, seconded by Mr. Dixon and bore the written approval of Council
President/Vice-Mayor Acting Bonar.
PUBLIC HEARING - VIOLATION OF THE DANGEROUS BUILDING ORDINANCE -
45 SOUTH NEW STREET - HOUSE OF PRIDE
A public hearing was duly advertised for this time and place to consider a violation of the Dangerous
Building Ordinance at 45 South New Street, owned by House of Pride. Mrs. Ann Marie Townshend,
Director of Planning and Community Development, stated that the property consisted of a two (2)
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story, wood-framed structure. The property was condemned on March 7, 1999 as unfit for human
occupancy due to fire damage that occurred earlier that morning. She noted that the property has had
minimal utility usage from 1999 to 2014 and that in January of 2004, the House of Pride established
utility service but has used no water. On May 6, 2014, the House of Pride applied for a building
permit (#14-535), but as the building has been damaged by fire with no attempts to make repairs
since 1999, has had longstanding code violations for use as storage, and has been vacant for many
years, the information submitted was insufficient to issue the building permit, as a structural report
was required. The Department of Planning and Inspections issued a letter on April 29, 2014
notifying the House of Pride of violations of the Dangerous Building Ordinance and the House of
Pride sent a letter, dated May 5, 2014, appealing this notice to City Council. Both letters were
included in the material provided to members. Mrs. Townshend provided a chronological history
and presentation on the conditions of the house located at 45 South New Street (Exhibit #1).
Mrs. Townshend advised members that the inspectors inspected the property earlier in the day and
noted that it appeared that some renovations were occurring; however, although a permit application
had been submitted and was currently under review, no building permit had been issued for
renovations. She indicated that the inspectors also observed that new windows had been recently
installed; however, they did not function correctly, which could be the result of incorrect installation.
Mrs. Townshend stated that a structural engineering report, dated May 15, 2014 (Exhibit #2), was
submitted along with the building permit application that was currently under review. She advised
members that the City’s Building Inspector had concerns regarding some of the repair
recommendations. After conducting his inspection earlier in the day, he contacted the engineer and,
as a result, the engineer will be submitting revised drawings. Should Council extend the amount of
time for repairs or demolition of the structure, a building permit may be issued if all the code
compliant documents are received by the City.
Staff recommended that City Council: 1) declare this building and all accessory structures on this
property dangerous; 2) order the property repaired or demolished by June 26, 2014 by the owner or
equity owner at their own risk; 3) order the Building Inspector to cause the repair or demolition of
the structures if not completed by the owner within 10 days of the date established by City Council;
and 4) order the City Manager with the assistance of the City Solicitor to cause the cost of repairs
or demolition to be charged against the land on which the building exists as a municipal lien or cause
such cost to be added to the tax duplicate as an assessment, or to be levied as a special tax, or to be
recovered in a suit at law against the owner.
Responding to Mr. Perza, Mrs. Townshend confirmed that if action was being taken to repair the
property at a reasonable rate by June 26, 2014, the City would not take further action to demolish
the property. She stated that no action had been taken to repair the property until recently. Since
there had been some action taken in this regard, she stated that staff would have no objections to
extending the repair/demolition completion date from within 10 days to within 45 or 60 days.
In response to Mr. Anderson, Mrs. Townshend stated that, although the majority of the work required
for the property was cosmetic, a substantial amount of structural work was also required.
Council President Bonar declared the public hearing open.
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Bishop Marion Lott, Executive Director of House of Pride, stated that although he agreed with the
report provided to members, he assured members that the House of Pride was in the process of
making the necessary repairs to the property. He confirmed that the property was being used for
storage prior to his becoming Executive Director. Since he assumed this position, the House of Pride
had been prioritizing their buildings and taking the necessary action to bring properties into
compliance with City Code. Although the House of Pride property at 45 South New Street was
previously not prioritized, he explained that since the violation was posted, the property had been
moved up on their list of priorities and the House of Pride was in the process of taking necessary
actions. He requested that members of Council extend the time allowed to have the necessary repairs
completed, explaining that the property would be a beautiful single-family dwelling, but that this
could not be completed within 60 days. Bishop Lott stated that he felt confident that the repairs
could be completed by September 2014, which would also allow time to acquire additional funding.
Responding to Mr. Hutchison, Bishop Lott estimated that the necessary repairs would cost
approximately $8,000-$10,000; however, a contractor had estimated the cost to be approximately
$26,000 to complete the property as desired. He stated that most of the labor was being performed
by volunteers and the $8,000-$10,000 cost estimate was for cinder blocks and materials not being
donated. Bishop Lott explained that Lowe’s and Wyoming Millwork had donated a lot of the
material, and that Ace Hardware had donated paint, noting that there is a partnership with many of
the local merchants who help provide material.
At the request of Mr. Anderson, Bishop Lott advised members that until he became Executive
Director, he was not aware that there were so many homeless families in the area. He explained the
grave need for affordable single-family homes in the community and how this need coincided with
what they were striving to accomplish in central Dover – the restoration of single-family homes in
the community.
There being no one else present wishing to speak during the public hearing, Council President Bonar
declared the public hearing closed.
Based on Bishop Lott’s comments, Mr. Hare felt that if completion of the repairs could be made by
September, which would be close to 90 days, then progress would be made within 30-45 days;
therefore, he suggested that Council grant the request for a 90-day extension. Council President
Bonar noted that 90 days from the present date would be August 25, 2014.
Mr. Hare moved that the structure located at 45 South New Street be declared a dangerous
building and subject to demolition, as recommended by staff; however, that the proposed
deadline for repair or demolition be extended from June 26, 2014 to August 25, 2014. The
motion was seconded by Mr. Lynn and carried by a unanimous roll call vote (Williams
absent).
PUBLIC HEARING - VIOLATION OF THE DANGEROUS BUILDING ORDINANCE -
110 SOUTH NEW STREET - HOUSE OF PRIDE
A public hearing was duly advertised for this time and place to consider a violation of the Dangerous
Building Ordinance at 110 South New Street, owned by House of Pride.
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Mrs. Ann Marie Townshend, Director of Planning and Community Development, stated that the
property consisted of a three (3) story, wood-framed structure. The property was closed by the City
on July 23, 2012 due to numerous repeated violations of the Dangerous Building Ordinance,
including not having a viable safety plan for the occupants of the building. This was appealed to
Council, and staff's actions were upheld by Council following a hearing on August 27, 2012. Since
the City required that the structure be vacated, no actions had been taken by the House of Pride to
resolve the deficiencies and to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy. On April 29, 2014, the Department
of Planning and Inspections issued a letter notifying the House of Pride of violations of the
Dangerous Building Ordinance, and House of Pride sent a letter, dated May 5, 2014, appealing this
notice to City Council. Both letters were provided to members. Mrs. Townshend stated that,
presently, the home had no utilities, was registered as a vacant building, and was condemned as unfit
for human occupancy. She provided a chronological history and presentation on the conditions of
the house located at 110 South New Street (Exhibit #3).
Staff recommended that City Council: 1) declare this building and all accessory structures on this
property dangerous; 2) order the property repaired or demolished by June 26, 2014 by the owner or
equity owner at their own risk; 3) order the Building Inspector to cause the repair or demolition of
the structures if not completed by the owner within 10 days of the date established by City Council;
and 4) order the City Manager with the assistance of the City Solicitor to cause the cost of repairs
or demolition to be charged against the land on which the building exists as a municipal lien or cause
such cost to be added to the tax duplicate as an assessment, or to be levied as a special tax, or to be
recovered in a suit at law against the owner.
Unlike the previous hearing for violation of the dangerous building ordinance for 45 South New
Street, also owned by House of Pride, Mrs. Townshend stated that there had been no activity to make
repairs, building permits pending, or discussion of repairs, etc., in regard to this property. In
addition, she stated her opinion that the repairs needed for the property at 110 South New Street were
more extensive than those at 45 South New Street, also owned by House of Pride.
In response to Mr. Perza, Mrs. Townshend stated that, due to the zoning classification, the property
would need to be restored as a single-family home. She noted that the property was not previously
used as a single-family dwelling, but rather as a combination of apartment units and rooming house
type of occupancy.
Council President Bonar declared the public hearing open.
Bishop Marion Lott, Executive Director of House of Pride, concurred regarding the deplorable
condition of the property. He advised members that there were excessive costs involved, indicating
that the estimated cost for demolition was $30,000 and repairing the property would cost
approximately the same. Bishop Lott explained that the issue was that House of Pride owes money
on the building. He stated that the House of Pride was currently in the process of working with a
realtor to determine if this property could be combined with property located at 106 South New
Street if they could acquire 108 South New Street. It was hoped that combining and selling the
properties would allow House of Pride to acquire enough funds to offset some of the costs for other
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buildings. Although the House of Pride did not object to the demolition of the building, Bishop Lott
requested that City Council provide additional time to determine if the realtor could combine the
properties for a possible sale.
Responding to Mr. Hare, Bishop Lott felt that 60 days (July 28) would provide the realtor ample time
to complete the combination of property, if possible.
Mrs. Townshend explained that even if an extension were approved, staff’s recommendation was
to repair or demolish the property by a certain time, not necessarily to have the property under
contract. In addition, she reminded members that the City currently had a demolition lien on the
property located at 106 South New Street.
In response to Mr. Perza, Mrs. Townshend stated that, to her knowledge, the current property taxes
had not been paid for 106, 108, or 110 South New Street.
Responding to Mr. Hutchison, Mrs. Townshend explained that the property was considered a legal,
non-conforming use within the property zoning classification, noting that its use as a combination
apartment/rooming house was in existence before the zoning ordinance changed to not allow such
use. Since its use as such had ceased for more than a year, she stated that such a use could not be
re-established.
Bishop Lott assured members of his understanding of the zoning ordinance and that the property
must be used as a single-family residence.
There being no one else present wishing to speak during the public hearing, Council President Bonar
declared the public hearing closed.
Mr. Hare moved that the structure located at 110 South New Street be declared a dangerous
building and subject to demolition, as recommended by staff; however, that the proposed
deadline for repair or demolition be extended from June 26, 2014 to July 28, 2014. The motion
was seconded by Mr. Lynn and carried by a unanimous roll call vote (Williams absent).
SPECIAL SAFETY ADVISORY AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE REPORT -
MAY 12, 2014
A Special Safety Advisory and Transportation Committee Meeting was held on May 12, 2014 with
Chairman Hutchison presiding.
Concerns Related to Permit Parking In Front of Wesley Pre-School and
Education Building
Members were advised that the Downtown Dover Partnership (DDP) acquired and
renovated the property located at 22-24 W. Loockerman Street. A lease was
negotiated with Transcore, the State of Delaware’s vendor for E-ZPass, and E-ZPass
opened at this location in early March. In order to accommodate E-ZPass employees’
parking needs, the DDP included the guarantee of 85 parking spaces in the North
Street and Bradford Street parking lots for use by E-ZPass employees. This
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allocation of parking permits caused the City and DDP to work together to reallocate
permit, metered, and free two (2) hour parking within the existing municipal lots
managed by the DDP. To balance the need for customer parking with employee
parking, the City Manager and City Planner jointly decided to convert 13 parking
spaces in what is known as “A-Street Lot” from free two (2) hour parking to permit
parking. Without making this change, there would be insufficient parking in the
Bradford Street Lot to accommodate both employees and visitors.
The A-Street Lot was utilized for City employee parking for approximately 18
months during the construction of the Dover Public Library. During this time, the
City received no complaints and observed no operational issues with this allocation
of parking. Prior to, and since designating 13 permit spaces in this area on
March 1, 2014, staff continued to monitor this area and regularly observed open
parking among the two (2) hour spaces.
Tenants of the Wesley Church Education Building and the Wesley Pre-School
expressed concern with the allocation of permit parking in this area, which was
previously free two (2) hour parking.
No other municipal lot in the area could accommodate the 13 permits. Staff
recommended that the permit parking remain as currently configured. If the
Committee and Council wished to reconfigure parking in response to the concerns,
staff recommended consideration of the following options:
1. Move the mailbox from the current location to the library
parking lot near the post office.
2. Remove large holly trees from the landscape island to allow
better access to parallel parking spaces on either side of the
island. Plant landscaping that has less conflict with
vegetation.
3. Move permit parking from the angled parking spaces to the
parallel parking spaces on either side of the island. Some
permit spaces would still be necessary in the angled parking
area.
Mrs. Ann Marie Townshend, Director of Planning and Community Development,
explained that there were a total of 24 parking spaces in the area being discussed: 20
parking spaces in the A-Street Lot (13 designated for permit parking, six (6) for two
(2) hour free parking, and one (1) for handicapped parking) and four (4) additional
two (2) hour free parallel spots on the Loockerman Street side of the median. She
noted that if the holly trees located on the median are not trimmed well,
inconvenience is caused for those parking in three (3) of the spaces on the south side
of the median. She noted that placement of the drive-through mailbox took away one
(1) parking space on the south side of the median.
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Mrs. Townshend advised members that when the parking needs and availability of
the larger area were examined, there was a need to move 13 permit spots from the
Barros, McNamara, Malkiewicz and Taylor, PA law firm (located on the corner of
Loockerman and State Streets) to the A-Street Lot because they could not be
absorbed in the lots on the west side of State Street. Staff talked to the Wesley
United Methodist Church a couple of weeks prior to implementing this change and
looked at other options; however, they were unable to come up with anything that
would resolve the issue.
Mrs. Townshend suggested that members hear what the public has to say regarding
this topic and that the matter be referred to staff to determine if other configurations
would address the specific problems. She stated that, in order to address the issue,
staff needed to understand better the actual concerns to determine if parking was not
available or if parking spots were not convenient.
Mr. Hutchison stated his understanding that Wesley United Methodist Church was
looking for a compromise whereby three (3) to five (5) parking spaces could be made
available. He questioned if the post office box could be placed in an alternative
location and if there was some flexibility to provide spaces for the church. He
reminded members that the Church had been at its location for well over 100 years,
had made contributions to the community, and that the Church also brought business
downtown.
Mr. Scott Koenig, City Manager, stated that staff had tried to keep all the permit
parking spots adjacent to each other to avoid multiple conflicting messages in terms
of signage. He noted that re-striping had been discussed; however, he felt that
significant re-striping would likely involve consultation with the Delaware
Department of Transportation (DelDOT). Mr. Koenig stated that staff had not looked
at alternative sites for the mailbox. He indicated that the site plan for the Dover
Public Library anticipated that the mailbox would be put in a spot similar to its
previous location; however, this entrance/exit was very congested. He suggested that
there may be better alternative locations.
Mr. Anderson expressed his opinion that taking all of the slots in front of the church
had caused “angst” and inquired if a few slots could be open to the church and others
reserved for permit parking. Responding, Mr. Koenig reiterated that splitting parking
designations could cause a need for additional parking signage and difficulties with
adherence. He felt the current method provided the easiest, clearest message, but this
could be altered if it was Council’s wish.
Mr. Perza advised members that he had attended the Wesley Preschool as a child and
his daughter now attends the school; therefore he was familiar with the purpose of
this portion of the parking lot and the spots used to drop off children. He indicated
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that he did not see the link between these spots and the parking situation on
Loockerman Street two (2) to three (3) blocks west. He felt that the situation should
be fixed so as not to disrupt the historic use of Wesley Church and the preschool and
stated his desire to find a solution to accomplish this.
Mr. Dave Casto, 8 Gregory Court, Chair of Trustees, Wesley United Methodist
Church, explained that he understood what the City was going through and this was
one of the reasons that the Church had been willing to compromise from the
beginning. However, he felt that perhaps compromising rather than stating that the
Church did not want parking permits in this area at all had been a mistake. He asked
members to imagine a business or private, non-profit, enterprise that offered many
programs suddenly having 10 parking spots in front of their building taken, noting
that he was unaware of any other location in the City where this had occurred.
Mr. Casto indicated that this came as a shock to the Church, as they were not
involved in the planning processes or informed of what was going on. He stated that
one (1) meeting was held the morning that related signs were put up, after the signs
were erected. Mr. Casto advised members that a number of individuals utilize the
building for different programs and that some of these programs would be expanding.
He stated that the availability of two (2) hour parking would allow the church to
serve the developmentally disabled and to operate its Clothing Closet. He explained
that, at times, parking is not available in close proximity to the church. Mr. Casto
expressed his opinion that the Barros, McNamara, Malkiewicz, and Taylor, PA law
firm should have made arrangements for their own parking when they moved across
the street, rather than having parking spots taken from the Church. He advised
members that the Church had always been a good partner with the City, allowing use
of their parking for Dover Days, the Schwartz Center, etc.
Dr. Joyce Denman, Supervisor of Special Education, Capital School District,
explained that the District’s Student Transition to Adult Readiness (STAR) program
was started during the previous year to serve students aged 18-21 with significant
disabilities who are eligible for public school services. Since being in a school
facility with students aged 14-18 was deemed inappropriate for these students, the
Wesley Education Building site was selected due to its location near the Dover Public
Library and close proximity to community events. The first complete successful year
for the program had concluded and parents, teachers, and paraprofessionals were
pleased with the setting. Dr. Denman stated that service personnel, including a
psychologist, speech language pathologist, physical therapist, occupational therapists,
and administrators, come to the site for short visits every day to provide services.
These individuals are on very tight schedules because they work at several sites and
convenient parking is important to allow them to complete 30-minute sessions and
go to their next assignment. In addition, food service providers deliver breakfast, and
subsequently lunch, at this location each day.
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Mr. Alex Vaughan, 509 Dyke Branch Road, Trustee, Wesley United Methodist
Church, requested clarification regarding the path that brought those present to the
current meeting and what led to the “path that was taken last December” (parking
changes that were made in the A-Street Lot). Responding, Mr. Hutchison stated that
the City was considering parking spaces needed in the downtown area. He stated that
this included Wesley United Methodist Church and that parking was being discussed
in this context.
Mr. Vaughan stated that, as a trustee, his interest was from an administrative
standpoint. He stated he was aware that the parking spaces had something to do with
the Barros, McNamara, Malkiewicz and Taylor, PA law firm, but was also led to
believe that it had something to do with the new E-ZPass offices on Loockerman
Street. He stated his belief that the history of this parking situation went back many
years to when the DDP had facilitated acquiring the former Woolworth’s building
that now houses E-ZPass. Mr. Vaughan did not understand why the parking concerns
being discussed were not addressed at the time this project was undertaken.
Mr. Hutchison stated that the City of Dover and DDP had made a commitment to
work with E-ZPass to bring new jobs downtown and to work with the State of
Delaware to accomplish this. He expressed his hope that the City could work with
Wesley United Methodist Church to get the situation resolved.
Mr. Vaughan hoped this would be the result, but stated concern that the Church was
not brought into the conversation in December 2013 when staff began addressing the
parking concerns. He felt that the parking issues that caused the reallocation of these
spaces began several years ago and that leaving the Church out of the discussion was
not good neighborhood relations.
In response, Mr. Hutchison stated that he had discussed this matter earlier in the day
with Mrs. Townshend and Mr. Koenig, and they were well on the way to addressing
the concerns expressed. Mr. Vaughan stated that the Church was looking forward to
being part of the process.
Mr. David Evans, Co-Lay Leader of Wesley United Methodist Church, 388 Clark
Farm Road, Smyrna, advised members that approximately 95-96% of the Church’s
service is work for those less fortunate and this work is done out of the Wesley
Education Building. He noted that the Clothing Closet serves hundreds of needy
people who do not have clothes and likely do not have cars; therefore, they must be
driven to the Clothes Closet where it is difficult to find a parking spot. In addition,
he estimated that 20 people come to the building every Tuesday at 7:00 a.m. for a
Bible study, noting that, at 68 years old, he is one of the youngest attendees.
Mr. Evans advised members that he had pulled a gentleman from the holly bushes
referred to previously because he stumbled getting out of his car. He felt that it might
not have become an issue and Church representatives would not be attending the
meeting if someone had approached them first regarding this matter instead of
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assuming that the parking spots were not being used, and if the church had explained
that 95% of their outreach to needy people was done out of this building. However,
he stated that parking was now an issue and a critical need for the individuals who
need these services the most.
Mr. Jack Royston, 44 Philchrist Drive, expressed concurrence with the comments of
the previous speakers, including the need for better communication “with our friends
and neighbors.” He stated appreciation for the City taking the time to look into the
problem and expressed his hope that it would be resolved in an amicable way.
Reverend Amy Yarnall, 140 Hazel Road, indicated that her views had been expressed
and stated her appreciation for the City’s consideration of this issue.
Mr. Keller stated that he sympathized with the Church and advised those present that
the City would do its very best.
