2020-02-26 Downtown Dover Partnership Board Meeting Packet

BOARD MEETING AGENDA Wednesday, February 26, 2020 7:30 a.m. City Hall Conference Room . 1. Agenda - Additions/Deletions 2. Approval of Minutes – January 2020 3. City of Dover Police report i. Introduction and welcome: Chief Johnson Invited ii. Sgt. Chad Bernat 4. Executive Session N/A 5. Executive Committee Report i. DIMH relocation update ii. EZ Pass 6. Mayor report 7. Committee Reports i. General 8. City Manager Update – Donna Mitchell 9. Planning Department Update – N/A 10. Other Reports i. Senator Trey Paradee ii. Councilmen Polce and Neil iii. Wesley College – President Bob Clark iv. Kent County Tourism – Pete Bradley 11. Quarterly updates i. N/A 12. Public Comment 13. Other business 14. Adjourn Next Meeting Date: March 25, 2020 - 7:30 a.m. City Hall Conference Room The Downtown Dover Partnership is committed to driving an improved quality of life for the residents and visitors of Dover, Delaware, through collective collaboration, economic development and promotion of downtown Dover’s unique historic properties.

DOWNTOWN DOVER PARTNERSHIP BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES January 21, 2020 in City Council Chambers DRAFT ATTENDANCE: Mayor Robin Christiansen, Senator Trey Paradee, Councilman Fred Neil, Councilman Tanner Polce, Anita Evans, Lucy Findlay, Todd Stonesifer, John VanGorp, Kim Adams, Mike Harrington, Dave Hugg, Donna Mitchell, Maxine Lewis, Jonathan Street, Pete Bradley STAFF: Tina Bradbury, Diane Laird COMMITTEE CHAIRS, PRESENTERS AND OTHER ATTENDEES: Kristin Pleasanton, Tom Smith Call to Order: Anita Evans Chair, opened the meeting 7:31 a.m. Police Update - Mayor Christiansen announced the hire of the new chief who will begin Feb. 13. Agenda – With quorum in place, motion was duly made by FN and LF; unanimously accepted. Meeting minutes (October 2019 meeting) – Motion duly made to accept by DH and PB; unanimously accepted. Executive Session (ES) Motion duly made to enter by FN and LF; unanimously accepted. Motion duly made to exit session by FN and TS; unanimously accepted. Dover Interfaith Mission for Housing (DIMH)– Councilman Neil indicated that there are two populations of homeless, those that wish help (via DIMH) and those that do not wish help. Diane provided a relocation update: DIMH has requested that the DDP consider removing the requirement for DIMH to relocate, and allowing them to remain on the property. DIMH also requested an extension on the December 31, 2021 deadline to relocate. Because the site is a “gateway” entrance to downtown Dover and considering that there are now plans to redevelop the site into a strong, viable economic development project, with significant job creation and sustainable types of businesses proposed, Ms. Laird recommended that the current deadline remain in place. It is a decision that may be revisited at a later date. Motion was made by TS and LF to take no action at present; unanimously accepted. DDP Audit – Tina provided update on 990’s and completion of audit. Thanks were offered to city staff and Mitten & Winters Accts. Committee updates— • Parking: TS indicated that the “Parking Solutions” Request For Information (RFI) is active and responses are due by March 16; a recommendation to the board is targeted by June; target date for implementation and launch of final solution is December 31, 2020. • Design: KP provided a brief presentation on the public arts project and showed images of several utility boxes and two murals that were completed under direction of Wesley College art instructor DRAFT DDP Board Meeting Minutes – January 2020 1

Josh Nobiling and with the participation of approximately 100 community members. Completion of this project allows the DDP to now request reimbursement of $10,000 in NBBF funds. City Manager Update – DM indicated that the Bradford St. streetscape project is targeted to commence Feb. 20, with project award in in June/July and will take approx. five months to complete. There may be some parking impediments during the construction timeframe. City Planner Update -- The Comp. Plan for the City of Dover has been approved and is on its way for state certification. Four properties on S. Queen/S. New are going to city council for approval to demo; city is addressing target areas of blight. DelDOT is revisiting road circulation in West Dover plan (west of railroad.) Lidl is to open Feb. 5, and Red Robin in early March. An office building is anticipated on Bay Rd. corridor. Post office is expected by 2021 and plans to settle where Chesapeake Utilities used to be. Status of Silver Lake Park: still testing, pipe issue/clean-up. Senator Paradee provided a legislative update: $200,000 M state surplus of which $50M will go into water projects. Budget recommendation for $300,000 to DSHA for continuation of DDD property reinvestment program. Seeking $3.5M for Wesley College, next 45 days are critical. Situation is perilous. Deeply frustrating as UD seems to receive a disproportionately large amount of funding ($130M annual) Wesley is seeking less than a third of that per student. Senior students wish to finish in 2020; decision will affect 300 employees, 50 acres and 19 buildings. Possible mergers with two colleges would be an asset to the community. There are two solid LOI’s from suitors. Wesley has good assets, line of credit, and no debt, but no cash. A UD campus in Dover would have been a great asset both to the community and to UD. This is a national problem for small private colleges. Budget update: Tina Bradbury dispersed budget balance sheet and reviewed insurance, consulting fees of Mitten & Winters Accountants (audit, which is completed with no negative repercussions to DDP); property taxes; and revenue. Public Comment: N/A Meeting adjourned: 8:40 approx. a.m. FN motion ML; unanimously accepted. DJL DRAFT DDP Board Meeting Minutes – January 2020 2