Attachment

SPECIAL PARKS, RECREATION, AND COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT COMMITTEE AGENDA May 27, 2008 - 12:00 Noon - Caucus Room - City Hall - City of Dover Public comments are welcomed on any item and will be permitted at appropriate times. When possible, please notify the City Clerk (736-7008 or e-mail at Tmcdowell@dover.de.us) should you wish to be recognized. AGENDA ADDITIONS/DELETIONS 1. Boys and Girls Club - Status of Proposed Schutte Park Facility Location 2. Cost Benefit Analysis - Animal Control Officer 3. 2008 Comprehensive Plan Review (Continued from May 13, 2008) /tm S:\ClerksOffice\Agendas&Minutes\Committee-Agendas\2008\05-27-2008 SPECIAL PR&CE.wpd THE AGENDA ITEMS AS LISTED MAY NOT BE CONSIDERED IN SEQUENCE. THIS AGENDA IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE TO INCLUDE THE ADDITION OR THE DELETION OF ITEMS, INCLUDING EXECUTIVE SESSIONS.

Animal Control Cost Benefit Analysis Background The City of Dover has for many years employed an Animal Control Officer (ACO) for the purpose of enforcing city and state animal control regulations. The work principally includes dogs and cats. The nature of the complaints includes stray animal, dangerous animal, and cruelty complaints. The ACO patrols for stray animals when time allows. In addition, the officer is assigned other duties subject to availability. The ACO has a truck and necessary equipment for the job, including a shot gun. He has been given the training and authority to prosecute animal control cases in court without assistance from a Dover Police Officer. He does not have authority to arrest people. A Dover Police Officer will also respond and assist the ACO during dangerous animal situations. The ACO is a member of the Special Enforcement Unit and is supervised by the SEU Sergeant. The ACO works a normal 40 work week; he is rarely called in after hours. A Dover Police Officer will respond to animal control complaints when the ACO is not on duty; Dover Police will call the SPCA if they cannot handle the case. Dover is currently charged for that service. A report covering the period from January to October 2007 revealed the follow number of complaints and activities: 242 dog complaints; 99 cat complaints; 104 other complaints; 160 SPCA drop offs; and 249 Lock Jock responses. During this period he issued 104 City of Dover Ordinance Summonses, 164 warnings, and 2 warrants. The City of Dover also has a contractual relationship with the Kent County SPCA. Currently the City of Dover has had to pay for the housing and euthanizing of dogs and cats. They also required transport of animals to their facilities in Camden. Dover also pays for SPCA ACO when called in to handle cases for Dover PD when the Dover ACO is off duty. The SPCA reported in Calendar 2007 they housed 715 cats of which 456 were euthanized; and they housed 278 dogs of which 68 were euthanized. The SPCA ACO’s only differ in training in authority from the Dover ACO in that they can arrest people. The SPCA does have and use tranquilizer guns; the Dover ACO does not. According to the current Dover ACO, Dover has a tranquilizer gun and in the past ACO’s did have the training to use it. A decision was made to stop using it due to requirements of keeping and handling the narcotics. The current ACO has expressed that his job would be easier if he also had use of a tranquilizer gun. He stated that the SPCA has offered to give him the necessary training. It is important to note that beginning in fiscal 2008-09 the duties of the SPCA will be changing due to their contract with the State of Delaware. The SPCA will no longer charge for the housing and euthanizing of dogs. However, they will only pay for the state regulation standard. The State standard is to hold dogs without ID for three days before euthanizing, and 5 days with ID. The Dover standard is five days regardless of ID, therefore we will have to continue to pay for the extra two days of housing. In addition they are willing to offer transport services. They would be willing to cover Dover when the ACO is off duty at no extra charge because these services are now paid under the state contract. This significantly changes the cost of the contract and gives Dover some new opportunities to consider.