Mr. Hutchison recommended a 45-day delay on the current issue, which would give
Mr. Koenig and Mrs. Townshend an opportunity to come back to members with a
proposal.
Responding to Mr. Perza regarding the reason for the 45-day time period,
Mrs. Townshend stated that the Committee’s current special meeting was being held
at the beginning of the month rather than the normal meeting date on the fourth
Monday of the month. It was planned to bring the issue back to the Committee at the
end of June so that staff could sort through possible scenarios.
Mr. Hutchison inquired if something could be done to assist the church in addressing
their immediate issues before 45 days. He noted that the correspondence he received
regarding this issue indicated a need for three (3) to five (5) parking spaces.
Mrs. Townshend stated that there were on-street parking spaces further west on
Loockerman Street adjacent to the building owned by Barros, McNamara,
Malkiewicz and Taylor, PA and indicated that some of the permit spaces could be
shifted to that area. She stated that five (5) to seven (7), and possibly eight (8) spaces
could be accommodated if this area were designated for permit parking. Mr. Koenig
stated that this could be done; however, he was unsure what the unintended
consequences could be.
Reverend Yarnall advised members that the STAR and Wesley Preschool programs
would not be operating at full capacity during the summer and wanted everyone to
realize this if studies regarding parking would be conducted in the summertime.
Responding to Mr. Keller as to whether the Barros, McNamara, Malkiewicz and
Taylor, PA law firm should also be notified, Mrs. Townshend stated that the law firm
was well aware of the issues.
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 11
The Committee recommended that the matter be remanded back to staff to meet with
Wesley Church to consider the needs and assessments that need to be factored in
regarding the Church, its school, and its mission and that staff be authorized to
proceed with intermediate permit spot adjustments.
By consent agenda, Mr. Hare moved for approval of the Committee’s recommendation,
seconded by Mr. Dixon and carried by a unanimous roll call vote (Williams absent).
Discussion - Traffic Concerns on College Road (Request of Westminster Village)
Mrs. Ann Marie Townshend, Director of Planning and Community Development,
stated that there had been a request from a resident at Westminster Village to
signalize the exit from Westminster Village onto College Road that lines up with
North Dover Elementary School. This request was sent to the Delaware Department
of Transportation (DelDOT) traffic section to determine if this was something that
they could look at and to analyze crash data. DelDOT determined that a signal would
not have prevented any of the accidents that occurred at this location and did not find
that a signal was warranted. Mrs. Townshend advised members that there were
continual issues with congestion and speeding on the stretch of College Road
extending from the University Courtyard Apartments to the Woodlands of Fox Hall.
She recommended reaching out to the DelDOT traffic section and the Dover/Kent
County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) to perform a traffic study in that
area to look at traffic counts and measures that could be put in place to help facilitate
better flow of traffic. Mrs. Townshend noted that McKee and College Road were
both DelDOT roads and that DelDOT would need to implement any changes.
Mr. Hutchison suggested that staff have DelDOT look at the area due to the large
number of students walking between the apartments and the University on a daily
basis. Mrs. Townshend concurred, stating that pedestrian issues and efficient traffic
flow were both concerns in the area.
Update - Dover High School Construction
Mrs. Ann Marie Townshend, Director of Planning and Community Development,
stated that the Capital School District (CSD) had been working with the Fire
Marshal’s Office to complete fire alarm testing so that furniture could be moved into
Dover High School later in May. It was hoped that testing would be complete by the
end of the current week, and from a building code standpoint, furniture could then
be moved in. It was hoped that a temporary Certificate of Occupancy (CO) would
be issued in June: however, Mrs. Townshend expressed some concerns, noting that
the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) would
not agree to a temporary CO until stormwater violations were resolved. She stated
that monthly coordination meetings were continuing, with some interim meetings
being held regarding stormwater. The stormwater outfall under Route 8 was
expected to be finished within the next couple of days, with construction on the east
entrance to begin shortly after. Mrs. Townshend stated that staff had advised the
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CSD that the east entrance did not need to be entirely complete for the temporary CO
to be issued, but the school could not open for the year without its completion. The
temporary CO would be very specific as to moving in, setting up, and getting things
in place. She noted that DelDOT was getting ready to move forward on the
sidewalks and installation of the High-Intensity Activated CrossWalk (HAWK)
signal. All but one (1) property owner had signed the easements needed and a more
difficult route must be taken to acquire the construction easement for this owner’s
property.
Responding to Mr. Hutchison regarding the stormwater requirements,
Mrs. Townshend stated that DNREC was the controlling factor in regard to
stormwater issues and that going against DNREC would jeopardize the City’s status
as a regulated community under the stormwater program. Mrs. Townshend stated
that staff was working very closely with DRNEC and EDiS to make sure these issues
are resolved as quickly as possible. She noted that wet weather and the very cold and
snowy winter had made the project difficult.
Noting that the southern segment of Dover High Drive and its connection to Tribbett
Road must be completed before school opens in September, Mr. Hutchison
questioned if staff had issued a written document to that effect. Responding,
Mrs. Townshend stated that this had not been done because stormwater appeared to
be the biggest concern. However, she concurred that the City was at the point that
issues related to the roadway should be put in writing because the roadway is critical.
Noting the importance of the safety of the children, Mr. Keller questioned if the
completion of sidewalk construction and the installation of the HAWK signal would
be required for a CO. Mrs. Townshend stated that these aspects were under
DelDOT’s control, rather than the CSD’s; however, DelDOT was fairly confident
that the HAWK signal and the bulk of the sidewalks would be in place by August.
She indicated that no plans had been made to bus the children to school if sidewalks
were not completed, but if there were not a safe walking route to school, the CSD
would have to provide bus transportation.
Responding to Mr. Hutchison, Mrs. Townshend confirmed that the sidewalks under
discussion were on the north side of Route 8. It was her belief that, ultimately,
sidewalks would be needed on the south side also, as well as on Mifflin Road.
In response to Mr. Keller, Mrs. Townshend stated her recollection that approximately
200 children would be using the HAWK signal, although parents may transport some
of these children.
Mr. Perza questioned if the CSD was aware that they would not be permitted to open
the school until all requirements were completed, regardless of whether these
requirements were the responsibility of DelDOT or other parties. He expressed the
desire to ensure that nothing “slips through the cracks” and that the CSD is made
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 13
aware of all requirements. Responding, Mrs. Townshend indicated that these
requirements had been stated at the coordination meetings during the past three (3)
months; however, she concurred that putting them in writing would be worthwhile.
She stated that EdiS had assured staff that the project would be complete.
Mr. Perza expressed a desire to intervene and to avoid “finger pointing” and stated
that the bottom line is that children cannot go into the school until it is safe,
regardless of who gets it done. He stated he wished to create a record now in this
regard. Concurring, Mrs. Townshend stated that the City could not sign off on the
project if it were not safe.
By consent agenda, Mr. Hare moved for acceptance of the Special Safety Advisory and
Transportation Committee Report, seconded by Mr. Dixon and carried by a unanimous roll
call vote (Williams absent).
PARKS, RECREATION, AND COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT COMMITTEE REPORT -
MAY 12, 2014
The Utility Committee met on May 12, 2014 with Chairman Dixon presiding.
Proposed Ordinance #2014-08 - Amending Appendix B - Zoning - Article 3 -
District Regulations - Section 10 - Institutional and Office Zone (IO); Section 11
- Neighborhood Commercial Zone (C-1); Section 12 - Limited Commercial Zone
(C-1A); Section 13 - Central Commercial Zone (C-2); Section 14 - Limited
Central Commercial Zone (C-2A); Section 15 - Service Commercial Zone (C-3);
Section 16 - Highway Commercial Zone (C-4);
Section 26 - Commercial/Professional Office Development District (C-PO);
Article 4 - Zoning Bulk and Parking Regulations; Article 10 - Planning
Commission; and Article 12 - Definitions
During the Parks, Recreation, and Community Enhancement Committee meeting
held on April 14, 2014, members considered Proposed Ordinance #2014-08. After
much discussion, members recommended that Proposed Ordinance #2014-08 be
referred back to staff for a final read through to make recommended changes and
clarify language, and returned to the Parks, Recreation, and Community
Enhancement Committee on May 12, 2014. City Council approved the Committee’s
recommendation during their regular meeting held on April 28, 2014.
During the Parks, Recreation, and Community Enhancement Committee meeting on
May 12, 2014, Mrs. Ann Marie Townshend, Director of Planning and Community
Development, advised members that Proposed Ordinance #2014-08 was before the
Committee in its original draft format with no revisions since the previous meeting.
Mrs. Townshend stated that she had met with Councilman Perza regarding this
matter to address the concerns he expressed during the previous meeting.
Mrs. Townshend explained that, historically, when staff proposed zoning text
amendments without involving the regulated community, they were often directed
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 14
to do so before any action could be taken. As a result, the decision was made to
approach the Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce (CDCC), the Kent County
Association of Realtors, and other members of the community to review the
commercial and office zone ordinances to obtain input before bringing the
amendments before Council. A little over a year was spent reviewing the ordinances
in great detail and each section was scrutinized in an effort to simplify the zoning
ordinance and to broaden specific uses to more general use categories. She stated
that another goal was to address consistency from one section to another. Bulk
standards were also examined, since experience had shown that these standards were
causing good design to be set aside because of setback requirements. It was noted
that the Planning Commission had the authority to determine if the circulation on the
site did not work well. Thresholds for projects that must be considered by the
Planning Commission were also considered.
Mrs. Townshend indicated that more clarification might be needed in Lines 414-420
of the ordinance to make it clear that new buildings would be treated differently than
existing buildings.
Mrs. Townshend stated that, to this point, primary discussions had been through the
CDCC and the real estate community. Mr. Keith Cooker, Landmark Engineering,
and Mr. Bob McLeish, Lighthouse Construction, participated on behalf of
homebuilders. She stated that she had spoken with downtown merchants to inform
them of the proposed changes. She reminded members that two (2) public hearings
would be held regarding the ordinance, one (1) before the Planning Commission and
one (1) before City Council; therefore there would be opportunities for the public to
share its concerns.
In reference to his original concerns in terms of clarity of some sections of the
Proposed Ordinance, particularly Section 2.11(a)-(c), Mr. Perza stated that, after
meeting with Mrs. Townshend, reviewing the historic process, and understanding the
additional steps that would include opportunities for public input before any changes
were made, he withdrew his objection to moving forward to Council with the draft
Ordinance as presented.
The Committee recommended adoption of Proposed Ordinance #2014-08, as drafted
by the Planning Department.
By consent agenda, Mr. Hare moved for approval of the Committee’s recommendation,
seconded by Mr. Dixon and carried by a unanimous roll call vote (Williams absent). (The First
Reading of Proposed Ordinance #2014-08 will take place during the latter part of the meeting).
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 15
Updates
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program
Mrs. Tracey Harvey, Planner I, advised the Committee that the staff had met the
U. S. expenditure of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and that
all funds were expended 60 days prior to the end of FY 14.
Mrs. Harvey stated that the last Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) home
was sold last month, closing this program with a total of 11 homes sold and
settlement assistance provided to 10 first time home buyers.
In response to Councilman Hutchison’s inquiry as to the level of requests for
assistance and support, Mrs. Harvey advised that the number of such requests had
increased, and the FY 2014 CDBG budget was increased to support those needs.
She noted that the summer tends to be a busier time for the program.
Responding to Mr. Dixon regarding activities related to the Restoring Central Dover
Initiative, a planning initiative for the revitalization of central Dover, Mrs. Harvey
stated that several related open houses were held during the previous week at Bayard
Plaza and they were well attended (approximately 150 people). A successful street
fair also took place on May 10, 2014. She indicated that the National Council on
Life and Labor Research (NCALL), the lead agency for the Initiative, was the
recipient of a related grant from the Wells Fargo Regional Foundation and that
completion of an implementation plan for this grant would be the next step for those
working on the project.
Recreation Needs Assessment
Mrs. Ann Marie Townshend advised the Committee that staff was approximately six
(6) weeks behind where they hoped to be at this point in terms of accomplishing the
Recreation Needs Assessment. She stated that it was planned to issue a survey to
recreation providers in the area for review and then to distribute the survey to the
community within the next two (2) weeks.
In response to Mr. Hutchison regarding the status of demolition of the recreation
building at the Dover Park, Mrs. Townshend advised members that demolition bids
were due on May 14, 2014. Once Council approves a bidder, staff will move forward
with the project. She indicated that an $80,000 placeholder was included in the FY
15 Capital Improvement Plan budget for future use at Dover Park and the planned
use of these funds would be determined by the results of the needs assessment.
By consent agenda, Mr. Hare moved for acceptance of the Parks, Recreation, and Community
Enhancement Committee Report, seconded by Mr. Dixon and carried by a unanimous roll call
vote (Williams absent).
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 16
UTILITY COMMITTEE REPORT - MAY 12, 2014
The Utility Committee met on May 12, 2014 with Chairwoman Williams presiding.
Capital School District Request to Transfer Equivalent Dwelling Unit (EDU)
Credits (Dover High School)
Mr. Scott Koenig, City Manager, reviewed a request from the Capital School District
to transfer water and sewer Equivalent Dwelling Units (EDU) from the current Dover
High School property located at 1 Pat Lynn Drive to the new school at 1 Dover High
Drive. Mr. Koenig explained that, based on calculations made by Mrs. Sharon Duca,
Director of Public Works, if the request were approved, the impact fee for the new
school would be $18,207, which would include transferred EDUs from the old
property in addition to new EDUs created on the new property. If the request were
not approved, the impact fee would be $412,692. Mr. Koenig pointed out that
although this request is allowable under the City Code, it is only allowed if approved
by Council. Members were advised that, per the City of Dover Code of Ordinances,
two (2) references are applicable to this request. The first code reference is located
in Chapter 110, Article III – Water Service, Division 3 – Water Impact Fees, Section
110-208 (d), and the second code reference is located in Chapter 110, Article IV –
Wastewater Service, Division 3 – Wastewater Impact Fees, Section 110-283 (c).
Both sections state that “No EDUs shall be transferred from one property to another
property, whether or not such properties are owned by the same person, without the
approval of city council.”
In response to Mrs. Williams’ concern regarding the demolition of the gym, cafeteria,
etc. at the current facility, Mr. Koenig advised that members of the Capital School
District were present to address those questions.
Mr. Sean Sokolowski, Business Manager for Capital School District, advised
members that as of May 12, 2014, it was the District’s intent to demolish all of the
existing facilities at the current location. Responding to Mrs. Williams,
Mr. Sokolowski stated that the fields would remain intact and that keeping the gym,
cafeteria, etc. were considered; however, the cost to maintain the structures would be
prohibitive. He explained that demolishing the entire facility would allow the
contractor to perform a complete demolition. If the contractor were asked to preserve
certain sections of the facility, this would change the way the demolition was
performed, requiring a great deal more work and increased costs to preserve the
heating, air conditioning and ventilation (HVAC), electric, etc.
In response to Mr. Slavin, Mr. Sokolowski confirmed that there is a governance from
the Department of Education that the building has to be demolished if funds are
accepted for the new facility.
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 17
Responding to Mrs. Williams, Mr. Sokolowski said that it was not common practice
for the Department of Education to require demolition of the existing structure when
building a new facility; however, he stated that the Cape Henlopen School District
demolished their facility when they built their new high school and the Laurel School
District was looking at doing the same. Mr. Sokolowski stated that if the Capital
School District wished to maintain the current high school, the Department of
Education would not have provided funds to build the new school and would have
had to invest in renovating the current building, which would not have been cost
effective. In response to Mrs. Williams concerning other school districts being
permitted to keep their existing buildings, Mr. Sokolowski said that this is sometimes
allowed but would only be possible if there was enough enrollment to fill the old
building and the new building, and the Capital School District did not have this
capacity.
In response to Mr. Blakeman, Mr. Sokolowski stated that Capital School District will
maintain ownership of the land where the old school is located; however, there were
no immediate plans other than to hold on to it for future use, hopefully for another
middle school or an elementary school. Mr. Sokolowski noted that when land was
being sought for the new high school, there were not many areas within City limits
with enough acreage to accommodate the school, grounds for fields, parking lots,
etc.; therefore, it did not make sense to let go of the property.
Responding to Mrs. Williams, Mr. Sokolowski stated that the old school property
would be accessible to the public, noting that the District continues to keep them in
good working order and has rented them out on occasion.
In response to Mr. Slavin regarding the City Manager’s recommendation on
transferring the EDUs, Mr. Koenig advised members that staff’s position was that the
request met the technical merits and the decision was up to City Council.
Responding to Mr. Dixon regarding the possibility of retaining the gym and other
parts of the facility for youth, Mr. Sokolowski indicated that the gyms at William
Henry Middle School and Central Middle School are available; however, funding is
not available to do a partial demolition at Dover High School.
Responding to Mr. Perza regarding the City having a basis or a precedent to deny a
request for transfer of EDUs, Mr. Koenig stated that such a transfer was approved for
Capital School District for their administrative offices; therefore, there was a
precedent for approving this type of request, but not for denying it, to his knowledge.
In response to Mr. Koenig as to whether he recommended the transfer, Mr. Koenig
stated that the Public Works Department indicated that the request met the technical
merits and the City Manager’s Office recommended approval of the transfer based
on those merits.
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 18
In response to Mrs. Williams as to whether the gym at the current high school could
be left for use as a stand-alone building, Mr. Koenig stated that this was possible;
however, the costs associated with doing so would be drastically greater and he did
not have authorization to make that recommendation. Additionally, aside from the
responsibility and cost associated with maintaining the facility, any agreement that
would be established if the gym were to remain would likely include a clause that if
the Department of Education wanted to use the property for a school, the City would
have to abandon the facility. As a result, it could cost the City millions of dollars to
invest in the partial demolition and subsequent maintenance, only to have to abandon
the property later. In addition, the certificate that was granted to the Capital School
District from the Department of Education specifically stated that the current facility
would be demolished.
Responding to Mrs. Williams regarding other issues related to construction of the
new high school, Mr. Koenig stated that, at this time, he did not have any additional
concerns. He indicated that the Capital School District had committed to building
a second entrance, the apartment developer had reinitiated their projects so that the
road would be extended and tied into the subdivision, and the additional sidewalks
on the north side of Route 8 were progressing. He noted that there was one (1)
property that may have to go to condemnation; however, all other property owners
had agreed to the easements.
Responding to Mr. Perza as to whether the City should postpone the transfer until
after the school is opened to ensure that all outstanding items are completed,
Mr. Koenig indicated that impact fees are traditionally paid at the time of occupancy;
however, City Council had the option to suspend action on the transfer until all items
are complete.
In response to Mr. Blakeman, Mr. Perza advised that if the Capital School District
wanted to use the old high school property at a later date, they would have to pay the
full impact fees.
The committee recommended approval of the transfer of Equivalent Dwelling Unit
(EDU) credits for the Capital School District from 1 Pat Lynn Drive to 1 Dover High
Drive.
By consent agenda, Mr. Hare moved for approval of the Committee’s recommendation,
seconded by Mr. Dixon and carried by a unanimous roll call vote (Williams absent).
Annual Review and Approval of Governing Policy For Energy Commodity Risk
Management
Mr. Scott Koenig, City Manager, reviewed the Governing Policy for Energy
Commodity Risk Management and explained that this policy governs how the City
trades energy. He stated that the hedge program outlines the rules for good
transactions that can be reviewed by the internal committee and lets the public know
that the City is following the rules. Mr. Koenig advised members that the changes
referenced in the document were basically “housekeeping” changes.
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 19
The Committee recommended approval of the Governing Policy for Energy
Commodity Risk Management.
By consent agenda, Mr. Hare moved for approval of the Governing Policy for Energy
Commodity Risk Management (Exhibit #4), seconded by Mr. Dixon and carried by a
unanimous roll call vote (Williams absent).
Quarterly Review of Utility Related Capital Investment Plan (CIP) (Electric and
Water/Wastewater)
Mr. Scott Koenig, City Manager, reviewed the Capital Investment Plan Project
Tracking Report, as of March 31, 2014 which included the financial status of each
project, noting some of the projects were complete and some had not been billed yet.
Mr. Koenig provided updates on the Garrison Farm project, stating that the water,
sewer, and electric projects had been authorized by Council and were underway, as
well as the earth moving component of the storm water aspect. Mr. Koenig advised
members that George & Lynch, Inc., the contractor for the sewer project, had
mobilized and it was expected that the tower contractor would mobilize shortly.
Mr. Koenig advised members that Community Transportation Fund projects had been
reallocated to South Street adjacent to the hospital, however, it continued to appear
open on the report because the contractor had not presented the bill to the City yet.
Mr. Koenig indicated that members were starting to catch up on some of the backlog
of capital projects, noting that the Horsepond project had made substantial progress
and that Council would be considering the extension for services for the Van Sant
proposal during their meeting scheduled for later in the evening.
