Statements by Gerald L. Rocha, Sr.
552 statements from meeting recordings, newest meeting first.
Machine transcript. Statements are matched to this official by machine and can be wrong. Check the recording.
Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
They look like barrels or whatever, yeah. Instead of using those, they have these removable posts—
Play from 40:56Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
What are they called?
Play from 41:04Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
Right. Mhm. Do Are we planning on doing something like that, or is that something that could I mean, it's real clean because once the event is over, you can just remove those, and then that—
Play from 41:05Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
once they're in, you know, the barrels sometimes get shifted off to the side and cars go through it. You wouldn't be able to do that. It would create a safe space for a lot of people to walk around during some of the events that we have. So I was wondering if that's something that you had thought about or anything?
Play from 41:12Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
Great, great. I think when I when I saw that, I was pulling in during the end of it, and it was pretty easy to to get them out of the way, and, yeah, to pop them up and and and move them. So I you know, it just seemed like something that we could add to uh, you know, our downtown Loockerman Street. Thank you. I yield.
Play from 41:52Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
Motion seconds.
Play from 42:19Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
Yes.
Play from 49:10Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
Rocha seconds.
Play from 51:06Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
Yes.
Play from 51:21Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
Yes, thank you Marilyn for bringing this to our attention. If we approve the the annexation and the rezoning tonight, is there a way to work with the with their developer and you know, because obviously it would depend on where the storage units are being placed, you know, that could interfere with with adding the off-ramp or on-ramp. I guess it's the on-ramp on that side, right?
Play from 1:05:43Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
Right. So is there a way for the developer to kind of plan for the on-ramp as they're going forward? Or or you know, is there a way that they could we could do both?
Play from 1:06:05Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
Understood. Understood, so
Play from 1:07:04Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
And I'll and I'll pivot to to our staff, cuz I know that this is early conversation, but then we don't want to affect som- we don't want to, you know, approve something that could potentially interfere, if that makes any sense. But obviously what the MPO is recommending to DelDOT is probably going to be coming on their future plans for the the development of the on-ramp. Is there a way going through the the process that the developer of the property is aware of the potential of an on-ramp, and do you think that, you know, it's going to be doable or workable to work together to to to accomplish both?
Play from 1:07:06Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
Yeah, Dawn.
Play from 1:08:02Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
Yes, thank you Council President. Um
Play from 1:19:24Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
my question is now is is um if the council approves the annexation and the rezoning, how does that impact DelDOT with negotiating with the property owner if they need the land for the for the ramp?
Play from 1:19:27Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
So I I don't know who's going to answer the question, but our action tonight, how does that impact the potential of a ramp? I I just, you know, I need the clarity on that.
Play from 1:20:51Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
Okay, I can go along with that. I yield.
Play from 1:21:18Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
Same here, favor to defer.
Play from 1:28:37Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
Rocha seconds.
Play from 1:36:30Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
Yes, uh President, thanks for recognizing me. I I move that we defer um uh this this request for annexation uh 20-26-07 to the uh Safety and Transportation uh Committee.
Play from 1:41:07Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
Oh, this is rezoning?
Play from 1:41:25Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
Oh. So these parcels have already been annexed in already?
Play from 1:41:27Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
Yeah, I just wanted to address uh what you were saying. Now we're I don't think any of us are are against what is being proposed. It's just that we we should be, you know, able to uh gather more information considering what we heard tonight. It's it's not that we're opposed. We want to know what what what are the pros and cons
Play from 1:44:36Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
Second.
Play from 1:52:02Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
need to work through. Um let's let's take a look at this, see how it would impact this. Uh we're not asking a lot. We're I I think the motion to defer would if to is intended to be the same timeframe as the other one. Uh we should continue to work these together. Uh let's defer it as requested by our Economic Development Partnership. It is um you know they're they're our experts and I I think that 30 days for this case to be made uh isn't too much to ask for. I yield.
Play from 1:54:40Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
Yes, to defer.
Play from 1:57:12Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
Yeah, so I I thank you, Council President, and uh thank you for a thorough uh uh analysis of this this ordinance. Um and uh the only thing that I will add is that I would hope that um when the buyers come into the city to buy property that they feel as though that, you know, through transparency and what we're proposing in this ordinance um that they would be able to enjoy a home that they uh are looking forward to out of excitement, but also educate them along the way as far as the processes that takes place in the purchase of the property, make it known, and uh and then uh above all, the in- the home inspection, which is the core uh of of this, um is is done uh, you know, with with the all the t's and and I uh crossed and the i's dotted in this situation. So um I've met several times myself with Ms. Butcher, and um, you know, we tried to get something like this done on the state level, but it has been passed down to us, and I feel like within our city boundaries, we can actually do something to hopefully uh prevent uh what Ms. Butcher had had went through uh with her experience. So with that, I yield.
Play from 2:02:28Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
Yeah. No, I I don't either. I thought I thought that we had sent it to you. Didn't you make recommendations on that before?
Play from 2:30:11Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
Okay. Yeah, I'm amenable to that.
Play from 2:30:18Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
Second.
Play from 2:34:03Mar 9, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
Rocha seconds.
Play from 2:35:04Feb 26, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
like to see more on the growth side of road infrastructure so that we can so that we can properly um handle the traffic volume that we're looking to that's going to that's going to um manifest as we look to grow as a city, whether it's housing, whether it's industrial, that's traffic. So we have to plan for um new road systems, bypasses, and we've talked about this in different committees, the need for innovative planning when it comes to road systems. Um thank you. Thank you so much.
Play from 15:03Feb 26, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Thank you.
Play from 15:31Feb 26, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
I appreciate that. Technology.
Play from 40:22Feb 26, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Yeah. So basically, you guys have taken a look at at the system thus far, correct?
Play from 40:23Feb 26, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Okay. So one of the things that I would hope, and I'm pretty sure is going to be upgraded like last night, for instance, right? If somebody is speaking through the Webex, our our staff has to hold the mic to a owl and try to get that audio through here. But you you you are looking at simplifying that part of the the system, correct?
Play from 40:27Feb 26, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
The other thing, I know that Mr. Simmons mentioned, you know, using our social media platforms. In your opinion, is there necessarily a a a need to broadcast through Comcast or Xfinity anymore?
Play from 41:13Feb 26, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Okay. So does this Is Is there any way of getting around buying a a new bridge to do it, or do we have to still have the broadcast capability?
Play from 42:36Feb 26, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Okay. So that So we has to We has to still broadcast on television, is what you're saying?
Play from 43:26