The Cost of Operating an Animal Control Program Based on information provided by the Police Department and the Finance Department the following annual costs estimates were developed based on FY 2007/08 budget. Salary plus fringe and OPEB - $62,052 Uniform 572 Recurring expenses 2,456 Total $65,080 In addition to these annual expenses there are vehicle, radios, and equipment expenses. The cost of these when purchased is $24,716. In addition, the contract for the SPCA in FY07/08 was $21,030. As noted this should be reduced in FY08/09. Based on FY07/08 contract I would expect a $10,000-$12,000 reduction in the next contract. What Do Other Cities Do? Like Dover, Newark employs one fulltime Animal Control Officer. Wilmington uses the SPCA and does not have an ACO. Would It Be Better to Contract with the SPCA for Equivalent Services and Eliminate the ACO Program? The City of Dover received a proposal (Attachment A) from the SPCA to provide full coverage with one ACO seven days a week, 12 hours per day for the amount of $151,219. Obviously this is significantly more than Dover currently spends, but it’s more than double the amount of hours covered by a fulltime officer. To do a cost comparison I have analyzed this by reducing the SPCA hours of service to that currently provided by Dover. The proposal was given before it was learned that certain SPCA services are covered by the state contract. I did not account for the likely contract change because I believe that in both sides of the equation there would be a $10,000-$12,000 reduction. The SPCA proposal for 12 hours per day, seven days a week is equivalent to 4368 hours per year. The cost per hour would be $34.62 for a $151,219 contract. Therefore the SPCA equivalent cost for a 40 hour work week used by Dover where there are 2080 hours per year would be $72,010. Given that the current City of Dover annual expense including the SPCA contract is $86,110 there appears to be an annual saving of $14,100. In addition there would not be the capital costs of vehicles, radios, and equipment, which when averaged over five years adds an additional $5000 in savings per year for the first five years. Another factor is that when the Dover ACO is off for vacation, holiday, or sick there is no ACO back up. It is assumed that the SPCA, under their contract, would provide a backup ACO from their staff. I think it is important to note a few things in this analysis: 1) it assumes that the SPCA would keep the $34.62 hourly rate for a 40 hour a week contract 2) It is not truly an equivalent service since a number of ACO activities such as “lock jock” calls would not be handled by the SPCA. The question that would be asked is whether there would be a loss in service as a result of contracting with the SPCA. The Chief of

Police believes there would be. His opinions are given in a memo that I am attaching to this report as Attachment B. Can We Eliminate the ACO Position and Not Contract with the SPCA? The answer is that we can but it would cause a significant drop in services added. The SPCA by virtue of its State contract must provide the same level of services that it does in the unincorporated counties. This includes handling dog complaints – stray, dangerous, and cruelty cases, transporting them, housing them, and euthanizing them. The SPCA will only do cat and other animal complaints on a discretionary basis. They would not necessarily assign an officer to Dover; the SPCA would not necessarily be required to increase its staffing to handle Dover. As a result an increase response time and a significant drop in services would occur. Recommendations 1. At a minimum the FY08/09 contract should be amended so that the SPCA is given ACO coverage responsibilities when the Dover ACO is off duty such as nights and weekends. This is a service that would be provided at no charge. It would free up Dover Police hours for other needs. It also would allow the Dover Police Department time to evaluate the strength of the program and its ability to work with the SPCA. The SPCA has also offered to work out some transport services that will relieve our ACO and Police the time and effort to travel to Camden. This should be explored. 2. The City of Dover is not in a position to pay for a seven day a week, 12 hour per day contract as proposed. The City should ask for a price and scope of work on a five day a week, eight hour day extra service contract. This should be requested in March in 2009 and priced for FY09/10. It would allow the Dover Police Department to evaluate the strength of the SPCA program and their ability to work closer with the SPCA. This will allow the City Council to re-evaluate the SPCA contract proposal with better information. 3. If Dover pursues an extra services contract and eliminates the Dover ACO position it should seek to have the current Dover ACO absorbed in the SPCA staff. 4. Change the Animal Control Ordinance so that the hold period for dogs is aligned with the state standard. 5. The police procedure regarding use of a tranquilizer gun should be reexamined.

MEMORANDUM Department Public Services – Planning & Inspections P.O. Box 475 Dover, Delaware 19903 Phone: 302.736.7010 Fax: 302.736.4217 Date: May 20, 2008 To: City of Dover Parks, Recreation & Community Enhancement Committee From: Ann Marie Townshend, AICP RE: 2008 Comprehensive Plan Draft Chapters and June Workshop Time & Dates Please find attached the drafts of the Citizen Participation and Economic Development chapters of the Comprehensive Plan. I would note that they are draft format, and I would ask that you pay particular attention to the topical areas (as details are still being incorporated in several areas), goals and recommendations. The attached materials are for discussion at the Special Meeting of the Dover Parks, Recreation & Community Enhancement Committee on May 27, 2008. Also, the second round of Public Workshops is scheduled for June. The times, dates, and locations are listed below. Schedule for June Workshops for the Comprehensive Plan: Tuesday, June 10 3pm-6pm Dover Park Wednesday, June 11 6pm-9pm Dover Police Assembly Room Tuesday, June 17 6pm-9pm Dover Elks Lodge Wednesday, June 18 6pm-9pm City Council Chambers