Responding to Mr. Anderson, Mr. Koenig advised members that the cost of the
Garrison Oak Technical Park improvements was approximately $14.2M, including
the water tower, the sanitary pumping station and force main, improvements
including the road, storm sewers, the water main, gravity sewer main, and design
drawings for the entire subdivision. Of that amount, approximately $550,000 was
for electric improvements. In response to Mr. Anderson regarding the amount of
funds that were provided by City taxpayers and how much was bond money, State
contributions, and Calpine contributions, Mr. Koenig stated that he did not have the
breakdown with him but offered to provide this information. The State of Delaware
did not contribute to the portion of the project that he had described; however, State
funds went to the gas line extension. He indicated that there was no cash
contribution from Calpine; the $14.2M was City funds from General Fund Bonding,
the Water/Sewer Fund, and the Electric Fund.
In response to Mr. Slavin, Mr. Koenig advised that the City did not contribute to the
gas line and that the total cost was roughly $7M, $2M of which was paid by the state.
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 20
Responding to Mr. Anderson, Mr. Koenig advised that the in-ground pipe and
elevated storage inside the Garrison Oak Technical Park were designed for the full
build-out of the Park; however, if additional wattage is required, it will be necessary
to develop additional water resources. Mrs. Williams stated that the Purchase Power
Agreement (PPA) and water revenues would be primary resources to recapture costs.
Responding to Mr. Perza, Mr. Koenig stated that it was his plan to resume the Tar
Ditch Interceptor project within the next 60 days and he hoped to meet with the
property owners to attempt to acquire some of the easements.
TEA/NAES Report (March)
The TEA/NAES Monthly Report for March 2014 was provided to members to enable
them to monitor electric sales and revenues received, which will provide a better
understanding of any fluctuations that occur and allow the opportunity to make
improvements if deemed necessary.
The Committee recommended acceptance of the report.
By consent agenda, Mr. Hare moved for approval of the Committee’s recommendation,
seconded by Mr. Dixon and carried by a unanimous roll call vote (Williams absent).
Updates
Green Energy Funding and Programming
Members reviewed details regarding Green Energy Funding and Programming.
National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
Mr. Scott Koenig, City Manager, advised members that the City received three (3)
notices of violation of the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit.
One violation was for non-compliance and two (2) violations were related to
properties owned by the City: the former Public Works site and the City of Dover
warehouse site. Staff was currently working through these notices of violations and
would be making the associated corrections to become compliant. Mr. Koenig
advised members that the presentation provided at the Budget Hearings scheduled for
the next week would include a request for an Environmental Scientist position to
address these issues and remain compliant.
Responding to Mr. Hutchison, Mr. Koenig advised that the violations had not cost
the City money to date; however, if the City does not become and remain in
compliance, financial penalties could be assessed.
Garrison Oak Technical Park Project Updates
Mr. Scott Koenig, City Manager, provided the following updates:
City Infrastructure
Mr. Koenig advised members that A-Del Construction Company, the City’s earth
work and road contractor, had begun digging the ponds associated with storm water
management. George & Lynch, Inc. was putting in a 16-inch force main on White
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 21
Oak Road that will extend back from the Garrison Farm under Route 1 to the White
Oak Farm pump station. He indicated that as soon as there is a passable drive back
to the elevated storage tower site, the earth work associated with the sanitary pump
station should begin. Mr. Koenig indicated that the work could begin during the
current week. He noted that engineers had been reviewing all of the field drawings
to proceed with that portion of the project.
Calpine Energy Center
Mr. Scott Koenig, City Manager, stated that the Calpine Energy Center was heavily
under construction. He advised that weekly teleconferences were continuing
regarding the right-of-way clearing back to the 230kV tie and work was progressing
with Delmarva Power on building the radio line from the 230kV tie back to the
Garrison Energy Center. Mr. Koenig also stated that the gas main work was
underway and, as of May 12, 2014, was approximately 52% complete. It was hoped
that the area around Dover Downs would be cleaned up in advance of the Firefly
Festival so that gas line construction would not be taking place in that area during the
festival. He noted that the Uzin Utz project was nearing final approval, noting that
a ground breaking was scheduled on Tuesday, May 13, 2014 and construction would
begin shortly at Calpine. In addition, Mr. Koenig advised that Chesapeake Gas was
scheduled to install the gas distribution line through the Garrison Farm infrastructure
once the roads are generally laid out. Mr. Koenig stated that the construction was
scheduled for substantial completion by the end of 2014 and that projects seemed to
be progressing as scheduled in order to receive flows for Calpine and Uzin Utz.
Dover Sun Park
Members reviewed details regarding the Dover Sun Park.
By consent agenda, Mr. Hare moved for acceptance of the Utility Committee Report, seconded
by Mr. Dixon and carried by a unanimous roll call vote (Williams absent).
LEGISLATIVE, FINANCE, AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE REPORT - MAY 12,
2014
The Legislative, Finance, and Administration Committee met on May 12, 2014 with Chairman Lynn
presiding.
Downtown Dover Business Improvement District (BID) Budget and Assessment
(Tax) Rates for Fiscal Year 2014/2015
Ms. Cheryl Russell, Tax Assessor, explained that the Business Improvement District
(BID) Ordinance adopted by City Council requires that Council adopt a BID budget
and assessment every year. She stated that this report represents the proposed budget
and assessment for fiscal year 2014-15. Ms. Russell informed members that, based
on the assessments provided by the City’s Tax Office, the proposed revenue was
$50,000, which would allow for the personnel and administration expenses in the
amount of $50,000.
Staff recommended approval of the proposed budget and assessment (tax) rates for
Fiscal Year 2014/2015, as presented.
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 22
The Committee recommended approval of staff’s recommendation.
By consent agenda, Mr. Hare moved for approval of the Committee’s recommendation,
seconded by Mr. Dixon and carried by a unanimous roll call vote (Williams absent).
Discussion - Responsibilities and Reporting Structure for the Mayor and City
Manager and Continuation of Full-Time Status for the Position of Mayor
Councilman Hutchison stated that it was very important for members to keep in mind
that the City of Dover has a City Manager form of government, and that the largest
department within the City is the Police Department, with a total of 130.5 people, a
budget of $13.5M per year, with $500,000 per year in overtime costs and 700,000 per
a year in extra duty work, and that the Police Department also oversees a number of
grants ranging from $200,000 to $400,000 annually. He reminded members to also
keep in mind that the Police Department has a very complex payroll system, and that
the City has strict guidelines and policies regarding promotions and discipline.
(City Clerk’s Office Note: The City of Dover has operated under a modified Council-
City Manager form of government since 1929.)
Mr. Hutchison stated that the Secretary of Homeland Security is in charge of the
Delaware State Police, noting that the Secretary is a professional, as is the City
Manager for the City of Dover.
Referring to the City’s organizational structure, Mr. Hutchison informed members
that, having served as Police Chief as well as a part-time and full-time Mayor for the
City, one (1) of his greatest concerns was the serious disconnect of the Mayor from
the structure of the City. He stated that, as a result of the 1988 Consent Decree, the
Mayor was removed from the Council Chambers, lost connection with the City
Manager and Council, and was left to do what he/she would like to do.
Mr. Hutchison advised members that, whether the City has a full-time or part-time
Mayor, it is absolutely necessary to have a job description as well as responsibilities
and duties.
Mr. Hutchison expressed his opinion that the City of Dover has one (1) of the finest
police department’s in the State of Delaware; however, he indicated his concern with
the fact that when a Police Chief retires or leaves, only the Mayor is involved with
the selection of the new Police Chief. As an alternative, Mr. Hutchison suggested
that members consider a change to require the selection of the Police Chief by a
Committee of three (3), consisting of the Mayor, City Manager and Council
President. He further recommended that following the Committee’s interview
process, they make a recommendation to City Council for confirmation.
Mr. Hutchison stated that this proposed change would bring the Mayor, City
Manager, Council and Police Department under one (1) control and, in his opinion,
would work a lot better than the current method.
Mr. Hare expressed his opinion that the City of Dover needs to decide whether to
have a strong Mayor or City Manager type of government, noting that the City has
had a hybrid type of government for as long as he could remember. Mr. Hare stated
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 23
that, in 1997, when the Mayor’s position became full-time, he thought that the City
was going to switch to a strong Mayor type of government but it remained the same.
It was his recollection that when the Mayor first became a full-time position, a job
description was created; however, over the years, it had been eliminated. Mr. Hare
stated that he did not disagree with the hiring policy and, whether or not the Mayor
or City Manager is in charge of the Police Department, he indicated that the selection
of the Chief by a Committee of three (3) would probably be good.
Mayor Bonar thanked Mr. Lynn for compiling the in-depth information provided on
this topic, and expressed his personal support of the Police Department. He indicated
that when this topic was discussed during the 1990s, the members involved,
including himself, had the best intentions of a having a system that would operate in
the best interest of the City, noting that all of the debate and discussion was prefaced
by the phrase “as we perceive it.” Mayor Bonar expressed his opinion that
Mr. Hutchison’s suggestion for putting the Police Chief under the City Manager
bears merit, but suggested the possibility of creating a Committee with four (4)
members for the selection process for the Police Chief. He agreed with
Mr. Hutchison that the complexities of the Police Department are increasingly
detailed and stated that it requires oversight by someone who is familiar with not
only day to day personal management procedures, but also budgeting and hiring
procedures as well as contract negotiations. Mayor Bonar expressed his opinion that,
nine (9) times out of 10, the City would not elect a Mayor with that type of expertise,
but noted that those abilities could be realized by involving the Council President,
City Manager, and others in the selection process for the Police Chief. Mayor Bonar
reminded members that, ultimately, it was the Committee’s decision whether to
forward this matter to Council for full debate, but expressed his opinion that the
public should be provided with an opportunity to comment. Referring to the
information provided with regard to this topic, Mayor Bonar noted that there were
a great number of municipalities throughout the region which have the Police Chief
under a City Manager form of oversight, and that it is indicative that most cities with
the same type of government as the City of Dover are satisfied with this type of
structure.
Mr. Lynn stated that it was important to separate the various issues surrounding this
topic, noting that the City’s type of government had become intermingled with the
decision about whether or not to limit or reduce the Mayor’s powers as well as the
decision regarding the part-time/full-time Mayor.
Noting that the Legislative and Finance Committee Report of January 25, 1995 and
the Special Council Meeting minutes of January 29, 2004 reflect Mr. Hutchison’s
advocacy for a full-time Mayor in the City of Dover, Mr. Lynn questioned what had
changed Mr. Hutchison’s position regarding this topic. Responding, Mr. Hutchison
stated that the status of the full-time Mayor today has changed, compared to what it
was when he held the office. For example, he stated that one (1) of the duties and
responsibilities of the full-time Mayor was to handle economic development for the
entire City; whereas, today there are three (3) additional positions which handle
economic development. Additionally, Mr. Hutchison explained that there have been
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many changes over the last 10 years with regard to salaries, benefits, payroll, and the
complexities of contracts and he believed that it would be unfair for the Mayor to be
responsible for these matters without having the training to do so. He stated that he
still wholeheartedly supported a full-time Mayor but explained that the City cannot
have a full-time Mayor if he/she is not going to be given and held accountable for
specific duties and responsibilities. Mr. Hutchison stated that the Mayor could
maintain responsibility for the Police Department, with the City Manager running the
daily operations and reporting to the Mayor.
Mr. Hare stated that he did not have any objections to the City of Dover having a
Mayor-Council form of government or a full-time Mayor, but noted that in cities with
a Mayor-Council form of government or a strong Mayor, the Mayor typically has an
assistant with similar qualifications and responsibilities as a City Manager. Mr. Hare
expressed his opinion that the Mayor of the City of Dover be given more
responsibility.
Councilman Anderson stated that Mr. Hutchison had raised valid points, and noted
that having input from the City Manager, or City’s Manager representative, and the
Council President, or the Council President’s representative, would be a very sensible
approach for hiring of a replacement Police Chief. Mr. Anderson expressed his
opinion that this type of advice and overview would be helpful in the future but noted
that it had not been necessary in the past because the City of Dover Code does not
allow for outside recruitment for the Chief of Police. He shared his belief that most
promotions should be made from with inside the City but that the complete
elimination of potential candidates not employed by the City narrows the field.
Mr. Anderson suggested that the City conduct a review of the entire process for
hiring the Police Chief. He stated that the idea that members of City Council should
confirm the selection for Police Chief makes sense, since the Mayor’s other
appointments require such confirmation. He stated that he was not in favor of the
idea of completely restructuring, noting that there was a movement in the U.S. to
restore some measure of accountability to elected officials and law enforcement.
Mr. Economic Development Office under the Mayor’s Office which he believed had
proven to be a beneficial decision with positive results, in terms of helping
businesses grow and bringing jobs to the City.
Councilwoman Williams reminded members that, for varying reasons, the last two
(2) full-time Mayors did not complete their terms of office and that the recent change
to four (4) year terms for the Mayor and members of Council have markedly changed
the Office of the Mayor. She also noted that Council currently has the ability to
discharge the city manager; however, there is no method, beyond resignation, for
recourse of action if Council is dissatisfied with the Mayor. She expressed her
concern that the City does not have a provision for recall or impeachment, noting that
it could present a problem when there is a full-time Mayor.
Mr. Slavin stated that he was a proponent of a full-time Mayor in 2004 and remained
a proponent for several reasons. He expressed his belief that, beyond the Mayor’s
veto power, Council needs a checks and balance system with a full-time presence.
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He stated that Council should use this an opportunity to further delineate the two (2)
branches of government, noting that the hybrid approach has blended them and led
to confusion. Mr. Slavin emphasized that the City of Dover needs a full-time Mayor
because it is a full-time city.
Referring to information compiled by the National League of Cities regarding forms
of government, Mr. Lynn reviewed the characteristics of a Mayor-Council form of
government and shared his opinion that the City of Dover’s form of government has
suited the City well throughout its history and that there is plenty of room to grow
into this form of government, given that New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Los
Angeles have a similar form of government. In regard to a full-time or part-time
Mayor, he noted that the issue was discussed in incredible detail in both the 1990s
and in 2004 and that, in both instances, City Council was of the decision that the
position of Mayor should be full-time. Additionally, Mr. Lynn stated that a
referendum was held which demonstrated that the citizens of the City were in favor
of a full-time Mayor and, expressed his belief that, nothing had occurred to lead
members to conclude anything to the contrary. With regard to the powers and duties
of the Mayor, Mr. Lynn shared a sentiment expressed by Councilman Perza that “the
guys with the guns ought to answer to an elected official.” He noted his belief that
it would be a dangerous precedent for the Dover Police Department to report to a
bureaucrat or unelected official, like the City Manager. Referring to the powers and
duties of the Mayor, Mr. Lynn stated his opinion that there is room to rein in the
financial aspect of the Mayor’s role with regard to the Police Department, explaining
that the budgeting for the Police Department should be proactive instead of
reactionary to allow Council the opportunity to have an actual role in forming some
of the financial policies of the Police Department, and provide the
Controller/Treasurer or another City staff member an opportunity to maintain the
financial checks and balances within the Police Department.
Mr. Hutchison stated that the City Manager is the City’s paid expert who works for
the Mayor and Council. It was his belief that the Police Department runs itself for
the most part but that placing the City Manager in charge of the daily operations
would provide a chain of command with the Police Chief reporting to the City
Manager, who reports directly to the Mayor and Council. It was Mr. Hutchison’s
opinion that this type of organizational structure would allow the Mayor to remain
as the “point person” for the City while bringing the total City together beginning
with the Mayor, City Manager, and Council.
Mr. Lynn cautioned members that decisions in contravention of the City’s Charter
should not be made based upon the exigencies of the moment, in a rush to judgement.
He stated that the formation of the City’s government was made with long
deliberation and should not be changed over the course of a week as the result of one
(1) event. Mr. Lynn agreed that the current City Manager, Mr. Scott Koenig, was a
professional; however, he reminded members that within the past three (3) years,
there were discussions in which the judgement and ethics of the former City Manager
were called into question. Noting that no single office in the City is immune from
corruption or doubt or any other character flaws, Mr. Lynn expressed his opinion that
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the authority of the Police Department should be placed in the hands of an elected
official who the electorate controls, rather than in the hands of a bureaucrat, whom
it would take nine (9) members of Council to rein in.
Mr. Hare agreed that these issues could not be resolved in one (1) meeting. He
expressed his preference that members discuss and decide upon the appropriate form
of government for the City, prior to entertaining discussion regarding the full-time
or part-time Mayor.
In regard to the issue of having a full-time Mayor, Mr. Anderson noted that more
than 70% of the citizens previously voted in the referendum and that he had not heard
a groundswell for change in this regard but the opposite. He expressed that he would
like to see someone who is extraordinarily competent and capable in this position but
that the budgetary matters for all departments should go through the City Manager’s
Office. In regard to the Police Department reporting the City Manager,
Mr. Anderson cautioned members to remember that the City’s Charter prohibited
Council from engaging with employees under the direction of the City Manager
without permission, noting that he would not want to be “out of the loop” when it
comes to something as important as law enforcement.
Responding to Mr. Anderson, Mr. Hare stated that he would favor a change to a City
Administrator who reports to the Mayor with Council’s approval, instead of having
a City Manager, if that were the decision of the Council.
Mayor Bonar reviewed the “Current Trends” in municipal forms of government
compiled by the National League of Cities. He encouraged members to review the
valuable information available on these issues. He stated that the members had
brought up really good points and that the Committee would have to decide how to
proceed. Mayor Bonar noted the possibility of creating a group to explore these
issues in more detail, reminding members that there would be several months in
which to consider these matters before the legislative session occurs in January. He
suggested that an opportunity be provided for constituents to express how they feel.
Mr. Edward Christian, Jr., 9 Pennwood Dr., Dover, stated that he was accustomed
to the City Manager-City Council form of government, in which the Mayor was
chosen by City Council members to serve as the presiding officer of City Council and
assigned a number of ceremonial duties. He noted that under this form of
government, a City Manager was hired by and served under the direction of the City
Council, and if he/she was not suitable for the job, then he/she was fired by City
Council. In regard to the position of Mayor, Mr. Christian indicated his belief that
the duties and responsibilities for the Mayor of the City of Dover were developed
based upon the qualifications and areas of expertise of the individual who held the
office when it became a full-time, salaried position, and questioned whether the City
would find anyone else with that level of expertise to manage the City. He stated that
voters often make decisions based on their personal “comfort zones” but rely on the
elected officials to lead and guide. Mr. Christian stated that elected officials have a
tendency to make decisions based upon what will keep them in office; however, he
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 27
encouraged members to make decisions based on what needs to be done for the
benefit of the citizens of the City, while keeping in mind what other cities and
localities are doing, as well as relevant history.
Mr. Lynn reminded members that this was not necessarily an item which the
Committee would need to take action on; however, action could be entertained. As
advised by the City Clerk, Traci McDowell, he noted that the Consent Decree may
prohibit a strong Mayor.
Mr. Rushe stated his belief that the Committee needs to hear more public comment
before taking any action.
Mr. Hutchison agreed that the City should allow for further public input and
discussion.
Mayor Bonar agreed that further public input seemed warranted, noting that this
evening’s discussion revealed a strong consensus that these topics should at least be
considered.
Mr. Hare moved to bring this matter back to the Committee to allow for public input
and further discussion in regard to the different forms of government.
Responding to Mr. Lynn, Mr. Hare stated that the intent of his motion was for the
Committee to examine the form of government issue prior to any further discussion
regarding the role of the Mayor.
After further clarification and discussion, Mr. Hare withdrew his motion.
Mr. Slavin moved for the Committee to continue discussion of the responsibilities
and reporting structure for the Mayor and City Manager and continuation of full-time
status for the position of Mayor, following the 2014 Special Mayoral Election,
seconded by Mr. Hare.
Mr. Slavin clarified that his motion was to include future discussion of the matter as
introduced on this evening’s agenda.
Mr. Anderson noted his support for the motion.
The Committee recommended to continue discussion of the responsibilities and
reporting structure for the Mayor and City Manager and continuation of full-time
status for the position of Mayor, following the 2014 Special Mayoral Election.
By consent agenda, Mr. Hare moved for approval of the Committee’s recommendation,
seconded by Mr. Dixon and carried by a unanimous roll call vote (Williams absent).
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Proposed Planning and Inspections Fee Increases
Mrs. Ann Marie Townshend, Director of Planning and Community Development,
reviewed Planning and Inspections fee increases proposed for FY 2014/2015. She
reminded members that the proposed fee increases were previously presented to
members of City Council during the City Council Budget Workshop of
March 31, 2014.
