DDP Board Meeting Packet

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Wednesday, May 22, 2024 at 7:30 a.m. City of Dover Conference Room AGENDA 1. Welcome 2. Agenda 3. Minutes (April) 4. Police Report - Sgt. Lynch 5. Executive Committee/Staff Updates i. Nominations Committee ii. Other 6. Property Updates i. 120 S. Governor’s Ave. ii. 680-684 Forest St. iii. Other 7. Downtown Dover Master Plan Priorities i. Assessments ii. ITB’s (Invitation to Bid) for demolition iii. 120 S. Governor’s Ave. iv. 148 S. Bradford St. v. 150 S. Bradford St. ii. Dover Kent MPO FY 25 update iii. Historic District Review (148 and 150 S. Bradford St.) iv. Grants/Funding Pending i. ARPA $15.1M ii. DE Bond Bill $10M iii. EDA $1M v. Other 8. Legislative Updates 9. Other Business 10. Board member updates 11. Public Comment 12. Adjourn Next DDP board meeting: Wednesday, June 26 - Annual Meeting, 7:30 a.m. City of Dover Conference Room Agenda items as listed may not be considered in sequence. Pursuant to 29 DEL. C. 10004(e)(2), this agenda is subject to change to include the addition or deletion of items, including executive sessions, which arise at the time of the meeting. Downtown Dover Partnership Board Meeting Agenda – May 22, 2024

Board Meeting 4/24/24 City of Dover Conference Room BOARD MEETING MINUTES ATTENDANCE: Councilman Fred Neil, Codi Canasa, Councilwoman Tricia Arndt, Jonathan Street, Sergeant Jennifer Lynch, Sarah Keifer, Senator Trey Paradee, Todd Stonesifer, John Van Gorp, Pete Bradley, Will Grimes, Mayor Robin Christiansen, Dina Vendetti, Eric Towne (DOJ), Dan Logan (State Prosecutor, DOJ), Scott Kidner STAFF: Diane Laird, Tina Bradbury, Ken Anderson, Jordan Resh CALL TO ORDER Stonesifer opened the meeting at 7:31 a.m. AGENDA Councilman Neil motioned to approve the agenda. Sen. Paradee seconded the motion. Unanimous approval. MINUTES Councilman Neil motioned to approve the previous meeting minutes. Canasa seconded the motion. Unanimous approval. DOVER POLICE DEPT Stonesifer welcomed Towne and Logan to the meeting. Lynch shared that she is working with a neighborhood group on S. Bradford St., created in response to things they have experienced, such as prostitution. She added that the owner of Chapel Home Apartments found paraphernalia and misuse of the space. She introduced staff from the Attorney General’s office to consult the DDP on the issue. Logan introduced himself and shared his background with the AG’s office in Delaware and that he now works statewide. Towne introduced himself and shared that he works for Kent County. Sen. Paradee shared that the legislature has experienced a change in perspective for prostitution, such as not prosecuting those under 18, since they were likely trafficked. Logan responded that the response to crime nationwide has changed, such as drug trafficking. He shared that the 1342 prostitution statute for the supply side considers substance abuse disorder, noting that not all prostitutes are sex trafficked, but that they seek to understand the individual. He added that statues also consider the demand side, such as people who are seeking these services. Logan clarified that an arrest for 1342 is a misdemeanor and does not provide legal services or treatment/resources for underlying issues. He added that Board Meeting 4/24/24 Downtown Dover Partnership Draft 1

Board Meeting 4/24/24 City of Dover Conference Room quarterly stings occur statewide to locate the supply of prostitutes. Logan shared that the AG office is attempting to control the issue by ensuring that certain areas, such as downtown, are not a safe space for prostitution, and to locate individuals in need of resources/treatment, especially regarding the “demand” side of the issue. Sen. Paradee drew parallels between this approach and the “war on drugs.” Stonesifer shared that he is a native to Dover and wishes to return downtown Dover to a place adults and kids would like to live in. He added that he recently had a woman, who he believed to be a prostitute, attempt to enter his car in broad daylight with him. He added that DDP as an economic development office does not have the tools to stop prostitution, but that the current state deters investors and/or causes people to leave the area. He added that it is common that offenders (prostitutes and people using drugs) are released back on the street without punishment. Towne responded that his brother, who works downtown, has witnessed prostitution and drug use, and that while growing up in Dover he went downtown at night with his family, but he would no longer choose to take his kids downtown at night. He added that he is working with Dover PD to address large offenses, such as firearms and large quantities of drugs, and that the minor offenses are more challenging to police. He added that in the past when he did have a conviction for prostitution cases, the offender only received a fine. Laird shared that she witnessed a man and a woman yelling, potentially on drugs or trafficking, and she was not sure if she should call the police and if the woman would receive help. Vendetti shared that she had an incident in her neighborhood, which is in Dover but not downtown, and she saw a woman get beaten and thrown in the back of a car, but when the date of the trial happened, the woman did not attend court, and Vendetti was unsure if she should testify if the woman did not feel safe and the offenders were not arrested. Logan suggested highlighting that there are limited resources in Dover for Dover PD and those in need of assistance and asking the state to devote resources to assist in the issues. Logan suggested working with their office to coordinate with the Delaware State Police and arrange a response. He added that it is important to call in issues with the police, even if it is not an emergency. Logan noted that his office would research the scale of the operation, identify key players, and determine how to best locate resources and respond to issues. He added that the solution is not to arrest prostitutes, as the solutions are more complicated. Logan shared that a reverse-sting is planned for Dover in three months. He added that for loiterers (not actively committing a crime), you can call in the issue to the police (or non-emergency police), which then allows the police to talk to the loiterer and Board Meeting 4/24/24 Downtown Dover Partnership Draft 2