CHAPTER 4 CITIZEN PARTICIPATION The Dover Plan Workshops In the spring and summer of 2008, an in depth citizen participation campaign engaging the community about planning issues in the City was conducted as a preliminary part of the comprehensive plan research. This campaign was conducted through two series of four planning workshops held throughout the City during March and June 2008. The 2008 workshops were advertized in local newspapers and over 1,200 information cards relating the date and location of the meetings were mailed out to citizens and civic organizations. Approximately 75 people from all over the City participated in these meetings. Participation at community workshops ranged from 10 to 35 people per meeting. A joint work session of Dover’s City Council and City Planning Commission was held in April of 2008 in order to review and discuss the findings of the first series of public participation workshops. This joint workshop was designed to give members of the City Council and Planning Commission the opportunity to assess the responses received during the citizen workshops. The goal of the 2008 workshops was to offer the public an opportunity to directly input ideas, concerns, and personal experience into the development of Dover’s plan for growth in the next ten years. Participation was varied in terms of demographics; however homeowners, retirees, and members of the business community were often represented in identifiable groups depending on the location of the workshop on a given date. Local representatives participated and were available to the public during the workshops. The workshops were comprised of three exercises. The Planning staff presented some of the key concerns of the citizens from the 2003 Comprehensive Plan workshops, goals and findings as a basis for discussion in order to determine if these issues were still relevant to Dover. The first exercise involved participants to mark City land use and zoning maps with colored dots in order to express the areas of concern and improvement, likes and dislikes. Each participant marked the maps with colored coded stickers to address issues of traffic, likes, dislikes and areas of improvement. In additions, participants were asked to list strengths and opportunities of improvement for the City. The Planning staff was available for questions and copies of the 2003 Dover Plan was available for public viewing. The second exercise was a presentation by the Planning staff about the Comprehensive Plan process. Participants were given an overview of the process, objectives and goals achieved from the 2003 Comprehensive Plan and timeline of the 2008 Plan. 2008 Comprehensive Plan Chapter 4 ‐ DRAFT May 16, 2008 Page 1

Participants then joined in a facilitated discussion. Issues ranged from parking in the downtown Dover area and traffic to annexations and growth of the City. Participants were also given a questionnaire to complete and return, expressing their opinions. The first section of this chapter includes the results of the public’s responses to the questionnaire. The actual questions and the response rates and a listing of all written responses can be found in a separate report published by the Dover Planning Department entitled The Dover Plan: From the People - For the People, Citizen Participation Element Results (1996). Questionnaire Results The 2008 questionnaire was section into four parts. The first asked questions about three areas of Dover identified as being important: Downtown Dover, the US Route 13/113 Corridor (and Route 8), Silver Lake and the St. Jones River Watershed. The second part of the questionnaire asked participants for their opinions on land use and development, housing, residential growth and annexation, and growth east of Route 1. The third part of the questionnaire asked participants to rank various areas and concerns regarding the City in general, parks and recreation, and annexations. Additionally, participants were also asked to write any comments not addressed in the questionnaire or clarify responses on the areas provided on the form Downtown Dover Downtown Dover is the oldest part of Dover. It is a mix of institutions, homes, businesses and offices. Within this historic area are the state capital complex, The Green and the downtown business district. Like most downtowns, its importance as the commercial center of the region has diminished. Many downtown property owners and merchants are also struggling with issues related to aging buildings. For several years the City has had a policy of supporting the revitalization of Downtown Dover with new development activity. The workshop results suggest this policy is in keeping with the desires of the Dover community. Nearly 85% of the respondents strongly agreed or agreed with the policy. Participants were asked to rate issues seen as important challenges for Downtown Dover. Nearly 80% of respondents cited crime & safety, filling vacant stores and parking as the primary impediments to its revitalization. When asked if the City should continue to address the height mass and scale of buildings through the design process for all construction and renovation in the Downtown area, over 70% strongly agreed or agreed with this proposal. Respondents also reacted positively when asked if the City should implement the West Side Study proposal to redevelopment the western end of Loockerman Street. Participants were asked to rank the issues found most challenging in Downtown Dover. All were seen as important with Citizens reporting Crime & Safety (97%) and Property 2008 Comprehensive Plan Chapter 4 ‐ DRAFT May 16, 2008 Page 2