Mrs. Townshend stated that in reviewing the Planning and Inspections fees, she
focused on: 1) the fees that do not come close to cost recovery; and 2) the last time
each fee was reviewed. Referring to the fees that do not come close to cost recovery,
she expressed her opinion that it did not make very good business sense to place the
burden on the taxpayers for a service that benefits one (1) person. For example, she
stated when there is a Board of Adjustment application, the meeting costs
approximately $600, including $75 per Board member in attendance, legal fees to
have legal counsel available, and the costs associated with a newspaper ad and
mailing notices. Mrs. Townshend explained that the current fee for a residential
variance was $200 and the current fee for a commercial variance was $300; therefore,
the fees for this service do not come close to recovering the City’s costs. She stated
that staff does advise interested applicants when they believe the applicant does not
have a very strong case; however, the applicants often decide to proceed.
Mrs. Townshend explained that the proposed increases include several fees in the
planning application and building permit category that had not been reviewed or
updated since 2004, and that the City’s rental permit fees had not been changed since
2000. She also stated that the City’s public occupancy permit fees had not been
adjusted since 1993 and informed members that these permits cost a great deal of
staff time to administer because they require the fire marshals to conduct annual site
inspections.
Mrs. Townshend stated that she also tried to keep the economic climate in mind
while reviewing the fees to make sure that the proposals would not jeopardize
economic recovery. She noted that the proposed fee increases are modest and do not
significantly increase the cost of doing business but would allow the City to recover
more of the costs associated with providing services.
In regard to the proposed increase for the sign permit fee, Mrs. Townshend explained
that many of the City’s sign permits are very near to the minimum fee and that the
penalty for installing a sign without a permit is that the permit fee is doubled. She
stated that staff had experienced people laughing at them when they inform them that
their permit will increase to $30 or $50 as a result of the penalty.
Mrs. Townshend informed members that she also reviewed fees for other agencies
throughout the State of Delaware and that, in all cases, the City of Dover’s fees,
including the proposed increases, were below many other localities and in line with
others.
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 29
Mr. Slavin reminded members that fee increases are always a difficult issue and when
the economy is good, the public asks why the City is trying to slow down the
economy and when the economy is bad, why the City is trying to make it harder to
do business. He shared his appreciation for the way that Mrs. Townshend presented
the information and the inclusion of the last time each fee was adjusted. Mr. Slavin
questioned if there was any thought to reintroducing the concept of putting fees on
an escalator that would allow for a minor adjustment every other year. He stated that
he had talked to a number of people in the business community who said that they
would rather see small adjustments to fees than a one time adjustment every so many
years.
Responding, Mrs. Townshend stated that when staff proposed an escalator for the
business license fee in 2010, the business community was opposed. She stated that
whichever way staff approaches fee increases proves to be the opposite of the way
that the business community would want it at that point in time. She stated that the
key to the proposed fee increases was keeping the adjustments modest, explaining
that, if the City really wanted to correct not having increased the fees for 10 to 20
years, staff would have proposed more significant increases. For example,
Mrs. Townshend noted that most of the public occupancy permits, which require the
fire marshals to conduct annual fire safety inspections, were currently $25 per year
and were proposed to increase to $50 per year.
Mr. Slavin questioned whether the proposed increases had been vetted by the
business community and whether staff had contacted the Chamber of Commerce.
Responding, Mrs. Townshend stated that she had not spoken to the Chamber of
Commerce but offered to do so. She stated that the difference between the current
proposal and those considered in previous years was that the previous proposals
included significantly larger increases. Mrs. Townshend reminded members that the
rental permit fees were always controversial. She stated that, as proposed, the rental
permit fee would increase from $90 to $100 for a house per year and expressed her
opinion that rents have surely increased well over $10 within the past 14 years.
Mr. Slavin expressed his disagreement with a cost recovery model for fees, stating
that, although it is not the case with the current proposal, aligning services with the
costs to recover the services typically makes the City overly aggressive on fees. He
indicated that many of the individuals who access these services have already paid
for them through property taxes and other costs. Mr. Slavin cautioned that the City
needed to be very careful to ensure that individuals are not denied their due process
rights because they cannot afford the fees associated with services, such as Board of
Adjustment applications.
Responding to Mr. Slavin, Mrs. Townshend stated that even with the proposed
increase, the City would not come close to recovering the costs associated with
conducting a Board of Adjustment meeting. She informed members that a review of
the fees for municipalities in Sussex County revealed fees of more than $1,000 for
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 30
the Board of Adjustment because it is a costly process. Mrs. Townshend indicated
that while there is the belief that these services are paid for by the general tax base,
the general tax base covers only a very small portion of the City’s operations.
Mr. Lynn suggested that the Committee table this matter and send notice out to the
Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Hare expressed his opinion that the City should have a public hearing regarding
this matter to provide the Chamber of Commerce as well as the public an opportunity
to speak. He stated that he would like to see the inclusion of an escalator, so that the
City will not have this to address this again in the future.
Mr. Hare moved to defer consideration of the proposed Planning and Inspections fee
increases to allow staff to contact the chamber of commerce and schedule and public
hearing, seconded by Mr. Slavin.
Mr. Slavin stated his belief that the Town of Smyrna, Delaware, has an escalator built
into the Town’s ordinances for all of these fees, and asked staff to investigate and
provide members with the information.
Mrs. Townshend stated that staff was not opposed to an escalator but reminded
members that the last time it was brought forward, the business community was
opposed. Responding, Mr. Slavin indicated his belief that the business community
was previously opposed to the idea because they did not hear about it prior to Council
discussions.
Mr. Hare requested that staff also provide a fee comparison.
The Committee recommended to defer consideration of the proposed Planning and
Inspections fee increases to allow staff to contact the chamber of commerce and
schedule a public hearing.
By consent agenda, Mr. Hare moved for approval of the Committee’s recommendation,
seconded by Mr. Dixon and carried by a unanimous roll call vote (Williams absent).
Authorization for New Position - Assistant City Manager
Mr. Scott Koenig, City Manager, informed members that during the City Manager's
evaluation last fall, City Council indicated that the City Manager's office needed
additional staff to improve response times to various inquires and concerns. As a
result of these comments, the City Manager was directed to evaluate additional
administrative capacity to improve the overall function of the office. He stated that
two (2) position descriptions were reviewed, an Executive Assistant for the City
Manager and an Assistant City Manager.
Mr. Koenig stated that the Assistant City Manager position currently existed in the
City’s hierarchy, although it had not been filled for more than 20 years. He explained
that an Assistant City Manager, rather than an Executive Assistant for the City
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 31
Manager, would provide greater assistance with respect to the needs of the City
Manager's Office as well as the citizens of the City, especially with the complexity
of the issues that the City Manager’s Office has begun to handle on a daily basis,
including contract negotiations, land purchases, and the general operation of a
growing city. The Assistant City Manager position would also provide more value
in the area of succession planning for the upper level of the organization. Mr. Koenig
stated that the Assistant City Manager position was valued as a Grade 136 with a
market salary range of $105,189 - $122,032.
Based on the long-term needs of the City, staff recommended authorizing the City
Manager to include one (1) Assistant City Manager position in the FY 2015 budget
request for the City Manager’s Office.
Mayor Bonar commended Mr. Koenig for bringing this matter forward for
consideration, noting that it was not an easy topic, given the current fiscal constraints
but it is something that needs to be done. Mayor Bonar stated that the City is not as
easy to run as it once was and he his aware of the inordinate amount of time that the
City Manager has to spend on the telephone and in negotiating sessions.
Mr. Slavin moved to defer the item for consideration during the upcoming Special
Council Meeting - Budget Review, seconded by Mr. Shevock. By a vote of two (2)
yes (Shevock and Slavin), and three (3) no (Hare, Lynn, and Rushe) the motion
failed.
Mr. Hare moved to authorize the City Manager to include one (1) Assistant City
Manager position in the FY 2015 budget request for the City Manager’s Office but
that the position not be filled until the budget has been adopted, seconded by
Mr. Rushe. By a vote of two (2) yes (Hare and Rushe), and three (3) no (Lynn,
Shevock and Slavin) the motion failed.
Mr. Lynn moved to authorize the City Manager to include one (1) Assistant City
Manager position in the FY 2015 budget request for the City Manager’s Office. The
motion failed due to the lack of a second.
The Committee recommended to defer the item.
By consent agenda, Mr. Hare moved for approval of the Committee’s recommendation,
seconded by Mr. Dixon and carried by a unanimous roll call vote (Williams absent).
2015 Property Revaluation and Reassessment
Ms. Cheryl Russell, Tax Assessor, informed members that, according to the City
Code, the revaluation and reassessment of all real property may be conducted this
year, since five (5) years have passed since the last reassessment. She stated that staff
sent a Request for Proposals (RFP) out in April so that the City could budget for the
reassessment for FY 2015. Ms. Russell indicated that May 1, 2014 was the deadline
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 32
to turn in the sealed bids to the City of Dover, and one (1) bid for the 2015
reassessment was received in the amount of $125,300. She stated that staff would
be able to reduce the figure to $108,000 if they complete the printing and mailing.
Ms. Russell reminded members that a reassessment is an effort to value all real
property at its fair market value in an equitable and uniform manner and shifts the
burden of tax among the tax payers. She stated that, after several years without a
reassessment, some properties will be over-assessed, some under-assessed based on
market and economic conditions.
Staff recommended approval to proceed with the 2015 Property Reassessment.
Responding to Mr. Hare, Ms. Russell confirmed that the complete reassessment
would cost $108,000 and explained that the difference between the 2015 Property
Reassessment and the reassessment which was conducted five (5) years ago was that
staff has gone out and looked at all of the properties so it does not have to be a
comprehensive reassessment. She stated that every property will receive a letter with
a new assessed value but that the firm would not have to physically review each
property like they previously did.
In response to Mr. Shevock, Ms. Russell confirmed that the 2015 Property
Reassessment would be conducted by the same firm that conducted the previous
reassessment.
Mr. Rushe questioned whether staff anticipated an overall increase or decrease in
property taxes. Responding, Ms. Russell stated that, for a lot of the commercial
properties, staff had noticed that transfers were higher than the current values but, for
the most part, the residential property values had decreased slightly in some areas
while others were staying about the same. She indicated that the values for new
construction were currently very accurate. Ms. Russell reminded members that the
reassessment is revenue neutral, so there will be no impact to the tax base for the
revaluation.
As a point of clarification, Mr. Slavin stated that the reassessment is a revenue
neutral exercise; therefore, while the assessed value may go up or down, the City is
not allowed to use that as an excuse for increasing taxes. City Council would have
to set the tax rate appropriately in order to increase or decrease revenue.
In response to Mr. Hare, Ms. Russell confirmed that the City would spend $108,000
on the reassessment and would not receive any additional revenue as a result.
Concurring with Mr. Slavin, Ms. Russell stated that it is easier to defend values when
they are closer to what the market is indicating.
Ms. Slavin noted that if you sell a property that has not had an assessment in 15
years, you would pay the tax rate from 15 years ago rather than current market rate.
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 33
Councilman Anderson questioned whether the State law that makes reassessments
revenue neutral also allowed for the recovery of the cost of the reassessment.
Responding, Ms. Russell stated this question was raised in 2000 and, as she recalled,
Delaware did not allow for the recovery. Mr. Anderson stated his belief that the law
allowed up to 15% of the value of the assessment to be recovered and requested that
staff look further into the matter.
The Committee recommended approval to proceed with the 2015 Property
Reassessment, as recommended by staff.
By consent agenda, Mr. Hare moved for approval of the Committee’s recommendation,
seconded by Mr. Dixon and carried by a unanimous roll call vote (Williams absent).
FY14 Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program - Police Vehicle
Computer and Video Technology Upgrades
Police Chief Paul Bernat informed members that the Dover Police Department
recently received its annual allocation from the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) for
the 2014 Justice Assistance Grant (JAG). Similar to previous years, Dover Police
Department was identified as a disparate funding agency along with Kent County
because there is no law enforcement function at the county level, unlike Newcastle
County in northern Delaware. This disparate condition requires the submission of
a joint grant application for the two (2) agencies. Although no funds were designated
for Kent County in the allocation document, a Memorandum of Understanding would
be completed and signed by both agencies stating that Kent County will waive any
claim to the funding on this grant.
Chief Bernat stated that the Dover Police Department intends to upgrade/replace
eight (8) vehicle computer/video systems. He explained that a portion of the
upgrades would be purchased for new vehicles that would be coming on line during
FY 2015. Chief Bernat informed members that on April 8, 2014, Windows XP
became obsolete and the State of Delaware Division of Communications
discontinued support for it and, as a result, the remainder of the grant funds would
be used to retrofit older vehicle computer/video systems to bring those units back
online and in compliance with Windows 7, the current operating system. He stated
that the department was currently short-handed on working computers in vehicles,
and was hoping to get approval to submit this application early, so the funding could
be released earlier by the United States Department of Justice (USDOJ).
Chief Bernat indicated that the department also planned to purchase COBAN
systems, a sole vendor purchase, which had been in use by the Delaware State Police
and other agencies throughout the state and received good reviews from both the user
and maintenance perspectives. As result, the department would purchase the new
systems in two (2) or more increments to retrofit older the model vehicles first, as
scheduling permits, and retrofit the new vehicles during the FY 2015 budgeted
vehicle replacement cycle.
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 34
Chief Bernat stated that the City of Dover had been allotted a grant totaling $51,549
and that total project budget was $81,549.
Staff recommended approval of the grant project, as requested.
The Committee recommended approval of the grant project, as recommended by
staff.
By consent agenda, Mr. Hare moved for approval of the Committee’s recommendation,
seconded by Mr. Dixon and carried by a unanimous roll call vote (Williams absent).
Proposed Revenue Policy - Police Extra Duty/Voluntary Overtime
Mrs. Donna Mitchell, Controller/Treasurer, reviewed the Proposed Revenue Policy
for Police Extra Duty/Voluntary Overtime. She explained that she had a question in
regard to section I. Policy, which she and Police Chief Paul Bernat were unable to
discuss, and she recommended that the text indicated in red font be included in the
policy, as presented. Referring to section IV. Requests for Extra Duty Officers,
Mrs. Mitchell stated that Chief Bernat requested the insertion of the first paragraph
of subsection F and she subsequently recommended the inclusion of the second
paragraph. In reference to section V. Payment Methods, Mrs. Mitchell noted her
recommendation for the addition of a second paragraph under subsection B. City
Sponsored Events, as indicated in red font. She stated that this policy had been fully
vetted with Dover Downs and Chief Bernat and that they had “signed off” on the
policy with the indicated changes. Mrs. Mitchell noted that former Police Chief
James Hosfelt had been instrumental in assisting her with drafting the policy.
Staff recommended adoption of the policy.
Responding to Mr. Hare, Mrs. Mitchell stated that the City would earn money from
extra duty under the proposed policy and that she had calculated the revenue for the
budget.
In response to Councilman Hutchison, Mrs. Mitchell confirmed that she was happy
with the policy as presented.
The Committee recommended adoption of the Revenue Policy - Police Extra
Duty/Voluntary Overtime, as recommended by staff.
By consent agenda, Mr. Hare moved for adoption of the Revenue Policy - Police Extra
Duty/Voluntary Overtime (Exhibit #5), as recommended by staff. The motion was seconded
by Mr. Dixon and carried by a unanimous roll call vote (Williams absent).
Proposed Ordinance #2014-09 Amending Chapter 50 - Floods
Mrs. Ann Marie Townshend, Director of Planning and Community Development,
reviewed Proposed Ordinance #2014-09 amending Chapter 50 - Floods; Chapter 22
- Buildings and Building Regulations, Article III - Building Code, Section 22-61; and
Appendix F - Fees and Fines, noting that it is a time sensitive matter.
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 35
Mrs. Townshend explained that the proposed ordinance would remove the language
currently found in Chapter 50 of Dover Code and replace it with the current standards
and regulations which are compliant with the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA). She stated that the City is a participating community in the
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and, as long as the City complies with
certain FEMA required practices, property owners within the City are able to have
flood insurance. Mrs. Townshend stated that in order to continue participation in the
NFIP, the City is required to implement standards for construction activities within
the 100-year floodplain and, when FEMA updates the Flood Insurance Rate Maps
(FIRM), the City is required to update the City’s regulatory requirements to comply
with the most current FEMA standards. Mrs. Townshend explained that FEMA is
in the process of updating the FIRM for Kent County, with the new maps to take
effect on July 7, 2014, and all NFIP communities must have updated regulatory
requirements in place by July 7, 2014, when the new maps take effect.
Mrs. Townshend stated that the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental
Control (DNREC) hired a consultant to develop model ordinances, approved by
FEMA, for Delaware's communities to adopt. She explained that many of the
provisions contained in the 2009 and 2012 International Code Council (ICC) series
of building codes already comply with the FEMA standards, and the City has adopted
the 2009 ICC codes. The model ordinance that staff used in updating the City’s
regulation is a code coordinated model that recognizes the standards in the building
code and does not duplicate or reiterate these standards. Use of this ordinance
minimizes the likelihood for conflict and confusion among chapters of the Dover
Code. Mrs. Townshend noted that the regulations that apply directly to buildings are
within in the building code and that non building related flood regulations were
proposed for inclusion in Chapter 50.
Staff recommended adoption of Proposed Ordinance #2014-09.
The Committee recommended adoption of Proposed Ordinance #2014-09, as
recommended by staff.
By consent agenda, Mr. Hare moved for approval of the Committee’s recommendation,
seconded by Mr. Dixon and carried by a unanimous roll call vote (Williams absent). (The First
Reading of Proposed Ordinance #2014-09 will take place during the latter part of the meeting.)
Proposed Ordinance #2014-10 - FY 2014 Budget Amendment
In regard to the Committee’s discussion of the Proposed Planning and Inspections
Fee Increases, earlier during the meeting, Mrs. Donna Mitchell, Controller/Treasurer,
informed members that she would be contacting the chamber of commerce prior to
the Special Council Meeting - Budget Review to discuss any changes proposed for
the next fiscal year budget and that she could incorporate the proposed Planning and
Inspections fees.
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 36
Mrs. Mitchell reviewed Proposed Ordinance #2014-10 - FY 2014 Budget
Amendment, noting that it was the second set of budget amendments for Fiscal Year
2013/2014. She reminded members that the first budget amendment for Fiscal Year
2013/2014 (Ordinance #2013-08) was approved by Council on January 27, 2014.
She explained that the proposed budget amendment adjusts the revenues to reflect the
current forecast; reflects the pension accounting changes, shifting the fund expenses
back to the Divisions and interfund service line items in the General Fund,
Water/Wastewater Fund and Electric Revenue Fund; incorporates internal budget
adjustments completed in accordance with the budget amendment authority of the
City Manager; transfers $77,000 of savings in temporary help for the Library to the
Inspections demolition account to fund the Council action approved for increased
demolition cost; and reflects operating expense reductions based on annual budget
reviews with the City Manager.
Mrs. Mitchell stated that the proposed budget amendment also included additional
items, some of which had previously been discussed with City Council, including the
Salt Barn, Street Division CIP budget of $50,000 which was inadvertently dropped
off in the project carry forwards in the January ordinance; an additional $15,000 for
Kent Conservation District storm water; demolition of the White Oak Park recreation
building with a current estimate of $70,500 in the Recreation Division CIP; Old
Library clean up with a current estimate of $35,000 in the Library Division CIP;
$12,000 for contractual services in the Finance Division for an agreed upon
procedure engagement with current auditors to review internal control procedures,
revenue procedures and cash handling procedures at Recreation, Library and Police
Divisions; and a Water Utility, U.S. 13 Water Main, VWQ0907, lawsuit settlement
with Eastern States Construction in the amount of $141,600. Mrs. Mitchell noted
that all of these items were being funded through salary savings within the budget
and transfers to the Capital Project Fund from the General Fund.
Staff recommended adoption of Proposed Ordinance #2014-10.
Mr. Lynn stated that he would not be supporting the budget amendment because he
could not support the demolition of the White Oak Park recreation building. He
explained that he could not imagine the City spending $70,500 to demolish a building
which the City allowed to become derelict, and essentially demolished by neglect.
He expressed his opinion that it is money wasted and that the building could have
been used to the benefit of the public and it’s demolition deprives an entire portion
of the City of recreational facilities.
