Why Should Delaware Care?
Government works best when its citizens are knowledgeable and engaged. Delaware’s government has scores of commissions, working groups, agencies and legislative committees. All must hold meetings that are open to the public. Below we highlight a few of those minutes that are happening this week.
The Delaware Senate will reconvene on Monday afternoon for an off-cycle session.
It will mark the second month in a row that lawmakers descend on Dover outside of their regular six-month legislative session. Last month, the full House and Senate held a special session to pass reforms to property tax assessment rules.
The agenda for Monday’s hearing states that the Senate will consider the confirmation of 15 of Gov. Matt Meyer’s nominees for various governmental positions, including a judge and a cabinet secretary for Delaware’s new Department of Veterans Affairs.
While the agenda appears uncontroversial, a fight earlier this year over gubernatorial nominations for Delaware’s port oversight board became Meyer’s first political test as governor. Since then, the self-proclaimed outsider governor has maintained tense relations with the Senate’s Democratic leadership.
Aside from nominations, the Senate can also vote to suspend its rules while it’s convened and consider any new measure it pleases.
📍 The extraordinary session is scheduled for 3 p.m. Monday at Legislative Hall in Dover. It will follow a Senate Executive Committee meeting to be held at 12:30 p.m. on Monday. To watch the full session, click here. To watch the committee meeting, click here. For additional details, go to the Delaware legislature’s website.
How should we get around in the future?
Also happening this week are hearings with state transportation planners to allow the public in Kent and Sussex counties to submit ideas about how Delaware’s roads and transit should look in the future.
A hearing for New Castle County residents will occur the following week.
The state’s current plans for what it calls its Capital Transportation Program between 2027 and 2032 can be found here.
📍 The public meeting for Kent County is scheduled for 4 to 6 p.m. Monday at DelDOT’s headquarters, located 800 S. Bay Road in Dover. The meeting for Sussex County is scheduled for 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday at DelDOT’s southern office, located at 23697 Dupont Blvd. in Georgetown. For additional details click on the meeting link, then download the agenda.
Police oversight
The Delaware Criminal Justice Council is continuing a series of public meetings on Wednesday that it says are designed to “create open dialogue between state officials in the justice system and the community.”
An agenda for Wednesday’s meeting states that the council will not discuss individual cases or ongoing investigations.
📍 The public meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Georgetown Town Hall located at 39 The Circle in Georgetown. For additional details find the meeting agenda here.
A day before the Criminal Justice Council meets, the Delaware State Police’s accountability committee will hold a meeting to discuss the department’s police chase policy, among other topics.
The meeting agenda also lists an item called “Stratified Policing Overview” to be presented by the Delaware Information and Analysis Center, or DIAC.
The DIAC serves as the state’s fusion center where local and federal police collaborate. The DIAC website states that the FBI and the U.S Department of Homeland Security are among its member agencies.
Local police’s collaboration with Homeland Security has been heavily scrutinized, and even limited by lawmakers, over the months since President Donald Trump took office earlier this year.
📍 The accountability committee meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday at Delaware State Police Troop 3, located at 3759 S. State St. in Camden Wyoming. For additional details, click here.
A New Castle County contract
During its regular Tuesday meeting, the New Castle County Council will consider a resolution to authorize the county executive to enter into a contract for up to $9.6 million with a newly formed company to provide a string of services for the homeless.
The money for the contract comes from a federal grant the county received earlier this year for what the county calls its “Family HOPE Project.”
The council’s resolution lists the company to enter the contract as Delaware Family Hope LLC. It was created in June, according to the Delaware Department of State.
📍 The council will first consider the resolution during its community services meeting scheduled for 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Redding City/County Building located at 800 N. French St. in Wilmington. It will vote on the resolution during the full council meeting, which starts at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, also at the City/County Building. For additional details including virtual attendance options, find the meeting agendas, here and here.