Maintenance (94%) as the highest ranking issues. Filling Vacant Stores (81%) and Parking (81%) were also related as challenges by significant numbers of respondents. In 2003, 85% or more of respondents agreed these were the most important issues. The remaining issue was: Historic Preservation (62%). In 2003 these issues were all still seen as important, and most both crime/safety and vacant stores were rated highest with 100% of respondents agreeing that these were important issues. Traffic and Roadways The US Route 13/113 Corridor consists of approximately 14.5 miles of roadways and adjoining land. The corridor is home to hundreds of stores, offices, and other commercial businesses. Some of the most notable facilities along the corridor are the Dover Mall, Dover Downs, the Blue Hen Corporate Center, Kent Levy Court, and the Dover Air Force Base. US Route 13 is the primary north-south arterial highway running through the Delmarva Peninsula. Two thirds of the average daily travel trips along this route pass through Dover. It is estimated that the average daily traffic is between 56,000 and 62,000 trips. US Route 8 consists of approximately 5.14 miles within the City and is an east-west state roadway. From the west, US Rt. 8 is named Forrest Avenue and becomes Forest Street. Through Downtown area Rt.8 turns into Division Street. As the highway crosses US Rt. 13, the name of US Rt. 8 changes to N. Little Creek Road and continues through the east side of Dover. Participants were asked several questions concerning Route 13/113 and Route 8. The questions posed inquired on whether these roads were adequate to handle daily traffic, if the appearance of the roads had changed in recent years, if the individuals’ daily commute had changed significantly in the previous 5 years and if Route 8 specifically was able to handle its daily traffic. The majority of respondents stated that Rt. 13/113 was not able to handle its daily traffic present on the roads (69%) and that during peak traffic times during the summer months; traffic is “unbearable.” Respondents also stated since Rt. 8 opened, traffic on Division Street has increased exponentially and that this highway is not able to handle its daily traffic (70%). While many participants felt that the appearance of Rt. 13/113 had not improved (77%), some respondents felt that the City had adequately curbed new unsightly development along this corridor. Many participants felt that traffic had significantly increased throughout Dover, particularly Kenton Road and North Street. Road improvements, particularly state roads, have simply made it more dangerous to pedestrian and bicyclists due to increased traffic. Many also stated the need for more sidewalks, pedestrian walkways and bike paths. Silver Lake and the St. Jones Watershed Silver Lake is a 167 acre manmade lake centrally located in Dover. It is the largest fresh water lake in Delaware. Around the lake are residential, institutional and commercial 2008 Comprehensive Plan Chapter 4 ‐ DRAFT May 16, 2008 Page 3

uses, as well as parks including a swimming beach. The St. Jones River flows south from the lake. Both the lake and the river are used for boating and fishing. The lake and river watershed cover approximately 20,500 acres of land. Most of the watershed lies northwest of the City and is rural and undeveloped. Over the past several years the quality of the lake’s water has been an environmental issue. During recent years the lake has been closed often to swimming due to high bacteria counts, and there are restrictions on the amount of fish that can be eaten from the lake. Workshop attendees were questioned about the importance of Silver Lake & the St. Jones River Watershed. Overwhelmingly, they supported its preservation; 87% of the respondents agreed that the lake is important, 70% stated that they strongly agreed with its importance. When asked about the rental of paddle boats and canoes to encourage and increase activity around the Lake, approximately 61% of respondents were favorable and many also favored the use of local, state and federal tax dollars to implement water quality improvement projects (86%). Land Use and Development When asked whether the Dover area has been growing too rapidly, at an acceptable rate, or too slowly since 2003, the average response indicated that growth was occurring too rapidly, with 57% agreeing and strongly agreeing. Many (30%) stated that the rate of growth was “just right.” Given that Dover had recently gone through a strong development period over the past 3 to 4 years, this response is neither unexpected nor overwhelming. Participants were also asked if the City should continue the policy of discouraging development east of Rt. 1. An overwhelming number of respondents (79%) agreed with the policy and stated that lands east of Rt. 1 should not be developed unless adequate infrastructure was already in place. not in favor in development. This response rate was lower, however, than the response in 2003 where 84% agreed with this policy. When given a list of 8 different criteria for new development and asked to rate their satisfactoriness, many found the building appearances to be more than adequate (81%), and the increased use and implementation of sidewalks to be extremely desirable (88%). However, entrances (51%) and site connectivity (55%) leave much to be desired and scored lowest on the scale. Housing Unlike the responses from 2003, approximately 51% respondents stated that there was a lack of affordable housing in the City. A number also stated that while there was housing available, there was an inadequate supply for all income and age levels When asked about different types of affordable housing in suitable areas such as single family detached homes, mobile homes, apartments, townhouses/duplexes, high rise apartments, age restricted housing, and workforce housing location, the following 2008 Comprehensive Plan Chapter 4 ‐ DRAFT May 16, 2008 Page 4