Mr. Slavin noted that he had recently discussed his concerns regarding the fungibility
of the City’s funds, specifically that salary savings are spread across other operational
categories, with Mr. Wayne Holden, Ad Hoc Financial and Operational Advisory
Committee Chair. Mr. Slavin stated that he deals with the discipline of leaving salary
savings in the salary line and operational savings in the operational lines everyday,
in his job with the State of Delaware, and that he was encouraging Mr. Holden to
incorporate that into some of the Committee’s recommendations. In response to
Mr. Slavin, Mrs. Mitchell stated that with the accounting change for the pensions, the
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 37
City’s Annual Required Contribution (ARC), as determined by the actuary, is based
on budgeted salaries. She explained that if the City has attrition, the City might not
meet that ARC because the City would not have the salary base there with that
percentage. She stated that she and Mr. Koenig had discussed the possibility of
recommending a policy change that would require any salary savings to go toward
those liabilities to ensure that the City meets the ARC. Mr. Slavin stated that he
would support such a policy change.
The Committee recommended adoption of Proposed Ordinance #2014-10, as
recommended by staff.
By consent agenda, Mr. Hare moved for approval of the Committee’s recommendation,
seconded by Mr. Dixon and carried by a unanimous roll call vote (Williams absent). (The First
Reading of Proposed Ordinance #2014-10 will take place during the latter part of the meeting.)
Proposed Ordinance #2014-14 Amending Appendix D - Downtown Dover
Business Improvement District (DDBID), Article III - Establishment of DDBID,
Section 3 - Geographic Boundaries, and Section 5 - Management Company
Mrs. Ann Marie Townshend, Director of Planning and Community Development,
reviewed Proposed Ordinance #2014-14, explaining that it was brought to her
attention by Mrs. Donna Mitchell, Controller/Treasurer, that there was a discrepancy
between the City’s Dover Downtown Business Improvement District (DDBID)
ordinance and the composition of the Downtown Dover Partnership Board of
Directors, which is the City’s management company under the DDBID statute.
Mrs. Townshend informed members that in drafting Proposed Ordinance #2014-14,
she and the City Clerk had examined the State statute regarding the Business
Improvement District, the City’s ordinance regarding the DDBID and the
composition of the DDP Board of Directors. Mrs. Townshend stated that the
proposed amendment specifically designates the Downtown Dover Partnership as the
"management company" for the Business Improvement District and removes the
requirement that a majority of the management company's Board of Directors be
owners or owners' designees of commercial properties within the Business
Improvement District. Referring to lines 33, 35, and 36 of the proposed ordinance,
she explained that the proposed amendments would require the management
company to be comprised of at least five (5) members who either own a commercial
property within the DDBID or are the designee of such owner, and remove the
language that requires that commercial property owners constitute a majority of the
Board of Directors. Mrs. Townshend stated that the State statute requires the five (5)
commercial property owner representatives, but does not require that a majority of
the Board be commercial property owners. She noted that, with the composition of
the DDP Board, it would be almost impossible to have such a majority.
Mrs. Townshend stated that the proposed ordinance would help fix the discrepancy,
and that she was also working with Mr. Greg Moore, DDP President and Mr. Gerry
Street, DDP member, to address a change to the DDP By-laws.
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 38
Staff recommended adoption of Proposed Ordinance #2014-14.
The Committee recommended adoption of Proposed Ordinance #2014-14, as
recommended by staff.
By consent agenda, Mr. Hare moved for approval of the Committee’s recommendation,
seconded by Mr. Dixon and carried by a unanimous roll call vote (Williams absent). (The First
Reading of Proposed Ordinance #2014-14 will take place during the latter part of the meeting.)
Proposed Reinstatement of the Fee Waiver Provision for Tax Exempt Properties
Mr. Slavin reminded members that during their meeting of January 13, 2014, the
Committee recommended adoption of Proposed Ordinance #2014-01 amending
Chapter 102 - Taxation, Article IV - Abatement of Real Estate Taxes; Appendix C
- Downtown Redevelopment, Article II - Definitions and Article III - Eligibility; and
Appendix E - Commercial and Industrial Building Redevelopment, Article II -
Eligibility, to require compliance with Section 1-13 - Clean Hands; provide for
revocation of the incentives for beneficiaries who are delinquent on obligations to the
City; and make tax exempt properties ineligible for the incentives, which was
adopted by City Council on February 10, 2014.
Mr. Slavin expressed his belief that ordinance #2014-01 was intended to be a Clean
Hands ordinance which would ensure that those who were receiving the incentives
had “clean hands” and did not have any other issues with the City, and that he did not
realize at the time the ordinance was considered that it would also strip away the
incentive program for non-profit organizations. He stated that the adoption of the
ordinance has had an effect on two (2) large not-for-profit organizations that have
been significant to the downtown Dover revitalization.
Referring to Line 119 of Proposed Ordinance #2014-01, Mr. Slavin proposed that the
Committee recommend reinstatement of the incentive program for the subject
properties that are exempt from City of Dover real estate taxes.
Councilman Anderson stated that this is a very important provision because much of
the development includes not-for-profits, including some community projects which
are a very important part of the revitalization of downtown.
Responding to Councilman Hutchison, Mr. Slavin stated that he had not discussed
this proposal with either the City Manager or Controller/Treasurer to determine the
potential budgetary impact.
Mrs. Donna Mitchell, Controller/Treasurer, stated that she had not quantified the
financial impact of this proposal and questioned whether the issue with the proposal
was the financial impact or the general concept.
Mr. Lynn stated his belief that the staff would be aware of any financial impact, since
this language had been previously removed from the ordinance.
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 39
Mrs. Ann Marie Townshend, Director of Planning and Community Development,
clarified that non-profits can qualify for the incentives as long as the property is not
tax exempt. As an example, she stated that, earlier in the day, staff had approved the
incentives for the Inner City Cultural League, Inc., a non-profit which qualified for
the incentives because the subject property was not tax exempt.
Mrs. Townshend stated that staff had reviewed the history of incentives for tax
exempt properties since 1998 and could not find any record of a tax exempt property
applying for the incentives since, except Bayhealth, which applied in 2008. She
stated that Wesley College and the State of Delaware, which are two (2) other major
tax exempt organizations within the City, have not applied for or utilized the
incentives and have paid all of the applicable fees.
Noting her belief that this proposal was based on Bayhealth, Mrs. Townshend stated
that prior to 2008, there were no requests from Bayhealth to utilize the incentives.
In 2008, the incentives were utilized by Bayhealth for the addition of the parking
garage and new podium building. Mrs. Townshend stated that since 1998, the City
had issued 141 building permits to Bayhealth, and that they utilized the waiver on
eight (8) of those permits, for which the City waived a total of $572,248 in building
permit fees and, based on that amount, $7,224.80 (10%) was paid to the Downtown
Dover Partnership. Mrs. Townshend noted that since 1998, the City had received
$260,498.50 for building permit fees from Bayhealth.
Additionally, Mrs. Townshend stated that staff also examined the staff time, since
2009, associated with permits and inspections for Bayhealth, the State of Delaware
and Wesley College, the larger non-profits that do not pay any City of Dover property
taxes. She stated that staff estimated that they had spent 18 hours per year on
inspections related to permits; 8 hours per year on annual life safety inspections; and,
in terms of specific building permits, the City had spent 356 staff hours conducting
onsite inspections related to building construction.
Mrs. Townshend explained that the idea behind making tax exempt properties
ineligible for the incentives was that the property owners are receiving a service but
they are not paying property taxes, whereas, other property owners who receive the
incentives do pay property taxes. She clarified that it was not an unintended
consequence and that the information was included in the Committee action form
considered by the Legislative, Finance, and Administration Committee during their
meeting of January 13, 2014.
Responding to Mr. Slavin, Mrs. Townshend stated that the value of the construction
for Bayhealth had not been totaled but, in reviewing the data gathered by staff, she
stated that the permits ranged from $6.7M, $2M, $1.6M, and $9M. In response,
Mr. Slavin suggested that members consider not only the amount the City is losing
in revenue but also how much the City is generating in development.
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 40
Mr. Scott Koenig, City Manager, expressed his opinion that this matter was a policy
issue and stated that his preference, as indicated in the Committee action form
considered by the Legislative, Finance, and Administration Committee during their
meeting of January 13, 2014, was that tax exempt property not be eligible for
incentives that relate to the General Fund. He noted that there are some instances in
which Bayhealth owns property that is revenue generating and still on the tax rolls.
Mr. Koenig explained that although Bayhealth has invested a substantial amount of
capital in the City, Bayhealth probably would have invested that capital regardless
of whether the incentives were offered because the City provides services, including
utilities, police and fire, which are all components of building a large industrial
facility; in this case, a facility serving as a community hospital. He expressed his
desire that tax exempt properties not receive an additional incentive package because
of their tax exempt status, since the City does provide services. Mr. Koenig stated
his belief that these organizations can plan their projects out and afford to include the
components related to these incentives in their business plan.
Mr. Koenig reiterated his request that, from a policy standpoint, tax exempt
properties not qualify for incentives related to the General Fund.
The Committee recommended that staff be requested to prepare an ordinance to
reinstate the incentives for tax exempt properties.
Mr. Lynn informed members that this was his last meeting as Chairman of the
Legislative, Finance, and Administration Committee, noting that he circulated his
letter of resignation as Chairman of the Committee to the City Clerk and members
of the Committee early in the evening. He thanked the members for their time and
service, and stated that it was a pleasure working with all of the members. Mr. Lynn
indicated that did not wish to be reappointed as Committee Chair going forward,
given that his responsibilities in his campaign for the General Assembly were simply
overwhelming, such that he could not continue on in the leadership role that he
served in for the past two (2) years. He thanked former Council President Thomas
Leary for appointing him to his position as Committee Chairman, noting that it had
been fun and an honor to serve, and that he looked forward to working with members
of the Committee in the future.
Mr. Koenig advised members that the elimination of the incentives for tax exempt properties had
affected Bayhealth and their most recent building permit application. He explained the potential
impact of any type of changes that may be proposed in this regard in the future. Mr. Koenig stated
that during the last five (5) years, approximately $90M of construction value had been added to tax
exempt properties in the area. The full value of the building permits would have been approximately
$817,000, which would have been added to the City’s General Fund during that time frame. Due
to the exemption for those properties, he stated that the City collected $265,000, resulting in
approximately $552,000 of incentives granted to two (2) properties during that time ($550,000 to
Kent General and over $1,000 to the Cen-Del Foundation Building on Loockerman Street).
Mr. Koenig stated that the policy change proposed by staff was directly related to the stress on the
General Fund, explaining that the only revenue received from these types of properties is through
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 41
business licenses or building, plumbing, or other permit fees. He stated that, due to numerous
discussions that had been held regarding the health of the General Fund, one (1) of the proposals
submitted was to eliminate the exemption. Mr. Koenig assured members that the intent was not
directed toward any specific property or owners, but rather to single out the tax exempt status of
properties. If the exemption were reinstated, as requested, he stated that this would have the
potential to affect additional properties, such as the State of Delaware, Wesley College, etc., and if
these property owners were to take advantage of the incentives, there would be another significant
drain on the General Fund.
With regard to the Bayhealth project, Mr. Koenig stated that this was a complicated building from
a building and fire code standpoint, requiring a significant amount of staff time for plan review, site
visits, inspections, etc. By removing the revenue that would be generated, the City would be adding
the additional staff time required as a burden on other entities applying for building permits. He felt
it was a reasonable change to the Code when it was proposed.
Responding to Mr. Hare, Mr. Koenig stated that, to his knowledge, Bayhealth does not provide a
Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) to the City.
Mr. Slavin stated that during his previous tenure on City Council, there was a philosophy that the
City’s fees should support all revenues in specific units, such as Planning and Inspections; however,
he disagreed with that concept. He felt that this type of philosophy tends to make the City overly
aggressive with fees and explained that the amount of construction and number of jobs that are added
are the benefits realized by the City, not the fees collected.
Mr. Perza suggested that there be additional study to determine how many additional jobs may result
from the construction projects and if they would specifically benefit the City or the State of
Delaware. He reminded members that, with the City’s current budget climate, the City must justify
funding for covering payroll, revenues, etc., and members should know all facts before giving
“handouts” to specific entities in the City.
In response to Mr. Slavin, Mr. Koenig confirmed that those entities that currently pay property taxes
would still qualify for the incentives. As a result, Mr. Slavin stated that the City already provides
“handouts” to specific entities.
Mr. Hutchison urged staff to meet with the leadership of Bayhealth to obtain a master plan view of
their future and to share the City’s future from an operational point of view. He noted that Bayhealth
had always been a great partner of the City and felt assured they would continue to do so in the
future.
Responding to Mr. Hare, Mr. Koenig felt that such incentives could be considered on a case-by-case
basis; however, he stated that Bayhealth has purchased several permits that were not large value.
The incentives that they had taken advantage of were for larger permits. As an alternative, he noted
that those tax exempt properties that participate in a PILOT are basically categorized as tax paying
properties and, as such, the City could negotiate a PILOT and the entity would then qualify for the
incentives.
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 42
Mr. Slavin moved to refer the matter back to the Legislative, Finance, and Administrative Committee
for further study, seconded by Mr. Anderson.
Mr. Hare suggested that this matter not be considered by the Committee until staff has the
opportunity to meet with representatives of Bayhealth. Council President Bonar suggested, since the
matter would not affect the current budget year, that this matter be considered by the Committee after
July 1st and that the motion include this stipulation.
There being no objections, Council President Bonar indicated that the motion should reflect that the
matter would be brought back sometime after July.
On a call for the question, the motion to refer the matter back to the Legislative, Finance, and
Administrative Committee for further study sometime after July was carried by a unanimous
roll call vote (Williams absent).
Mr. Slavin moved for acceptance of the Legislative, Finance, and Administration Committee
Report, seconded by Mr. Lynn and unanimously carried.
SET PUBLIC HEARING - ELECTRIC FUND BUDGET
A public hearing on the Electric Revenue Fund Budget is required for compliance with the City of
Dover Electric Revenue Bonds Resolution prior to adoption of the budget. Staff recommended that
the public hearing be set for June 9, 2014 at 7:30 p.m.
Mr. Anderson moved to set a public hearing for June 9, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. for the City of
Dover Electric Fund Budget, seconded by Mr. Dixon and unanimously carried.
SENATE BILL NO. 226 AMENDING TITLE 26 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING
TO PUBLIC UTILITIES
Members were provided Senate Bill No. 226, Amending Title 26 of the Delaware Code, relating to
Public Utilities. Council President Bonar stated that he requested that this matter be presented to
members, explaining that there is an effort in Delaware to make utility bills more transparent. A part
of the transparency process is to allow those who receive such bills to be made aware of what they
are paying for, such as clean air initiatives, solar power, wind, etc. Council President Bonar noted
that Senate Bill No. 226 includes these requirements for municipal governments. He felt that
members of City Council should consider expressing their displeasure at being included in the
legislation due to the costs of preparing utility bills and the difficulties the City would face in
analyzing the true costs to include such detail on the utility bills. As Council President, he requested
that members authorize him to send a letter to the State legislators requesting that Senate Bill
No. 226 not be considered this year.
Mr. Dixon moved to authorize the Council President to send a letter to the legislators
requesting that Senate Bill No. 226 not be considered this year. The motion was seconded by
Mr. Anderson and carried by a roll call vote of six (6) yes (Anderson, Dixon, Slavin, Hare,
Hutchison, and Bonar), one (1) no (Lynn), one (1) abstention (Perza), and one (1) absent
(Williams).
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 43
Mr. Perza stated that since the matter did not go through the Committee, he was not aware of the
specifics; therefore, he felt he was not prepared to vote for or against the request.
2014/2015 MISCELLANEOUS APPOINTMENTS - COUNCIL PRESIDENT (ANNUAL
APPOINTMENTS DEFERRED DURING THE MEETING OF MAY 12, 2014)
Council President Bonar requested approval of the following appointments:
Chamber of Commerce and Greater Dover Committee Liaison Members
William F. Hare
Beverly C. Williams
City/County Committee (Liaison to Kent County)
Mayor (Vacant)
David L. Bonar
William F. Hare
James L. Hutchison
Beverly C. Williams
Scott D. Koenig
Kent County Tourism
Wallace R. Dixon
William G. Neaton (Staff Liaison)
Central Delaware Economic Development Council (CDEDC) Liaison Member/Kent Economic
Partnership
William F. Hare
By consent agenda, Mr. Hare moved for approval of the appointments, as recommended by
Council President Bonar, seconded by Mr. Dixon and carried by a unanimous roll call vote
(Williams absent).
APPOINTMENTS RECOMMENDED BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT BONAR - CITY
CHAPLAINS (ANNUAL APPOINTMENTS TO EXPIRE MAY 2015)
Council President Bonar requested approval of the following appointments as City Chaplains:
Reverend Theodore A. Henderson of Dover Christian Church
Bishop Thomas L. Holsey of Bibleway Temple Church of God in Christ
By consent agenda, Mr. Hare moved for approval of the appointments, as recommended by
Council President Bonar, seconded by Mr. Dixon and carried by a unanimous roll call vote
(Williams absent).
FIRST READING OF PROPOSED ORDINANCE #2014-08
Council President Bonar reminded the public that copies of proposed ordinances were available at
the entrance of the Council Chambers or could be obtained from the City Clerk's Office. Since the
ordinances are amendments to the Zoning Code, a public hearing is required. Staff recommended
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 44
referral of the amendments to the Planning Commission on June 16, 2014, and that a public hearing
take place during the Council Meeting of July 14, 2014 at 7:30 p.m., at which time the Final Reading
and final action by Council will take place.
Mr. Slavin moved to refer Proposed Ordinance #2014-08 to the Planning Commission and set
a public hearing before City Council for July 14, 2014 at 7:30 p.m., as recommended by staff.
The motion was seconded by Mr. Hutchison and unanimously carried.
In accordance with Section 1-9 of the Dover Code, Council acknowledged the First Reading of the
Zoning Ordinance Amendments as read by the City Clerk, by title only, as follows:
PROPOSED ORDINANCE #2014-08 - AMENDING APPENDIX B - ZONING, ARTICLE 3 -
DISTRICT REGULATIONS, SECTION 10 - INSTITUTIONAL AND OFFICE ZONE (IO);
SECTION 11 - NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL ZONE (C-1); SECTION 12 - LIMITED
COMMERCIAL ZONE (C-1A); SECTION 13 - CENTRAL COMMERCIAL ZONE (C-2);
SECTION 14 - LIMITED CENTRAL COMMERCIAL ZONE (C-2A); SECTION 15 - SERVICE
COMMERCIAL ZONE (C-3); SECTION 16 - HIGHWAY COMMERCIAL ZONE (C-4);
SECTION 26 - COMMERCIAL/PROFESSIONAL OFFICE DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT (C-PO);
ARTICLE 4 - ZONING BULK AND PARKING REGULATIONS; ARTICLE 10 - PLANNING
COMMISSION; AND ARTICLE 12 - DEFINITIONS
FIRST READING - PROPOSED ORDINANCES #2014-09, #2014-10, AND #2014-14
Council President Bonar reminded the public that copies of proposed ordinances were available at
the entrance of the Council Chambers or could be obtained from the City Clerk's Office. Final action
by Council on the proposed ordinances will take place during the Council Meeting of June 9, 2014.
In accordance with Section 1-9 of the Dover Code, Council acknowledged the First Reading of the
Proposed Ordinances as read by the City Clerk, by title only, as follows:
PROPOSED ORDINANCE #2014-09 - AMENDING CHAPTER 50 - FLOODS; CHAPTER 22 -
BUILDINGS AND BUILDING REGULATIONS, ARTICLE III - BUILDING CODE, SECTION 22-
61; AND APPENDIX F - FEES AND FINES
PROPOSED ORDINANCE #2014-10 - FY 2014 BUDGET AMENDMENT
PROPOSED ORDINANCE #2014-14 - AMENDING APPENDIX D - DOWNTOWN DOVER
BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT (DDBID), ARTICLE III - ESTABLISHMENT OF
DDBID, SECTION 3 - GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES, AND SECTION 5 - MANAGEMENT
COMPANY
PROPOSED ORDINANCE #2014-05 WITH PLANNING COMMISSION AMENDMENT #1
(PC#1) AND COUNCIL AMENDMENT #1 (C#1) - AMENDING APPENDIX B - ZONING,
ARTICLE 3 - DISTRICT REGULATIONS, SECTION 2 - GENERAL RESIDENCE ZONES
(RG-1 AND RG-2), SUBSECTION 2.4 - CONDITIONAL USES
During their Annual Meeting of May 12, 2014, a public hearing and Final Reading of Proposed
Ordinance #2014-05 were accomplished, after which, members of City Council tabled the matter.
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 45
The Proposed Ordinance would amend Appendix B - Zoning, Article 3 - District Regulations,
Section 2 - General Residence Zones (RG-1 and RG-2), Subsection 2.4 - Conditional Uses.
Mr. Anderson moved to remove the matter from the table, seconded by Mr. Slavin and
unanimously carried.