Board Meeting 4/24/24 City of Dover Conference Room see if they need any assistance. He clarified that it is illegal to trespass or make people feel unsafe, which would then allow an arrest to occur. Logan suggested connecting Dover PD with the Attorney General’s Office so that they can determine the issue/scale and deliver a solution for the community and business owners. He added that they may also need to lobby the legislature if policy changes are found to be necessary, such as arresting loiterers and pan-handlers. Towne reiterated that it is important to call the police for all incidents so that they can be connected to resources through the police. Sen. Paradee shared that research now is data-driven, and it is important to help inform the data to have an effective response planned. Bradbury shared that she heard of a community that recorded those seeking prostitutes to mock them, and asked if it is a legal response. Stonesifer clarified that the AG’s office will start with Dover PD to collect data. He added that he knows that prostitutes have said that they stay in Dover because they feel comfortable and supported here. Canasa added that the crime she witnesses is “brazen” and that crimes are committed publicly, suggesting that the area is made “less attractive” for committing crime. Logan asked how many different individuals in the area are committing crimes, and Stonesifer responded that he is unsure. Logan replied that community-responses are a safety concern, but that Towne and Dover PD will receive resources to respond and collect the necessary information, such the individual’s names, locations, and where they migrate to/from. Stonesifer clarified that work has been done in Dover for some time, but now Dover will be prioritized, and Logan responded yes. Street shared that there is a trash enclosure on his property that he has found prostitutes in and that he calls in the incidents but would rather prioritize violent crime responses and asked for short-term solutions. Logan responded that the crimes should be called in the police department to determine what to prioritize. He added that prostitution is often linked to drugs and that outreach can be coordinated by calling the police. Towne added that the Kent County office has changed leadership, allowing them to change their processes, such as identifying individuals that are re-offending to ensure they can receive resources and understand their offenses comprehensively, rather than a single minor arrest. Councilman Neil asked for guidance that will help assist the police, such as ordinance changes or signage that will support the police. Grimes asked if it is legal to post a picture in the newspaper of the “Jons” that are purchasing prostitution. Sen. Paradee responded that there is a challenge in posting photos of people not yet convicted. Logan responded that there was a time where “Drug Mugs” (mugshots of Board Meeting 4/24/24 Downtown Dover Partnership Draft 3

Board Meeting 4/24/24 City of Dover Conference Room those committing drug-related crimes) were posted, but that it no longer common due to legal concerns and would not be recommended. Logan responded that Councilman Neil described crime-prevention through environmental design and added that they are working on solutions along this area of study. Stonesifer thanked Logan and Towne, and shared that if they find they need to consult further, DDP’s Parking and Safety Committee could meet with them. Logan and Towne left the meeting. DDP ADVOCACY ROLE Stonesifer shared that DDP has previously stayed neutral on advocacy issues but wanted to explore the option with the board. Stonesifer introduced Scott Kidner to facilitate a discussion. Kidner shared information about his background and the spectrum of advocacy. Bradbury clarified that Kidner is the on-call lobbyist for DDP. Kidner shared that the legislature is reviewing a Homeless Bill of Rights and a loitering bill. Kidner suggested that the mid-point on the spectrum of advocacy is to “inform”, which is not taking a position (but allows membership to) and informs on the issues. Stonesifer responded that DDP currently does “inform” without opinion. Kidner shared that the next step to advocacy is “what to do with the information” and what DDP’s position is. Stonesifer shared that a “pro” is that DDP will have more leverage as a collective than as individuals in influencing legislation. Sen. Paradee shared that as a “con” is that DDP is seen as non- partisan, and being identified as a party-based organization may change the view of legislatures. Vendetti shared that the Cen. Delaware Chamber is a-political, but they choose to be involved with business-related legislation, suggesting that the DDP selects an area of focus to work on. Vendetti noted that members of the DDP are politically involved, and can be deployed to carry out messages, such as the Chamber. Street responded that organizations that are political and that being political should not necessarily mean Republican or Democrat, but that they do not want to create conflict with working with any organization. Sen. Paradee suggested engaging more with local elected officials, such as having council attend to hear an update. He added that Bayhealth has a luncheon once a year to update Kent County legislatures on successes, updates, and the vision for the future. Sen. Paradee added that recruiting advocates may be more effective than hiring or advocating as DDP. Councilwoman Arndt added that members of DDP represent all different areas and it may create complications by trying to advocate as a collective. Councilman Neil shared that he is a board member Board Meeting 4/24/24 Downtown Dover Partnership Draft 4

