Why Should Delaware Care?
Delaware’s government has scores of elected bodies, commissions, working groups, agencies and legislative committees that are accountable to the public. Their decisions impact land use decisions, taxation, public safety and more.
It’s another lighter week for government meetings across the state, especially as the Delaware State Fair is now underway.
That doesn’t mean that there isn’t plenty to keep an eye on.
Voters can begin heading to polls for early voting this week in the District 20 representative race to replace Rep. Stell Parker Selby, who resigned in June after missing the entire legislative session following a stroke last year.
There is also a town hall meeting to discuss the proposed data center near Delaware City and the first meeting of the Small Restaurant Regulatory Task Force.
New Castle County Council is the largest public body meeting this week, and its agenda is rather short – although it features a curious proclamation.
District 20 election
Voters will head to the polls in the Milton and Lewes area to choose either Democrat Alonna Berry or Republican Nikki Miller to fill Parker Selby’s seat.
You must be a Delaware registered voter, 18 years of age or older by the date of the Special Election, Aug. 5, who resides in State Representative District 20. Check if you are registered to vote in State Representative District 20 at https://ivote.de.gov
Early voting will take place at only two locations: Lewes Elementary School, located at 820 Savannah Ave., and Mariner Middle School, located at 16391 Harbeson Road in Milton.
Polls are open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. They are closed on Sunday, but reopen July 27 to 29 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
After that, polls will open at 11 a.m. from July 30 to Aug. 3 and remain open until 7 p.m.
Data center town hall
Last month, Starwood Digital Ventures, a developer backed by a private-equity investment firm, submitted plans to New Castle County to build a 1.2-gigawatt data center on about 580 acres just north of the Delaware City Refinery.
A data center that size would consume as much power as 875,000 to almost 1 million homes, according to estimates from experts in the field — nearly twice the 449,000 housing units that exist in Delaware.
The plan stretches over a 6 million-square-foot complex with 11 buildings. The two sections would be located north of Governor Lea Road and south of Hamburg Road, on either side of Red Lion Creek.
The public can learn more about the project at a town hall meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 24, at the Delaware City Hall, located at 407 Clinton St.
Sussex Land Use group nears recommendations
The Sussex County Land Use Reform Working Group, which has been tasked with reviewing the county’s permitting and zoning process to determine whether changes need to be made to slow down the frenetic pace of building in the county, will meet at 10 a.m. Thursday.
The advisory group made up of preservationists, builders, planners and more has been meeting for more than three months and is nearing completion of its recommendations. They could come as early as the July 24 meeting, but they also have an Aug. 5 meeting scheduled.
The meetings are open to the public and are held at the Sussex County Public Safety Complex located at 21911 Rudder Lane in Georgetown.
New restaurant task force to meet
The Small Restaurant Regulatory Task Force will have its first meeting at 11 a.m. Thursday at Legislative Hall in Dover.
The product of House Joint Resolution 1, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Spiegelman (R-Clayton), the task force aims to reduce unnecessary burdens on small restaurants created by the regulations set by the Department of Health and Social Services.
The bill was co-sponsored by more than a dozen bipartisan representatives and state senators, and approved unanimously in both chambers.
The public is invited to attend in the House Majority Caucus room or watch remotely by clicking here.
NCC Council backs Falun Gong?
The New Castle County Council is scheduled to meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 22, and it has a rather light agenda. Among the items to be considered are ordinances to codify an older compulsory retirement age for county police officers – 57 instead of 55 – and adjustments to pay scales in the Department of Public Safety.
Perhaps the most curious piece of its agenda, however, is Resolution 25-121 named “Calling to end Chinese Communist Party’s transnational repression of Falun Gong and Shen Yun.”
Sponsored by Council President Monique Williams-John and Councilwoman Janet Kilpatrick, the resolution calls for “the Department of Public Safety of the State of Delaware, and relevant U.S. agencies, to take immediate action to investigate this ongoing and sophisticated CCP malign influence campaign.”
The resolution specifically criticizes reporting from the New York Times last year on abuses within the Shen Yun company as a “disinformation campaign,” meant to pressure theaters to cancel shows and strip the company of its tax-exempt status.
Why some council members are proposing to take such a strong stance in support of Falun Gong or whether the resolution will garner enough support to pass isn’t clear.