Mr. Anderson advised members that, after much discussion, he and Mr. Slavin had resolved their
concerns and, at their request, staff prepared Council Amendment #1 for consideration.
At the request of Mr. Anderson, Mrs. Ann Marie Townshend, Director of Planning and Community
Development, stated that the amendments to the proposed ordinance resulted in a combination of
PC#1 and C#1, explaining that C#1 proposed to eliminate the allowance of Professional Offices as
a conditional use on State Street but to allow it on Governors Avenue between Water and Mary
Streets and, as a result, this changed the nature of the Planning Commission’s recommendation
(PC#1), which would have eliminated State Street and Governors Avenue in their entirety.
However, she noted that the intent of C#1 was to maintain the PC#1 amendment that would limit
the number of employees to four (4).
Mrs. Townshend explained that C#1 would amend PC#1 by amending paragraph (d) to read, as
follows: “Professional offices may be permitted on Governors Avenue between Water Street and
Mary Street, and on Route 8, subject to the following restrictions:”. She noted that C#1 would
maintain the PC#1 amending subparagraph viii, which changes the number of employees from six
(6) to four (4), to read, as follows: “The hours of operation shall not commence prior to 6:00 a.m.
and shall cease no later than 8:00 p.m., with no more than four (4) employees engaged in the
operations upon the premises at any given time.”
Concurring, Mr. Anderson reminded members that during their Annual Meeting of May 12, 2014,
Council did not approve PC#1. He stated that there were concerns expressed by property owners
along State Street who noted that this area is unique in its historical characteristics, which he felt
should be respected; however, there were no concerns relayed by property owners along Governors
Avenue and/or Route 8. He explained that there is a desire to “reclaim” those areas by restoring
empty buildings, creating jobs, etc. He felt confident that the amendments proposed in C#1
respected property owners along State Street as well as those along Governors Avenue.
Mr. Slavin noted that several members had received input from property owners along North State
Street who expressed concerns regarding the proposed ordinance amendment and stated his feeling
that C#1 would satisfy those concerns. He noted that the proposed amendment was not a “blanket”
rezoning and consideration would be given for conditional use; therefore, each application would
be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Council President Bonar thanked Mr. Anderson and Mr. Slavin for developing a resolution to this
matter.
Mr. Anderson moved for adoption of the proposed ordinance, seconded by Mr. Slavin, and by
a unanimous roll call vote (Williams absent), Council adopted Ordinance #2014-05 with PC#1
and C#1, as follows:
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CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 46
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DOVER, IN
COUNCIL MET:
That Appendix B - Zoning, Article 3 - District Regulations, Section 2 - General residence zones
(RG-1 and RG-2), Subsection 2.4 - Conditional Uses, of the Dover Code be amended by
re-designating existing subsection (d) as subsection (e), and inserting a new subsection (d) to read
as follows:
(d) Professional offices may be permitted on Governors Avenue between Water Street and Mary
Street, and on Route 8, subject to the following restrictions:
i. The office operations shall be conducted in such a manner as to maintain the residential
character of the surrounding neighborhood, and no changes or improvements shall be
made to the premises which might preclude utilization of the premises for residential
purposes in the future.
ii. There shall be no other professional office located in the same zoning district within 250
feet of the premises.
iii. No display of products or goods shall be visible from the street.
iv. There shall be no exterior effects such as noise, traffic, odor, dust, smoke, gas, fumes,
radiation, or electromagnetic interference.
v. A minimum of two (2) off-street parking spaces shall be required.
vi. No more than four (4) off-street parking spaces shall be permitted. Furthermore, all
off-street spaces shall be visually screened from adjacent residential uses, to the greatest
extent possible, by employing a landscape screen no less than six and one half (6½) feet
high, which landscape screen shall be properly maintained throughout the duration of the
professional office use on the subject premises.
vii. Signage shall be limited to one (1) sign, not to exceed six (6) square feet in area. No sign
may be illuminated.
viii. The hours of operation shall not commence prior to 6:00 a.m. and shall cease no later
than 8:00 p.m., with no more than four (4) employees engaged in the operations upon the
premises at any given time.
ix. The Planning Commission shall have the authority to impose such additional conditions
and restrictions as may be necessary or appropriate to protect the general health, safety,
and welfare of the residents of surrounding properties.
ADOPTED: MAY 27, 2014
COUNCIL MEMBERS’ ANNOUNCEMENTS
Council President Bonar stated his hope that all enjoyed the Memorial Day Holiday. He stated that
he, along with Mr. Anderson, Mr. Dixon, and Mr. Hutchison, were at the Plaza. He noted that the
new Vietnam Memorial had been dedicated at the Kent County Complex on Bay Road and
encouraged all to visit the site.
Page 47
CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MAY 27, 2014 PAGE 47
By unanimous consent, the meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.
TRACI A. McDOWELL
CITY CLERK
All orders, ordinances, and resolutions adopted by City Council during their Regular Meeting of
May 27, 2014, are hereby approved.
DAVID L. BONAR
COUNCIL PRESIDENT/
VICE-MAYOR ACTING
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Exhibits:
Exhibit #1 - Presentation - Violation of Dangerous Building Ordinance - 45 South New Street
Exhibit #2 - Structural Engineering Report, Dated May 15, 2014
Exhibit #3 - Presentation - Violation of Dangerous Building Ordinance - 110 South New Street
Exhibit #4 - Governing Policy for Energy Commodity Risk Management
Exhibit #5 - Revenue Policy - Police Extra Duty/Voluntary Overtime
Page 48
EXHIBIT #1
Regular Council Meeting of 5/27/2014
Violation of Dangerous
Building Ordinance
45 S New Street
Planning & Inspections Department EXHIBIT #1
Dover, Delaware
Regular Council Meeting of 5/27/2014
May 27, 2014
Page 49
45 S New Street
Case History
20 code enforcement cases since 2000
– Exterior/interior code violations
– Numerous repeated fire code violations
– Violation of the zoning ordinance
Registered as vacant by the city on September 8,
2010
Condemned by City Staff on March 7, 1999 due to
fire damage.
Utility service established by House of Pride in
2004 with minimal electric usage and no water
usage during this time.
Page 50
Dangerous Building Code –
Chapter 22 Article XI, Sec. 22-381
(4) Fire damage, etc.
(5) Unfit for habitation.
(9) General welfare.
(10) Code violations.
(12) Unoccupied buildings.
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Recommended Council Action
Declare this building and all accessory structures on this property
dangerous.
Order the property repaired or demolished by June 26, 2014 by
the owner or equity owner at their own risk.
Order the Building Inspector to cause the repair or demolition of
the property if not completed by the owner within 10 days of the
date established by City Council.
Order the City Manager with the assistance of the City Solicitor to
cause the cost of repairs or demolition to be charged against the
land on which the property exists as a municipal lien or cause
such cost to be added to the tax duplicate as an assessment, or to
be levied as a special tax, or to be recovered in a suit at law
against the owner.
Page 68
EXHIBIT #2
Regular Council Meeting of 5/27/2014
Page 69
EXHIBIT #3
Regular Council Meeting of 5/27/2014
Violation of Dangerous
Building Ordinance
110 S New Street
Planning & Inspections Department EXHIBIT #3
Dover, Delaware
Regular Council Meeting of 5/27/2014
May 27, 2014
Page 70
110 S New St
Case History
36 code enforcement cases since 2002.
– Exterior/Interior code violations
– Fire Code Violations
– Numerous repeated violations on annual inspections for
both fire and housing inspections
Condemned by City Staff on July 18, 2012 due to
the numerous repeated violations of City Codes
and by not having a viable fire safety plan in place
for the occupants of the structure.
Registered as vacant by the city on November 14,
2012.
Source of neighbor complaints.
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Dangerous Building Code –
Chapter 22 Article XI, Sec. 22-381
(5) Unfit for habitation.
(9) General welfare.
(10) Code violations.
(12) Unoccupied buildings.
Page 88
Recommended Council Action
Declare this building and all accessory structures on the property
dangerous.
Order the property repaired or demolished by June 26, 2014 by
the owner or equity owner at their own risk.
Order the Building Inspector to cause the repair or demolition of
the property if not completed by the owner within 10 days of the
date established by City Council.
Order the City Manager with the assistance of the City Solicitor to
cause the cost of repairs or demolition to be charged against the
land on which the property exists as a municipal lien or cause
such cost to be added to the tax duplicate as an assessment, or to
be levied as a special tax, or to be recovered in a suit at law
against the owner.
Page 89
EXHIBIT #4
Regular Council Meeting of 05/27/2014
City of Dover, Delaware
Governing Policy
For
Energy Commodity
Risk Management
Amended by City Council: May 27, 2014
Effective: September 10, 2012
Approved by: City of Dover Council
Date: September 10, 2012
Page 90
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PURPOSE OF THE RISK MANAGEMENT POLICY ..................................................................3
A. Introduction.....................................................................................................................3
B. Scope of Policy ................................................................................................................3
C. Objectives and Risk Philosophy ...................................................................................4
D. Policy Administration ....................................................................................................4
MANAGEMENT AND CONTROLS .............................................................................................5
A. Utility Committee of The City Council .......................................................................5
B. Executive Risk Management Committee ....................................................................5
1. City Manager .............................................................................................................................. 7
2. Director of the Utility................................................................................................................. 7
3. Controller .................................................................................................................................... 7
4. TEA Member Services Manager............................................................................................... 8
DISCUSSION OF RISKS ...............................................................................................................8
MARKETING AND TRADING PRACTICES ..............................................................................9
A. Standards of Conduct ....................................................................................................9
B. Products, Activities and Limitations ...........................................................................9
C. Contract Documentation and Confirmations...........................................................10
D. Training..........................................................................................................................11
E. New Product Protocol .................................................................................................11
RISK LIMITS AND RISK MEASUREMENTS...........................................................................11
A. Limits..............................................................................................................................11
1. Volume/Maturity/Value Limits ........................................................................................... 11
2. Volume Limits .......................................................................................................................... 12
3. Locational Limits ...................................................................................................................... 12
B. Stress Testing and Back Testing .................................................................................12
C. Instances of Exceeding Risk Limits............................................................................12
CREDIT POLICY ..........................................................................................................................12
A. Measuring Credit Risk .................................................................................................13
B. Analysis and Extension of Credit Limits ..................................................................13
C. Instances of Exceeding Credit Limits ........................................................................14
REPORTING .................................................................................................................................14
A. Risk Reporting ..............................................................................................................14
B. Credit Reporting ...........................................................................................................15
C. Hedge Effectiveness Reporting ..................................................................................16
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS ............................................................................16
POLICY DISTRIBUTION AND COUNSEL ...............................................................................16
A. Distribution Outside The City ....................................................................................16
B. Designated Counsel .....................................................................................................16
APPENDIX A – Approved Products .............................................................................................17
APPENDIX B – Approved Counterparties and Threshold Tables ................................................18
APPENDIX C – Business Risks ....................................................................................................22
APPENDIX D – Glossary ..............................................................................................................23
APPENDIX D – Swap Transaction Representative ......................................................................25
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PURPOSE OF THE RISK MANAGEMENT POLICY
A. Introduction
The City of Dover (“City”) and its customers are routinely exposed to energy price risk,
volume variability risk, basis risk and credit risk – herein referred to collectively as
energy commodity risk - in the normal conduct of serving its electric load requirements.
Volatility of energy commodity prices and volumetric uncertainty (either
supply/generation or load obligations) impose a substantial and direct risk to the City’s
financial and operating performance.
By authority of its charter, the City has responsibility for overseeing the City’s
electricity operations, including the management of its cost of serving Dover’s
customers. By agreement dated May 6, 2011 and approved by the City (the “EMA”),
the City has engaged The Energy Authority, Inc. (“TEA”) to assist the City with Asset
Management and Strategic Planning Services, Risk Management Services, and Energy
Management Services.
This Policy for Energy Commodity Risk Management (“Policy”) is established the
explicit understanding that the City has retained and delegated responsibilities to TEA
to provide Risk Management Services.
Additionally, the City has issued this Policy for dealing with the philosophy,
framework and delegation of responsibilities necessary to govern activities related to
Dover’s energy commodity risk management. As set forth herein, the City has
established an organizational structure, delegated responsibility and established
internal controls and procedures to ensure that all transactional and oversight activities
are conducted in compliance with this Policy and in accordance with the City’s normal
reporting, legal, financing and regulatory requirements relating to energy assets and
transactions.
B. Scope of Policy
This Policy covers all transactions entered into the by the City of Dover designed to
meet the City’s electric load requirement and the management of risk related to these
transactions.
In the event of conflict between this Policy and the EMA, the Policy shall control.
This Policy is separate and distinct from enterprise risk management policies and
procedures addressing the City’s safe operation of its generating stations and energy
infrastructure, insurance requirements, permit compliance, employee matters
regulatory compliance with laws and regulations of the State of Delaware and Federal
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Agencies such as EPA, FERC, NERC and CFTC or other potential risks to the City
beyond the purchase and sale of fuel and electric power and its ancillary products.
C. Objectives and Risk Philosophy
The objectives of the Policy are to identify energy commodity price and credit risk
exposures and give the City a framework for the quantification and management of
these exposures. The Policy will identify the reports needed to convey how the
identified risk exposures can potentially impact the City’s overall cost of providing
electricity service to its customers and report on the risk management of the
transactions associated with City’s electric load requirements.
Under the Policy, risk management activities will be conducted consistent with the
City’s overall objective of appropriate risk mitigation. There are several objectives of
the Policy which, when taken and executed together, serve to manage the City’s energy
commodity price exposures. Specifically, the Policy:
Establishes framework for developing credit limits for counterparties and quantifies
and manages the credit exposures related to potential counterparty abrogation
Quantifies the impact of the above exposures on City’s financial results
Manages the impact of the above exposures in line with the City’s identified level of
risk tolerance
Provides clear delineation of responsibilities and authority, outline a separation of
duties, and ensure reporting of risk is timely and accurate.
Ensures that the impact of any action affecting the City’s position is consistently
quantified, monitored and authorized.
The City’s risk management activities will be conducted consistent with its overall objective of
appropriate risk mitigation and never for purposes of speculation.
D. Policy Administration
This Policy has been approved by the Executive Risk Management Committee and The
Utility Committee of the Dover City Council. The Utility Committee must approve
modifications to the Policy with the exception of the appendix information which can
be modified with the approval of the Executive Risk Management Committee.
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MANAGEMENT AND CONTROLS
This Policy articulates the management and organization of the City and TEA to serve
as a control framework outlining delegation of duties and responsibilities.
A. Utility Committee of The City Council
The Utility Committee of The City Council (The Committee) has a responsibility to
provide approval of this Policy. With this approval, The Committee also assumes
additional duties. They will understand the risks the City is and could be exposed to
due to their energy commodity risk management activities. In this role, the Committee
will have a responsibility to also understand the City’s policies and procedures, internal
controls and systems which are used to help manage the City’s energy commodity
risks.
The Committee will approve any amendments to the Policy or limits within. The
Executive Risk Management Committee will update the Committee periodically
regarding the Policy and its functions. It will be the Committee’s responsibility to:
Discuss guidelines and strategic policies that govern the process by which the
Energy Risk Management Committee assesses and manages risks
Review and approve the risk policy at least annually
Approve new members of the Executive Risk Management Committee
Acknowledge the risk inherent in transactions covered under this Policy
B. Executive Risk Management Committee
An Executive Risk Management Committee (“ERMC”) has been formed to provide
executive management oversight for the City’s energy commodity risk management
activities. The ERMC is charged with the creation, amendment and administration of
this Policy, including acquiring any approvals required by the Utility Committee, and
will ensure that all energy commodity risk management activities of the City are
performed consistent with this Policy. The ERMC will meet at least monthly to review
compliance and conduct its business as described in this Policy.
The ERMC shall be comprised of the following voting members: The City Manager,
The Director of Utility, The City’s Controller and TEA’s Client Service Manager.
The City’s ERMC will make decisions following the process outlined in this Policy.
TEA’s Client Services Manager may include representatives from other areas within
TEA in the monthly ERMC meetings who will attend in person or by conference call as
non-voting advisors. Other City employees and TEA staff may also be asked to attend
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meetings from time-to-time, as the ERMC deems necessary. The responsibilities of the
ERMC shall include:
Establish scope and frequency for management reporting to the Utility Committee.
No less than annually, review the City’s Energy Commodity Policies and Procedures
for correctness and completeness.
Review and approve any new risk report or change to an existing risk report
provided by TEA to monitor risks outlined in this Policy.
Understand and approve any models, methodologies, and assumptions used for
measuring risks such as volume risk, process risk, counterparty risk and commodity
risk.
Monitor the City’s risks and ensure they are within the limits and are being
managed according to what is indicated within the City’s Policy and associated
procedures
Understand the City’s risk management objectives and risk tolerances.
Review and approve the risk management and trading strategy programs and
associated risk. Each program should be reviewed to ensure alignment with Policy
objectives and compliance with risk limits within this Policy.
Periodically review any risk management program approved in light of recent
market changes, and ensure continued compliance with its established guidelines
Review and approve new products, markets, trading counterparties and credit
limits
Review all violations and exceptions to this Policy and report such to the
Committee.
Approve the individuals or companies that engage in the City’s commodity
transactions and are subject to the limits within this Policy.
Ensure that the individuals or companies authorized to transact on behalf of the City
as well as manage its risks, are appropriately trained and qualified.
Ensure independence and segregation of duties between front, middle and back
office at TEA.
Recommend changes to this Policy to the City’s Utility Committee for approval and
ensure the Utility Committee understands the City’s overall compliance with this Policy
and associated procedures
The ERMC will meet at least monthly to review risks identified and reported on by the
Policy, this meeting shall be chaired by The City Manager. Minutes of each meeting of
the ERMC shall be recorded and reflect any decisions and follow-up action items to be
performed. These minutes will be reviewed and approved by the members of the
ERMC in a timely manner.
Each member of the ERMC has a unique role as defined below:
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1. City Manager
The City Manager is independent of all commercial functions and carries the
responsibility of establishment and maintenance of risk management for the City. The
City Manager will be a voting member of the ERMC and act as a chair of the ERMC.
Other responsibilities include:
Ensure this Policy is maintained.
Oversee reviews of the City’s energy commodity risks, limits, risk measurement
methodologies and models, and programs and recommend changes to the ERMC.
Ensure potential transactions and their impacts on the City’s risks and limits defined
within this Policy.
Develop and monitor the implementation of the Policy, and oversee other risk
management processes and procedures established by this Policy or otherwise by
the ERMC.
2. Director of the Utility
The Director of the Utility is responsible for all trading, hedging, pricing, structuring,
and market and operational risk management activities associated with the City. The
Director of the Utility will be a voting member of the ERMC. Other responsibilities
include:
Review the effectiveness of transaction processing systems and procedures relating
to risk measurement.
Recommend operational risk and business risk assessment guidelines.
3. Controller
The Controller is independent of all commercial functions and carries the responsibility
of the City’s accounting practices. The Controller will be a voting member on the
ERMC. Other responsibilities include:
Perform financial accounting including accounting for hedging and derivatives
activities.
Comply with tax rules and make appropriate tax elections.
Record realized and unrealized gains and losses.
Reconcile general ledger, cash transactions and margin accounts.
Implement tax-hedge accounting policies and other regulatory tax requirements.
Develop and maintain documentation outlining standard procedures for conducting
business.
Invoice counterparties and resolve billing disputes.
Perform daily/weekly/monthly transaction checkout with counterparties.
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Develop and maintain documentation outlining standard procedures for conducting
business.
4. TEA Client Services Manager
The TEA Client Service Manager roles and responsibilities are defined exhibit B of the
EMA between the City and TEA. The TEA Client Service Manager will be a voting
member on the ERMC. Other responsibilities include:
Monitor risk reports between ERMC meetings.
Report to the Committee and the ERMC on the City’s adherence to all limits and
functions within this policy.
Engage the ERMC in discussions regarding events or developments that could
expose the company to potential losses.
Recommend to the ERMC specific risk limits consistent with the City’s risk
management objectives, risk tolerance, and risk management policy.
Coordinate and distribute independent market fundamental analysis.
Provide advisory support and recommendations as specified in Article 5 of the
EMA.
DISCUSSION OF RISKS
This Policy covers the management of all material energy market risks faced by the City. A
comprehensive list of risks that are or could be relevant to City is shown in Appendix C of the
Policy. Among the most critical of these risks are commodity risk, counterparty risk, process
risk, volume risk, and budget risk. These risks are measured by the limit structure and controls
outlined in the Policy.
Commodity risk represents the potential adverse impacts to the value of the City’s
portfolio due to changes in the market. Commodity risk encompasses volatility risk,
forward price risk, basis risk, correlation risk and liquidity risk.