response ensued: Single family homes were most desirable (87%), followed by townhouses/duplexes (73%), apartment complexes (50%), accessory apartments (31%), high rise apartments (30%), and mobile homes (13%). The public in Dover still seems to be most comfortable with the concept of single family homes, but townhouses, duplexes and apartments appear to still be acceptable housing types in the community. Community “Likes, Dislikes, and Needs” This section needs to be completed New and Emerging Planning Issues - 2003 2008 Comprehensive Plan Chapter 4 ‐ DRAFT May 16, 2008 Page 5

CHAPTER 8 COMMUNITY SERVICES AND FACILITIES PLAN Part I – Background Information The City of Dover is a full service municipality providing a wide array of services to its residents as follows ƒ Public Safety: Police, Fire (volunteer fire fighters, fulltime dispatchers), Ambulance (contracted), Fire Marshal, Construction Inspections and Code Enforcement. ƒ Recreation: Parks, Recreation and Sports Programming, Library, and Arts Council. ƒ Community Services: Grounds Maintenance & Beautification, Household, Solid Waste Collection, Street and Drainage Maintenance. ƒ Administration: Planning, Tax Assessment, Finance, Budget, Finance and Collections, Purchasing, Warehouse, Vehicle and Facility Maintenance. ƒ Utilities: Water, Wastewater and Electric. The City of Dover maintains a work force of approximately 350 fulltime employees; the city-operating budget for its General, Electric, and Water\Wastewater Funds is approximately $158 million. The following sections give a more detail description of the services and facilities that the City of Dover provides to its residents. A discussion of the City’s utility system is detailed in Chapter 7. City of Dover Parks and Recreation The Parks and Recreation Department provides a comprehensive recreational program to meet the needs of all citizens, along with a citywide park system. Programming includes special events such as the Spring/Summer Performing Arts Series, Old Dover Days, Youth in Government Day, athletic programs/leagues. The City’s athletic programs and leagues encompass softball, basketball, tennis, wrestling, field hockey, track and field, cross-country, football and cheerleading. Also, the department provides bus trips, after school programs, and special interest courses to meet the needs of all citizens. The City operates 26 City parks, ranging from passive planted areas to community playgrounds to larger regional parks. A full listing of City Parks can be found in Table X. 2008 Comprehensive Plan Chapter 8 – DRAFT May 16, 2008 Page 1

Schutte Park functions as a regional athletic center, as home to soccer fields utilized by the Central Delaware Soccer Association, lighted softball fields, and the Dover Little League Park. Silver Lake Recreation Area is a major recreation area for Dover & Central Delaware. The lake provides both passive and active recreational activities for all ages. Activities include fishing, waterskiing, boating and swimming. In order to protect this valuable natural resource along with the St. Jones River Commission, the City has developed plans for a “Silver Lake Revitalization” project. The project is designed to improve water quality of the lake and the St. Jones River by providing buffers to the stream with natural vegetation, and create a management plan for the lake and St. Jones River. In 2008, the long-awaited John W. Pitts Center opened at Schutte Park, providing a much-needed indoor recreation center and gymnasium to residents in the Dover area. The John W. Pitts Recreation Center (JWP) offer fitness activities & leisure time program for all ages. The facility includes a gym area with two (2) basketball courts, three (3) volleyball courts, & walking track; multipurpose room for fitness; and a classroom for small workshops. Dover Public Library The City’s public library provides an essential service to City residents and residents of the larger region. For FY07, Circulation at the Dover Public Library consisted of 189,626 Dover residents or 47% of the overall usage. Kent County residents accounted for 195,162 visits, or 49% of the overall facility usage. (Non-county residents totaled 15,548 or 4% of total usage) In addition to lending books, Dover’s library offers computers for public use, videos, and children’s programming. The library is centrally located and an important component of the downtown area. However, the library has outgrown the current location. The City is currently planning for the construction of a new library. After looking at a variety of locations for the construction of a new library, the City has chosen to build the new library on land adjacent to and just east of City Hall, currently housing a surface parking lot and the Post Office. The City is working with the Postal Service to find an alternative location for the Post Office. Public Safety The Dover Police Department employs 93 officers and provides a variety of services to citizens. The City operates a community policing unit which includes the Quality of Life Task Force. The Community Policing unit and Quality of Life Task Force work with the community to address crimes that affect the overall quality of life of the community. The City recently added two positions to the Department as a sex offender unit. The City of Dover has a very close relationship with the Dover Fire Department. The Fire Department is a volunteer force; however, the fire dispatchers work for the City of Dover. The strong relationship between the City and the Fire Department ensures that the quality of fire protection services remains high. 2008 Comprehensive Plan Chapter 8 – DRAFT May 16, 2008 Page 2