Board Meeting 4/24/24 City of Dover Conference Room through his role in Council, and he relays the view of Council which may not always be the same as DDP’s view. Kidner suggested being consistent in what is best for downtown Dover/the vision and having conversations that are professional and approachable will not create uncrossable party alliances. Canasa asked what the “pro” is for advocacy/taking a stand. Sen. Paradee responded that policy can dramatically impact the state of a community, and that unfavorable legislation can harm the progress of downtown. Mayor Christiansen shared that he believes it is important to advocate for what is right/important. Stonesifer responded that he was contacted about DDP’s position, and he responded that DDP discusses issues, but does not take a stance. He added that the DDP Executive Committee did not take a position but referred to the decision of the DDP Board. Bradbury added that business owners are advocated for by the CDCC and Kent Sussex Alliance, but that bills are in the legislature that she finds unsupportive of business. Laird noted that the conversation is about advocacy in general, and not just a response to a particular bill. Sen. Paradee emphasized the importance of education/informing legislation, such as inviting key stakeholders to hear about legislation, concerns, and resources from DDP, as opposed to putting out a press release with “DDP’s position”/full-scale advocacy. Vendetti added that the Chamber approaches advocacy through education by sharing information, but noting that without taking a position, legislatures may not identify the same solutions. Stonesifer noted that DDP has been in the legislature mostly for fundraising reasons, but he has attended Council meetings to advocate for DDP zoning changes. Councilwoman Arndt shared that she would vote on Council what she thinks is right, but that hearing from DDP at Council meeting, presenting a researched opinion was highly valuable. Street shared that he was asked about DDP’s stance as well, and asked if DDP can write letters, sharing that he believes yes, if it is consistent and an issue pertinent to downtown. Bradley supported Sen. Paradee’s nuanced approach, focusing on DDP’s vision and being selective about what issues to be in. Sen. Paradee added that the board does a good job at selecting which issues are important. Kidner suggested meeting again and considering forming a Legislative Committee or other specific policy recommendations to select a stance and maintain it over time. Canasa suggested ensuring that everyone is represented if policy stances are made, such as through the diversity of DDP’s board. Vendetti suggested defining the area of focus of what issues DDP takes on, identifying the head spokesperson, and forming a committee to make recommendations. Board Meeting 4/24/24 Downtown Dover Partnership Draft 5

Board Meeting 4/24/24 City of Dover Conference Room Van Gorp shared that there may be a conflict of interest, such as when the interest of the DDP is not the same as the interests of the groups present. Street added that he is frustrated by bi-partisan conflict, and that further discussion is important to determine how to navigate new advocacy roles. Stonesifer shared that they will discuss further in committee and will work through the details. DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN UPDATES Laird shared that board approval was received for the acquisition of two properties. DDP was advised to apply for historic district review for the demolition of the two properties, writing a letter to be presented to the commission. She added that the purpose would be for demolition to make way for the Multi- Modal Transportation Center. Councilwoman Arndt said she would not be able to vote due to conflict of interest. Street added that he can vote on this motion but will need to abstain during the vote at the Historic Commission. Keifer motioned to approve the distribution of the letter to the City of Dover Historic District Review Commission. Canasa seconded the motion. Arndt and Christiansen abstained. Unanimous approval among remaining board members. OTHER BUSINESS Sen. Paradee shared that Stonesifer received the Governor’s 2024 Volunteer Service Award and presented his award. Sen. Paradee thanked Stonesifer for his efforts and leadership. PUBLIC COMMENT N/A ADJOURNMENT Van Gorp motioned to adjourn the meeting. Canasa seconded the motion. Unanimous approval. Next Meeting Wed. May 22, 7:30 a.m. City of Dover Conference Room Board Meeting 4/24/24 Downtown Dover Partnership Draft 6