Counterparty risk represents the potential losses the City could incur due to delivery
risk and receivable risk. Delivery risk stems from a supplier or trading counterparty
that is unable or unwilling to perform on its commitments including but not limited to
delivery or receipt of commodities. Receivable Risk includes the City’s risk associated
with a counterparty’s timeliness of payment for services rendered.
Process risks represents the risks associated with process problems including, but not
limited to, inaccurate data capture, untimely trade execution or settlement problems.
Controls over process risks are embedded in the organizational structure of TEA
through the design processes and operating procedures.
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Volume Risk represents the potential for unforeseen changes from projections of excess
or shortfall of capacity or energy from the actual needs. When variances are large
coupled with large costs to transact and adverse moves in market prices this risk could
be realized. In management of this risk, the City must be aware of the fact that
unexpected variations in volume are often highly correlated with price movements.
Budget Risk represents the potential to deviate outside of tolerable bounds of the City’s
budget. Deviations from budget can be caused by forecast error or unforeseeable
adverse changes in market prices.
MARKETING AND TRADING PRACTICES
A. Standards of Conduct
Individuals authorized to transact for the City shall not misrepresent, conceal or
withhold information regarding energy commodity trading and risk management
transactions to any person responsible for the accurate recording and/or reporting of
such transactions; participate in any such transaction or similar activity for the benefit
of any party other than the City; or hold or be a beneficiary of any financial interest in
any entity with which the employee is engaged in trading or other business activity
(other than ownership of an interest in a mutual fund managed by another party).
Further, no employee authorized to place or execute such transactions may engage in
trading power or energy commodities derivative instruments for his or her personal
account.
B. Products, Activities and Limitations
Pursuant to achieving the City’s core objectives for the purpose of energy commodity
risk management, the following limitations shall apply.
Permissible instruments will be restricted to the products and instruments specified
in Appendix A – Approved Products of the Policy;
o All physical forward transactions shall be governed by the Edison Electrical
Institutive (EEI), North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB), or
similar agreements with counterparties approved by the City.
o The City reserves the right to enter into financial hedge transactions to
effectuate Policy objectives, but does not authorize TEA to enter into financial
hedge transactions on its behalf. Any such financial transactions that the City
may enter into shall be governed by ISDA agreements with counterparties as
approved by the City.
The maturity for each permissible instrument will be restricted to the maturity limits
specified in the risk limits section of the Policy.
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Transaction volumes for each risk management transaction will be restricted to the
amounts specified in the Risk Limits section of the Policy.
Risk management transactions will be outlined in the City of Dover Hedge Program
which will be approved by the ERMC. Risk management transactions may include
the following:
o Hedging the forward price of purchased power for delivery to the City as
needed to meet its electric load requirements.
o Hedging the forward price of natural gas and fuels as needed to generate
power to meet the City’s electric load requirements.
o Unwinding of hedges to accommodate changes in expected load
requirements, or for economic reasons subject to explicit constraints set by the
ERMC.
C. Contract Documentation and Confirmations
No over-the-counter transaction may be executed until an EEI, NAESB, or similar
agreement has been authorized by the City, approved by the ERMC and fully executed
by the parties.
Written confirmations will be required from counterparties, as defined in the Master
Service Agreement between the City and counterparty, within one business day or such
longer time as required by the contract in question for all risk management transactions.
Contemporaneous with any commitments and prior to receipt of written confirmations,
verbal commitments shall be memorialized internally as to instrument structure,
quantity, relevant time horizon, price and any other relevant terms; such internal
documentation shall be time stamped and correlated to the ultimate written
confirmation to or from the counterparty. Both the internal documentation as well as
the written confirmation from the counterparty shall be provided to TEA’s Risk Control
Group immediately upon receipt for verification.
In the event that there is a material failure to provide timely documentation or
confirmations, then at the City Manager’s sole discretion, the offending individual’s
authorization may be suspended. Similarly, if the failure to provide timely
documentation or confirmations is due to the failure of counterparty, then at the
discretion of the City Manager, a moratorium may be imposed on transactions with that
counterparty. In such cases, the City Manager shall notify the ERMC of the issues
leading to the suspension or moratorium shall.
Nothing herein shall inhibit the City Manager from bringing control issues to the TEA’s
Client Services Manager prior to a decision on materiality or the imposition of a
suspension of trading privileges or counterparty moratorium.
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D. Training
The ERMC will ensure that all City employees and/or TEA Staff that will execute
transactions on behalf of the City will have appropriate training in the markets in which
the transactions occur.
E. New Product Protocol
As required to manage the City’s energy commodity risk the ERMC shall approve new
products provided the requirements of the New Product Approval Procedure are met.
RISK LIMITS AND RISK MEASUREMENTS
A. Limits
The limit structure is designed to quantify the types of risk in City’s energy commodity
portfolio. The City will manage and report on its energy commodity market risk using
Volume/Maturity/Value Limits, a Cost of Service Limit and a Hedge Loss Limit.
1. Volume/Maturity/Value Limits
Transaction limits for the Individuals Authorized to execute transactions and the
maturity limits for each permissible instrument are listed below. Transactions for
amounts in excess of those listed may be executed only upon approval of the ERMC.
This limit, maturity and value structure is not intended for use when transacting day-
ahead and real time in the PJM market.
Maximum Daily Notional Limits
Volume/Maturity/Value Limits
Volume Value ($000)
Balance of the Month through 12 Months 50 20,000
Power Between 13 Months and 24 Months 50 20,000
(MW) Between 25 Months and 36 Months 25 10,000
Hourly Limit Between 37 Months and 48 Months 25 10,000
Between 49 Months and 60 Months 25 10,000
Balance of the Month through 12 Months 30,000 400
Natural Gas Between 13 Months and 24 Months 30,000 400
(MMBtu) Between 25 Months and 36 Months 10,000 200
Monthly Limit Between 37 Months and 48 Months 10,000 200
Between 49 Months and 60 Months 10,000 200
Balance of the Month through 12 Months 6,000 400
#2/#6 Fuel Oil Between 13 Months and 24 Months 6,000 400
(Bbl) Between 25 Months and 36 Months 3,000 200
Monthly Limit Between 37 Months and 48 Months 3,000 200
Between 49 Months and 60 Months 3,000 200
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The amounts in the table above refer to the maximum volume of orders that can be
placed in any one day the individuals authorized to conduct trades for the specified
time period. On any one day the maximum transaction volume placed can be for up to
50 MegaWatts per hour for every hour during a single calendar month (including both
on-peak and off-peak hours), OR 25,000 MMBtu per month for all months pertinent to
the natural gas transaction, OR 6,000 Bbl per month for all months pertinent to the oil
transaction.
2. Volume Limits
For no reason should a transaction be executed that exceeds the City’s electric load
requirements. If there is an adjustment to the City’s electric load requirements and the
existing transactions greater than 100% of the adjusted electric load requirements the
ERMC will review and approve the offsetting strategy deployed in sufficient proportion
to mitigate the encroachment.
3. Locational Limits
Non-Commodity Transactions must support the requirement of one of the City’s
generation units, native load or transaction locations.
B. Stress Testing and Back Testing
The City’s positions shall be periodically stress tested and models shall be back tested.
The processes around these tests are outlined in the Stress Testing and Back Testing
Procedure.
C. Instances of Exceeding Risk Limits
Should the City or TEA enter into a transaction that causes the portfolio to exceed any
above mentioned limits the Director of the Utility shall, in addition to notifying the
ERMC, also notify the Chair of The Committee as soon as practicable and shall provide
periodic reports to the Chair on the status the transactions for as long as the City is
exceeding its limits. The ERMC will review and determine whether any liquidation or
offsetting of transactions is warranted. The incident will be documented as a Policy
Exception by the Director of the Utility.
CREDIT POLICY
Credit Risk is the risk due to the uncertainty in a counterparty’s ability to meet its
contractual obligations. The primary objective of this credit policy is to mitigate, to the
extent commercially reasonable, the credit risks associated with transactions covered in
this Policy while still allowing the City to achieve its objectives.
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A. Measuring Credit Risk
The status of credit risk will be measured and reported through reports provided by
TEA.
The current credit exposure will be reported at the agreement level via a Counterparty
Credit Report provided by TEA. This information will be made available in real time to
TEA trading personnel so that it can be checked prior to executing transactions for the
City. Those responsible for risk oversight at the City and TEA will have access to this
information no less frequently than once per day. The ERMC will monitor overall
credit utilization and any credit exceptions at least monthly. When measuring the
current credit risk, netting will be applied to the exposure if the City’s contract with a
counterparty includes provisions for netting.
B. Analysis and Extension of Credit Limits
Physical and financial commodity transactions will be executed with counterparties
approved by the ERMC with credit available to support the transactions. The
creditworthiness of a counterparty will be determined by both qualitative and
quantitative factors. Factors shall include, but not limited to:
A company’s debt credit ratings provided by the rating agencies.
Financial data such as an analysis of the income statement, balance sheet, and cash
flow, as well as liquidity and capital structure.
Subjective factors such as company’s fuel diversity, overall size, risk management
policy and internal controls, geographic diversity, and market intelligence.
A credit limit is the amount of unsecured credit granted to a counterparty. Unsecured
credit exposure includes amounts owed by the counterparty, whether billed or not, and
the mark-to-market differences in value of any collateral which the counterparty has
provided the City. Any net exposure above the collateral threshold will require the
posting of collateral by a counterparty. Further information on the City’s procedure for
establishing credit is contained in the Counterparty & Credit Review Process.
Collateral thresholds, term limitations and credit exposure limits will be subject to the
maximums indicated in Appendix B, based upon the lower of the S&P and Moody’s
credit ratings.
At no time will the City incur a credit exposure with any counterparty greater than
$60,000,000.
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C. Instances of Exceeding Credit Limits
The City and TEA are restricted by the credit limits approved by the ERMC. The ERMC
can suspend trading with a counterparty, if that counterparty’s credit limit has been
reached or exceeded. The City or TEA traders shall not exceed the Counterparty
Credit Limit by executing transactions with any counterparty without approval of the
ERMC.
The ERMC will determine when it’s appropriate to require additional collateral if a
counterparty’s credit exposure exceeds its credit limit. Collateral includes standing
letter of credit, cash, and prepayments.
All credit exceptions will be documented and reported to the ERMC and the Committee
as Policy Exceptions.
REPORTING
A. Risk Reporting
Preparation of timely reports is critical to monitoring risk. TEA will furnish the
required reports on a regular frequency for the City in a format acceptable to the ERMC.
In addition, the ERMC and its designees will be provided access to the City’s risk
reports as updated daily via TEA’s secure Web Portal.
Reports required on a monthly basis and for periodic meetings of the ERMC include the
following:
Profit and Loss Report
The Profit and Loss (P&L) Report shows the daily realization of transactions at either
the transaction price or the market price as transaction roll from unrealized to realized.
This report should show volumes, transaction prices and market prices of realized
physical and financial power and fuel transactions.
Mark to Market Report
The Mark to Market (“MTM”) Report conveys the potential transaction exposure if the
energy commodity portfolio was liquidated at the most recent market settlement prices.
This report should show volumes, transaction prices and market prices of unrealized
physical and financial power and fuel transactions.
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Activity Report
The Activity Report presents a summary of all energy commodity risk management
activities undertaken, including new transactions taken, existing transactions
settled/liquidated, and any transactions unwound.
Cost of Service Report
The City’s exposure to energy price risk shall be monitored and reported on a Cost-of-
Service basis. All calculations are at the wholesale level. The Cost-of-Service recognizes
all prior (expired) months within the Power Year on the basis of actual (incurred) costs,
and recognizes all forward (pending) months within the Power Year on the basis of
expected forward power and fuel prices and expected forward load-following risks. As
defined below, the Cost-of-Service is an aggregation of Forward Energy Commodity
Portfolio Cost, the Load Following Cost Expectation and the City’s Budget Target for
Purchase Power Expense.
o The Net Purchased Power Cost shows the net cost of all physical and financial
transactions related to the City’s anticipated commodity requirements for power
and fuel and is based on the price of all hedge transactions plus the forward
market price of all unhedged transactions valued at current forward prices for
energy commodities, customer-level cost per MWH of all physical and financial
transactions related to Dover’s actual plus anticipated energy.
o The expected fixed costs defined as load-serving entity (LSE) capacity costs,
transmission costs and TEA management fees.
o The Expected Load-Following Cost for a specified power year is defined as the
expected cost (or revenue) associated with intra-month load variations due to
weather or other events affecting demand. As an interim measure due to lack of
necessary market information and the rapid evolution of the PJM RTO market,
the ERMC has specified $2.50 per MWH as an estimate of the Load Following
Cost to be used for estimating the City’s Forward Cost-of-Service Report. The
ERMC will update the Expected Load Following estimate while lack of necessary
market information persists no less than annually.
o The Budget Target for Purchase Power Expense represents the City’s view of
expected purchase power expense.
B. Credit Reporting
Counterparty Credit Report
The Counterparty Credit Report conveys the exposure to all counterparties with which
the City has credit exposure resulting from its energy commodity risk management
activities.
CFTC Reporting
The City understands that transacting over the counter (OTC) swaps carries an
additional Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) reporting function. Once
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required by the CFTC, the City will report on how the City generally meets its financial
obligations associated with entering into non-cleared swaps in a manner acceptable to
the CFTC.
C. Hedge Effectiveness Reporting
If the City’s transactions require a hedge effectiveness test, those testing results will be
reported to the ERMC no later than one month after the end of the financial reporting
period. The report will include a summary of testing methodology, assumptions of the
testing and the outcome of results with a pass or fail by transaction.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS
Since information systems play a vital role in The City’s trading abilities, the City shall
ensure that the information systems and technology used to store all transaction
information is maintained and secure. The City’s transactions will be stored in TEA’s
enterprise trading and risk management system. TEA uses the TriplePoint Commodity
XL (CXL) system, integrated with Commodity XL for Credit Risk (Credit Risk). TEA
has assigned a Database Administrator (DBA) that is charged with the database security
and maintenance for the transaction database, CXL.
The following safeguards for data security and backup will be installed:
Transaction data stored in the system of record will be replicated daily to ensure
data redundancy;
The CXL database will be backed up at least daily after the close of business.
POLICY DISTRIBUTION AND COUNSEL
A. Distribution Outside The City
The City’s Policy is restricted to the use of the City and TEA organizations. It shall not
be distributed outside these organizations without the consent the ERMC.
B. Designated Counsel
Questions about the interpretation of any matters of this Policy should be referred to
ERMC. The ERMC will provide clarification and explanation on any updates to this
Policy.
All legal matters stemming from this Policy will be referred to the City’s Legal Counsel.
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APPENDIX A – Approved Products
The following shall constitute a list of approved products to be utilized by TEA to
manage the City’s energy commodity portfolio:
Physical Power
Physical Natural Gas Delivered Dover via Eastern Shore Pipeline
Physical Residual Fuel Oil (#6) Delivered Dover
Physical Residual Fuel Oil (#2) Delivered Dover
Capacity
Financial Power
Financial Call Option
Financial Put Option
PJM Demand Bids and Generation Offers
PJM InSchedules
PJM Transmission Products
o Financial Transmission Rights
o Annual Auction Revenue Rights
PJM Tier 2 Synchronized Reserves
The above instruments can be executed by TEA on behalf of the City of Dover for the
current and next two successive Power Years (July to June).
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APPENDIX B – Approved Counterparties and Threshold Tables
This Appendix establishes approved counterparties and their Collateral thresholds.
Collateral thresholds, term limitations and credit exposure limits that are subject to the
following maximums based upon the lower of the S&P and Moody’s credit ratings:
Credit Thresholds from Dover Extended to the Counterparty
Constellation Energy
Threshold S&P Moody's
$ 60,000,000 AAA Aaa
$ 50,000,000 AA‐ to AA+ Aa3 to Aa1
$ 50,000,000 A‐ to A+ A3 to A1
$ 40,000,000 BBB+ Baa1
$ 30,000,000 BBB Baa2
$ 20,000,000 BBB‐ Baa3
$ ‐ Below BBB‐ Below Baa3
Integrys
Threshold S&P Moody's
$ 20,000,000 AAA Aaa
$ 20,000,000 AA‐ to AA+ Aa3 to Aa1
$ 15,000,000 A‐ to A+ A3 to A1
$ 10,000,000 BBB+ Baa1
$ 5,000,000 BBB Baa2
$ 1,000,000 BBB‐ Baa3
$ ‐ Below BBB‐ Below Baa3
Sempra Energy
Threshold S&P Moody's
$ 20,000,000 A or above A2 or above
$ 20,000,000 A‐ to A+ A3
$ 15,000,000 BBB+ Baa1
$ 10,000,000 BBB Baa2
$ ‐ BBB‐ or lower Baa3 or lower
Conectiv
Threshold S&P Moody's
Unspecified * Above BBB+ Above Baa3
$ ‐ Below BBB‐ Below Baa3
* Conectiv does not have a defined credit threshold, so for planning purposes, a
$10,000,000 threshold is imposed as a conservative limit
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Macquarie Cook Power
Threshold S&P Moody's
$ 25,000,000 AAA Aaa
$ 20,000,000 AA‐ to AA+ Aa3 to Aa1
$ 15,000,000 A‐ to A+ A3 to A1
$ 10,000,000 BBB+ Baa1
$ 5,000,000 BBB Baa2
$ ‐ BBB‐ or below Baa3 or below
FPL Energy
Threshold S&P Moody's
$ 30,000,000 AAA Aaa
$ 25,000,000 AA‐ to AA+ Aa3 to Aa1
$ 20,000,000 A‐ to A+ A3 to A1
$ 15,000,000 BBB+ Baa1
$ 10,000,000 BBB Baa2
$ ‐ BBB‐ or below Baa3 or below
Deutsche Bank
Threshold S&P Moody's
$ 25,000,000 AAA Aaa
$ 20,000,000 AA‐ to AA+ Aa3 to Aa1
$ 15,000,000 A‐ to A+ A3 to A1
$ 10,000,000 BBB+ Baa1
$ 5,000,000 BBB Baa2
$ ‐ BBB‐ or below Baa3 or below
Barclays Bank
Threshold S&P Moody's
$ 25,000,000 AAA Aaa
$ 20,000,000 AA‐ to AA+ Aa3 to Aa1
$ 15,000,000 A‐ to A+ A3 to A1
$ 10,000,000 BBB+ Baa1
$ 5,000,000 BBB Baa2
$ ‐ BBB‐ or below Baa3 or below
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Credit Thresholds from the Counterparty Extended to Dover
Constellation Energy
Threshold Fitch Moody's
$ 40,000,000 AA‐ or Above Aa3 or above
$ 30,000,000 A+ A1
$ 20,000,000 A A2
$ 10,000,000 A‐ A3
$ ‐ BBB or below Baa1 or below
Integrys
Threshold Fitch Moody's
$ 20,000,000 AAA Aaa
$ 20,000,000 AA‐ to AA+ Aa3 to Aa1
$ 15,000,000 A‐ to A+ A3 to A1
$ 10,000,000 BBB+ Baa1
$ 5,000,000 BBB Baa2
$ 1,000,000 BBB‐ Baa3
$ ‐ Below BBB‐ Below Baa3
Sempra Energy
Threshold Fitch Moody's
$ 27,000,000 A‐ or above A3 or above
$ 5,000,000 BBB+ Baa1
$ 1,000,000 BBB Baa2
$ ‐ BBB‐ or lower Baa3 or lower
Conectiv
Threshold Fitch Moody's
Unspecified * Above BBB+ Above Baa3
$ ‐ Below BBB‐ Below Baa3
*Conectiv does not have a defined credit threshold, so for planning purposes, a
$10,000,000 threshold is imposed as a conservative limit
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Macquarie Cook Power
Threshold Fitch Moody's
$ 25,000,000 AAA Aaa
$ 20,000,000 AA‐ to AA+ AA3 to Aa1
$ 15,000,000 A‐ to A+ A3 to A1
$ 10,000,000 BBB+ Baa1
$ 5,000,000 BBB Baa2
$ ‐ BBB‐ or below Baa3 or below
FPL Energy
Threshold Fitch Moody's
$ 23,000,000 AAA Aaa
$ 18,000,000 AA‐ to AA+ AA3 to Aa1
$ 13,000,000 A‐ to A+ A3 to A1
$ 8,000,000 BBB+ Baa1
$ 3,000,000 BBB Baa2
$ ‐ BBB‐ or below Baa3 or below
Deutsche Bank
Threshold Fitch Moody's
$ 25,000,000 AAA Aaa
$ 20,000,000 AA‐ to AA+ AA3 to Aa1
$ 15,000,000 A‐ to A+ A3 to A1
$ 10,000,000 BBB+ Baa1
$ 5,000,000 BBB Baa2
$ ‐ BBB‐ or below Baa3 or below
Barclays Bank
Threshold Fitch Moody's
$ 25,000,000 AAA Aaa
$ 20,000,000 AA‐ to AA+ AA3 to Aa1
$ 15,000,000 A‐ to A+ A3 to A1
$ 10,000,000 BBB+ Baa1
$ 5,000,000 BBB Baa2
$ ‐ BBB‐ or below Baa3 or below
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APPENDIX C – Business Risks
Business Risks Topology
Commodity Counterpart
Process Risk Volume Risk Budget Risk
Risk y Risk
Receivables Market Load Market
Price Risk
Risk Deadline Risk Uncertainty Uncertainty
Performance Reporting Load
Volume Risk Supply Risk
Risk Risk Uncertainty
M2M/Forward Generation
Forecast Error
Curve Risk Uncertainty
Liquidity Risk
Basis Risk
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APPENDIX D – Glossary
Back Office – That part of a trading organization which handles transaction accounting,
confirmations, management reporting, and working capital management.