The City of Dover maintains its own jurisdictional fire marshal. The Dover Fire Marshal’s Office employees a fire marshal and two deputy fire marshals. The fire marshals perform a fire and occupancy inspections, fire investigations, and a number of outreach efforts aimed at fire prevention. In 2008, the City of Dover added an Emergency Management Coordinator to its staff. The role of the Emergency Management Coordinator is to serve as the City’s liaison on emergency management/preparedness issues. He will coordinate and conduct training programs and emergency operations drills, assist departments with emergency and mitigation plans, manage grants, and administer the submittal process for Federal and State reimbursement claims for the City’s costs during emergency operations. This employee’s first priority will be to update and modernize the City’s emergency operations plan. Health Care While not a service provided by the City of Dover, the health care services are an integral component of the City and vital to the City’s continued growth. Part II – Plan Goals: Community Services Goal 1: Provide a System of Interconnected Open Space Areas Provide a walkable open space network which links the community to facilities, schools, libraries, and travel paths should be established and fostered. Goal 2: Disaster Preparation The City must be prepared to face and quickly address potential disasters both natural and man-made. Goal 3: Provide and Maintain High Quality Safety Services The City should provide and Maintain high quality police, fire, and ambulance services to all residents, properties, and visitors within Dover. Goal 4: Protect and Preserve the City Owned Resources The City should work to ensure the protection and preservation of its own resources ranging from natural, historic, and cultural including the physical facilities containing these resources. Part III – Plan Recommendations: Community Services Recommendation 1: Develop an Open Space Park Management and Master Plan 1. The plan must identify a variety of park and recreation facilities suitable to different ages, cultures, economic status, and interests. 2008 Comprehensive Plan Chapter 8 – DRAFT May 16, 2008 Page 3

2. Open space and recreational needs in the Downtown should be identified and a plan of action for implementation should be created as part of any Open Space Master Plan. 3. A means for implementing improved water based facilities and other non-traditional recreation activities should be identified as part of any Open Space Master Plan. Recommendation 2: Recreation, Open Space, and Park Linkages 1. The City should pursue via Code amendment or adoption of policy a means by which the linking and development of travel paths through the various parks, open space, and community facilities will be required to interconnect. 2. The City should pursue and support the construction and operation of a newly constructed modern library facility. Recommendation 3: Disaster Preparedness 1. Continue to comply with the National Incident Management System (NIMS) through participating in appropriate training and holding drills to prepare for potential disasters. 2. Continue to evaluate Race Weekend services and maintain strong intergovernmental relationships with County and State agencies during Race Weekend activities. Recommendation 4: Maintenance of City Services 1. Evaluate the levels of City Services as they pertain to police, fire, and emergency response times. Levels should remain consistent or improving as Dover grows in population and land size. 2. Evaluate the possibility of a City maintained ambulance service. 3. Continue to pursue the Silver Lake Revitalization Project. Recommendation 5: City Services and Facilities Maintenance 1. The City should assess the feasibility of all City Buildings to determine if they are adequately able to support City Staff and day-to-day operations in the City. 2. Complete the implementation and construction of the bike path and sidewalk plan. 3. Develop a plan for funding which would enable the construction of a new City Hall which would house all City departments. 4. Replace the duct work in the current City Hall building to ensure the health and safety of City Staff. 2008 Comprehensive Plan Chapter 8 – DRAFT May 16, 2008 Page 4