Bilateral Transaction - Any physical or financial transaction between two
counterparties, neither of whom is an Exchange or market entity (e.g. MISO).
Capacity – The real power output rating of a generator or system, typically in
megawatts, measured on an instantaneous basis.
Commodity - A basic good used in commerce that is interchangeable with other
commodities of the same type. Commodities are most often used as inputs in the
production of other goods or services. The quality of a given commodity may differ
slightly, but it is essentially uniform across producers. When they are traded on an
exchange, commodities must also meet specified minimum standards, also known as a
basis grade.
Financial Bilateral Transaction – A Bilateral Transaction that is non-physical and is
defined by a Source Point, Sink Point, and Delivery Point that may be any CP Nodes as
specified by the Midwest ISO.
Financial Forward – An agreement regarding a position in a specified commodity, a
specified price, and a specified future settlement date, that does not result in physical
delivery of the commodity. Rather one party in the agreement makes a payment to the
other party on the basis of the commodity price at the future date.
Front Office – That part of a trading organization which solicits customer business,
services existing customers, executes trades and ensures the physical delivery of
commodities.
Hedging Transaction - A transaction designed to reduce the exposure of a specific
outstanding position or portfolio; “fully hedged” equates to complete elimination of the
targeted risk and “partially hedged” implies a risk reduction of less than 100%.
Mark-to-Market Value – A measure of the current value of unrealized positions;
includes both Open Positions and Closed Positions.
Middle Office – That part of a trading organization that measures and reports on
market risks, develops risk management policies and monitors compliance with those
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policies, manages contract administration and credit, and keeps management and the
Board informed on risk management issues.
Policy – Dover’s Governing Policy for Energy Commodity Risk, as amended and
approved by The Utility Committee.
Portfolio – A collection of transactions.
Realized Gains/(Losses) – The amount earned (or lost) from a transaction , considered
to be realized once the time for performance has lapsed (e.g. delivery of power in the
case of physical transactions or expiration of an option in the case of financial
transactions).
Term – The total duration of a contract, defined as the number of days between the
beginning flow date and ending flow date, inclusive.
Unrealized Gains/ (Losses) – The amount expected to earn (lose) on a specific
transaction(s); however, the time for performance has not lapsed. The total value of
Unrealized Gains/ (Losses) is the Mark-to-Market value.
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APPENDIX D – Swap Transaction Representative
Purpose:
To ensure that the City of Dover, a Special Entity under the Dodd-Frank Financial
Reform Act, selects a qualified representative (“Representative”) to provide advice and
guidance when entering into swap transactions with Swap Dealers or Major Swap
Participants.
Definitions:
Special Entity: As defined in 7 U.S.C. 6s(h)(2)(C) and further interpreted in 17 C.F.R.
23.401(c). The City of Dover is a Special Entity as defined by 17 C.F.R. 23.401(c)(2).
Swap Dealer: As defined in 7 U.S.C. 1a(49) and further interpreted in 17 C.F.R. 1.3(ggg)
Major Swap Participant: As defined in 7 U.S.C. 1a(33) and further interpreted in 17
C.F.R. 1.3(hhh)
Representative: As defined in this policy and 17 C.F.R. 23.450
Policy:
Selection: The City of Dover shall endeavor to seek and employ an individual or entity
that will voluntarily act as a Representative for all energy commodity swap transactions
between XXXX and any Swap Dealer or Major Swap Participant. The Representative
must meet the following qualifications identified in 17 C.F.R. 23.450(b):
(i) Has sufficient knowledge to evaluate the transaction and risks;
(ii) Is not subject to a statutory disqualification;
(iii) Is independent of the swap dealer or major swap participant;
(iv) Undertakes a duty to act in the best interests of the Special Entity it represents;
(v) Makes appropriate and timely disclosures to the Special Entity;
(vi) Evaluates, consistent with any guidelines provided by the Special Entity, fair
pricing and the appropriateness of the swap; and
(vii) In the case of a Special Entity as defined in § 23.401(c)(2) or (4), is subject to
restrictions on certain political contributions imposed by the Commission, the
Securities and Exchange Commission, or a self-regulatory organization subject to
the jurisdiction of the Commission or the Securities and Exchange Commission;
provided however, that this paragraph (b)(1)(vii) of this section shall not apply if
the representative is an employee of the Special Entity.
The Representative and the City of Dover shall enter into a legal agreement that binds
the Representative to comply with items (i) through (vii) in this policy.
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At no longer than any 12 month interval, the City of Dover shall review the
performance of the Representative to ensure compliance with items (i) through (vii) in
this policy.
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EXHIBIT #5
Regular Council Meeting of 05/27/2014
CITY OF DOVER
REVENUE POLICY
EXTRA DUTY / VOLUNTARY OVERTIME
I. POLICY
The City of Dover Police Department recognizes the need for individuals and businesses to
have the services of police officers for special events or other functions that would not be
part of routine patrol. The Department will ensure that these needs are met by permitting
officers to work for these employers in their capacity as Dover Police Officers. Additionally,
the Department shall seek to secure grant funding to compensate officers for voluntary
patrols in and around specific areas of the city, supplementing the normal activities of the
Department.
II. PURPOSE
It is the purpose of this document to outline the extra duty billing rates and procedures to
our customers and granting agencies.
III. RESPONSIBILITIES
The Special Enforcement Unit Commander will be the Extra Duty Coordinator and will
assign clerical support as well.
The Extra Duty Coordinator shall be responsible for ensuring that all requests conform to
this Procedural Notice, City ordinances, and to oversee compliance with departmental
regulations.
The Chief of Police will determine if an extra duty request is a “must fill” position, due to
safety concerns to the public or to police. When this occurs, and no one has volunteered to
work the position, the Extra Duty Coordinator will be responsible for assigning this extra
duty job to an officer.
The Extra Duty Coordinator will be responsible for determining the adequate number of
officers to staff an event.
In cases where the staffing was underestimated the on-site supervisor or working shift
commander, at an event may, at his discretion, notify the employer and the extra duty
coordinator that additional officers are needed. Regardless of whether or not the employer
was able to be notified, the on-site supervisor may call in additional officers and the
employer will be billed accordingly.
Examples of “Special Events” requiring extra duty assignments include, but are not limited
to, events:
1. That require a City of Dover permit
2. Involve temporary road closures
3. Require right of way closures
4. Bicycle or foot races or walks
5. Active traffic control- where an officer is actively/physically engaged in directing
vehicular or pedestrian traffic
6. Other special events
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IV. REQUESTS FOR EXTRA DUTY OFFICERS
Any individual or private firm may request extra duty officers for work within the city limits of
Dover. Requests must be received between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:00 pm Monday
through Friday and can be mailed, emailed, faxed or brought in person to the Dover Police
Department. Applications must be received seven (7) days before the event. Any requests
made less than seven (7) days in advance are only processed with the understanding that
the assignment may not be filled. These requests will be directed to the Extra Duty
Coordinator, who will ensure that the requesting party understands the payment and
cancellation procedures.
The Extra Duty Coordinator will try to accommodate any schedule requests made by the
employer if made within one hour prior to the time of the event.
It shall be the responsibility of the Extra Duty Coordinator to review all requests and the
work required. The extra duty request will be denied if:
A. The employment is prohibited by State Law, City Ordinance, or Dover Police
Department Rules & Regulations.
B. The employment presents a potential risk of injury due to the lack of officers being
requested for the assignment.
C. The request requires the officer to act in any capacity other than a law enforcement
official.
D. The final determination of whether a permit is approved rests with the Extra Duty
Coordinator. While efforts will be made to comply with the assignment duties as defined
by the business representatives, the Dover Police Department maintains exclusive
rights in determining the number of officers required in order to maintain a safe
environment for all and dictate placement and duties.
E. On occasion, specific staffing levels and officer placement are influenced by City of
Dover Ordinances and unique circumstances identified by the City of Dover Council
regarding zoning approval for individual establishments and land parcels.
F. Major re-occurring special events within the City of Dover may involve more defined and
detailed staffing and planning processes that may be outlined in a memorandum of
understanding at the discretion of the Chief of Police or his designee.
Any separate agreements must adhere to the requirements of the Extra Duty
Revenue/Voluntary Overtime Policy and all other City of Dover personnel and financial
policies and procedures as promulgated by the City Council, City Manager, or Controller
Treasurer.
V. PAYMENT METHODS
Billing and processing for all extra duty accounts will be handled in accordance with current
City of Dover finance policies.
A. Non-Recurring permits
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Employers who are using the extra duty services one time, or are determined by the
Extra Duty Coordinator as a high risk customer, must pay for services before the
assignment commences.
Officers can work additional hours with permission granted by the shift commander or
extra duty coordinator. If this should occur, the extra duty employer must pay the
additional charges on the next business day to the Extra Duty Coordinator. To prevent
this, the employer may pay for extra hours and if unused, will be reimbursed.
No officer is allowed to accept monies from an extra duty employer.
B. City Sponsored Events
The cost of police personnel to maintain safety for the actual event, those officers
assigned to traffic and/or crowd control, will be absorbed by the City of Dover.
City sponsored events will be staffed by officers scheduled during the hours of the
event. For events that required additional staffing levels, regular overtime will be
scheduled and paid to those officers that actually work overtime.
C. Extra Duty for Non City Sponsored Events
The Extra Duty Coordinator will schedule officers to work non-city sponsored events.
The expense associated with this extra duty will be the responsibility of the event
organizers. The Coordinator may also arrange for additional requests for police
services, such as money escorts or overnight security.
VI. REPORTING PROCEDURES
The officer may elect to go directly to the job site and report to the point of contact identified
on the assignment worksheet. That contact (or his/her designee) will be responsible for
completing the time-on-duty and time-off-duty sections, along with the Extra Duty Employer
section of the assignment worksheet. If the officer elects to do this, he/she must contact
the on-duty Shift Supervisor by telephone to be input into the CAD system.
VII. FAILURE TO APPEAR FOR EXTRA DUTY
An employer, upon realizing that the officer failed to appear, should notify the extra duty
coordinator at (302)- 736-7145 immediately and also call the on duty shift commander at
(302)736-7111.
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VIII. CANCELLATIONS OF EXTRA DUTY
A. Extra duty assignments will not be canceled less than one hour prior to the scheduled
start time, except as authorized by a Unit or Division Commander, during regular duty
hours, or after regular duty hours, the On-Call Lieutenant.
B. In the case of a departmental need or community emergency, the Chief of Police or
designee may cancel any extra duties assignments. The extra duty officers would then
be immediately available for service to the department.
IX. PROCEDURE FOR CANCELLATIONS OF EXTRA DUTY ASSIGNMENTS
NOTIFICATIONS
A. Cancellations by the extra duty employer should be made at least one hour before the
time the assignment is scheduled to begin. If cancellation is made in less than an hour
(with the exception of a natural disaster) the customer will be charged and the assigned
officers will be paid a minimum of 3 hours as per the FOP Union contract. When an
extra duty assignment is canceled by an extra duty employer the following procedure
will be followed:
1. The person who receives the cancellation notice will document in the extra duty
book, the date and time the cancellation call was received, and they will initial next
to this entry.
2. The person will then notify the officer who had signed up for the extra duty
assignment.
a. This notification will be by leaving the officer a voice mail message stating the
particular extra duty assignment was canceled.
b. If the cancellation notice was received after normal working hours and the
assignment is for the next business day the person receiving the notification will
comply with the above steps but they will also attempt to contact the officer at
the officer’s residence.
3. The person’s initials next to the entry will signify that his person did in fact notify the
officer.
B. When an extra duty assignment is canceled for inclement weather the following
procedure will be followed:
1. The officer who has signed up for the extra duty assignment will be responsible for
contacting the On Duty Supervisor at least one (1) hour prior to the start of the extra
duty assignment. The On Duty Supervisor will make the determination if an extra
duty assignment will be canceled due to inclement weather at this time.
2. If extra duty assignments are going to be canceled due to inclement weather in
advance of the assignment, the officer making the decision to cancel the assignment
will ensure that the officers are notified in advance if possible. (i.e.: leaving the officer
a message at his residence if possible, if not then a voice mail message)
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3. Officers are required to check their voicemail one (1) hour prior to the scheduled start
time of all assignments unless notified previously.
C. A phone message will be left for the Extra Duty Coordinator advising of the cancellation
and that the officer(s) were in fact notified.
D. Some extra duty assignments will be canceled regularly due to inclement weather
where others such as grant-related extra duty assignments are generally not canceled
for inclement weather, unless such weather is severe. Officers are expected to be
prepared to adapt to existing weather conditions.
X. DISCONTINUATION OF SERVICE
If the Chief of Police or his designee or the Extra Duty Coordinator, determines that it is in
the best interest of the department to discontinue an extra duty service, the customer
employer will be immediately notified.
XI. BILLING POLICY
A. Billing rates for Fiscal Year 2015 are as indicated in Attachment 4.
B. Officers pay rates for extra duty assignments, regardless of type, are governed by the
Collective Bargaining Agreement.
C. The City of Dover will pay the officers wages as well as pay for worker’s compensation
and general liability insurance, administrative resource costs, automobile fuel,
maintenance and insurance. An overhead rate is added to the contractual Extra Duty
rate to cover this cost.
D. Officers working an extra-duty assignment will be paid a 3-hour minimum. If the
assignment is not canceled according to policy, or if the officer is released from the
assignment less than 3 hours from the start time, he/she will receive three (3) hours pay
at the extra duty rate.
E. If an officer is late to the assignment for any reason, the officer will be paid only for
actual hours worked.
F. Officers are held strictly accountable for their extra duty assignment worksheets, as this
is the source document by which officers are paid. The customer or designee must sign
the worksheet upon completion of the assignment. For large assignments, the
customer must sign the master worksheet that covers all the officers on that
assignment. Officers will be compensated for extra duty assignments during the pay
period in which the worksheet is submitted to payroll.
G. If an officer must work additional hours on an extra duty assignment, the customer is
responsible for payment of the additional costs, as long as the overage is due to the
extra duty assignment and is necessary.
H. At the conclusion of the extra duty assignment, the officer should place the assignment
worksheet in the payroll mailbox, but no later than the officer’s next scheduled workday.
Loss of an extra duty assignment worksheet may result in a delay of payment to the
officer, or may cause the officer to forfeit pay. Reproduction of assignment worksheets
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may be done with the approval of the Extra Duty Coordinator. The officer will have sole
responsibility for obtaining the proper signatures/dates/times. All employees working
extra duty are required to submit accurate assignment worksheets. The accuracy of
these assignment sheets is critical in ensuring appropriate employee compensation.
The employee’s signature must match the printed name of the employee assigned the
duty. The editing of extra duty worksheets by the employee is permitted for the
purpose of adding accurate information.
G. Any officer who falsifies any portion of the extra duty assignment worksheet will be
subject to discipline under General Order 26, Code of Conduct.
XII. WORKERS’ COMPENSATION/LIABILITY
The City of Dover is self- insured for general liability and statutory workers’
compensation coverage. Police officers assigned to extra duty work are afforded
workers compensation coverage.
XIII. EFFECTIVE DATE
This Procedure shall become effective upon adoption of City Council. Rates will be
reviewed on an annual basis and revised upon Council approval during the adoption of the
annual budget.
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Attachment 1
NOTICE TO CUSTOMERS
The officers are at all times subject to the policies and procedures of the City of Dover and
the rules and regulations governing employees of the Dover Police Department (DPD). A
customer has no authority over police personnel and is restricted to providing only a
general assignment of duties to be performed by the officer. Those duties never
supersede DPD policy or procedures and employers of the extra duty officers should so be
advised. Extra duty officers remain under the exclusive control of the department and
accountable for strict adherence to departmental rules and regulations. Any conflicting
rules of employers of extra duty officers will be disregarded. The officer shall refuse to
perform any duties deemed to be in conflict with the guidelines established by the Dover
Police Department. As determined by the Department, officers may be recalled from extra
duty to on-duty status.
This permit is for Law Enforcement work only and does not exempt customers from
obtaining other necessary permits for this event.
The City of Dover Police Department is NOT obligated to provide extra duty services. A
permit will not be issued to any person, firm, or organization whose offices, members,
business, or operations are questionable or for any event of a potentially compromising
nature.
Dover Police Department officers are NOT permitted to receive cash from customers for
any reason whatsoever.
The undersigned customer agrees, individually and on behalf of the named applicant, to
promptly pay for extra duty services rendered. Further, the undersigned agrees,
individually and on behalf of the named applicant to pay all costs, expenses and attorney’s
fees incurred in the collection of any sums due hereunder.
Paul M. Bernat.
Chief of Police
I have read and understand the “Extra Duty Conditions of Permit” and “Notice to
Customers”
________________________________________________________________
Customer-Individually and as Authorized Representative Date
_____________________________
Federal ID
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Attachment 2
DOVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
BILLING INFORMATION FORM
TO: DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE
FROM: Dover Police Department Date: 6/4/14
THIS SECTION TO PLEASE BILL AS FOLLOWS
BE COMPLETED BY
THE FINANCE
DEPARTMENT TYPE OF ACCOUNT CODE ACCOUNT NUMBER
VENDOR:
THIS WORK DONE ON:
LOCATION: As Requested
SECTION DESCRIPTION OF
WORK DONE: Police services
# HOURS:
TO BE
DETAIL OF CHARGES
LABOR:
COMPLETED
OVERHEAD:
VEHICLE: 0
BY THE
TOTAL BILL:
OPERATING MANUAL PAYMENT INTRUCTIONS: Take this invoice to the City of Dover Customer Services
Department located at 5 East Reed Street, Dover DE 19901. Only cash, money order or certified
funds payments will be accepted.
DEPARTMENT
AUTHORIZED
SIGNATURE
FINANCE DEPARTMENT
RECEIVED BY RECEIVED ON
KEYED BY VERIFIED BY
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Attachment 3
Dover Police Department Extra Duty Request Form
Type of Event:
Number of people attending:
Location of event:
Dates & Times Requested:
Billing Information:
Name:
Address:
Phone #’s: Cell # Work #
Contact person at the event:
Contact person cell #:
Person(s) requesting officer(s):
Signature of requesting person:
The responsible party will be charged a 3-hour minimum (per officer) if the assignment is
not canceled one (1) hour before the assigned start time. If the officer(s) are released
from the assignment less than three (3) hours from the start time, he/she will receive three
(3) hours pay. To cancel an assignment, dial (302) 736-7111.
Official use only, does not write below
Number of officers assigned:
Times officers assigned: to
Approved:
Return this form or fax it to: Special Enforcement Unit Commander.
Fax # (302) 672-1842, any additional questions, dial (302) 736-7145
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Attachment 4
City of Dover
Officer Extra Duty Billing Rates for Grant Related Events
Officer
Billing
Rank Rate
Patrolman $42.00
Patrolman 1st Class $51.00
Corporal $55.00
Master Corporal $65.00
Sergeant $72.00
Lieutenant $78.00
Captain $85.00
Officer Extra Duty Billing Rates for Office of Highway Safety Grants
Federal Approved Rate $50.00
City of Dover
Officer Extra Duty Billing Rates for Special Events (Spectator’s over 5,000)
Officer Total
Billing Overhead Hourly
Rank Rate Rate Rate
Special Event Rate $57.00 $2.00 $59.00
City of Dover
Officer Extra Duty Billing Rates for Non-Special Events
Officer Total
Billing Overhead Hourly
Rank Rate Rate Rate
Extra Duty Rate $57.00 $6.00 $63.00
Vehicles Actively Used on Extra Duty Jobs - Hourly Rate $ 16.25
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