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.
Here is a look at some of the most important or interesting public meetings happening around the state this week.
- Kent County considers data center regulations
- The Delaware Election Task Force will meet for the first time in months
- Dover to debate need for Alderman’s Court
- Port of Wilmington board to meet for first time since competitor lawsuit
- Hospital review board to debate charity care implementation
Kent County considers data center regulations
The Kent County Levy Court will consider new regulations for the development of data centers at its Tuesday night meeting.
Unlike in neighboring New Castle County, the Kent county government is attempting to set guidelines for the controversial projects before it receives an application for a first project. A developer has been exploring a Harrington-area site for such a project, but has yet to make a formal application.
The ordinance would require that any data center be in an industrial zone, setback from residential areas by at least 300 feet and limit any noise pollution. They would also be required to use closed-loop cooling systems, unless reclaimed water was utilized.
The Kent County Levy Court will meet Tuesday, July 21, beginning at 6 p.m. for a workshop and 7 p.m. for its regular meeting at the Kent County Administrative Complex located at 555 Bay Road in Dover. For more details and a link for remote viewing, click here.
Task Force to discuss election security
The Delaware Elections Task Force, a working group created in April by Gov. Matt Meyer to “ensure free, fair, and secure elections,” particularly in the face of federal intervention challenges, has a lengthy meeting scheduled for Tuesday.
The task force takes additional importance because the Delaware Board of Elections, the official regulatory body for election security, has not met in nearly a year due to vacancies on the board.
The task force will hear updates from the state Elections Office, the Department of Justice, and a variety of other state and federal partners on the preparedness ahead of the 2026 mid-term elections.
The Delaware Elections Task Force will meet at 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 21, at the Bradford Street Conference Room, located at 1128 S. Bradford St. in Dover. For more details and a link for remote viewing, click here.
Dover to explore need for Alderman’s Court
Dover has not had an Alderman’s Court, or a municipal court to deal with minor infractions like parking tickets, since the 1950s, but it has been debating its return.
A vote this past spring found the city council deadlocked on whether to explore the recreation of an Alderman’s Court, which is still in use in about a half dozen municipalities statewide like Newark and Rehoboth Beach.
Instead, the city formed an ad hoc committee to explore the idea, which would create new costs but also bring in more revenue as fines paid for infractions would come directly to the city. Right now, such cases are handled by the state court system in Kent County.
During a committee meeting Tuesday, officials will hear from the commissioner of Newark’s Alderman’s Court.
The Alderman’s Court Ad Hoc Committee will meet at 3 p.m. Tuesday, July 21, at City Hall, located at 15 Loockerman Plaza in Dover. For more details and a link for remote viewing, click here.
Port board to meet for first time since competitor lawsuit
The Diamond State Port Corporation board, which manages the state-owned Port of Wilmington, will meet Monday for the first time since a competitor sued to stop the Edgemoor expansion project.
The Meyer administration recently claimed victory in that project by obtaining a new federal permit and securing an additional $110 million in state funding for its ballooning cost, but now its future is once again in question.
A previous attempt to build the modern container port on the Delaware River was scuttled by a similar lawsuit.
Clues about how Delaware may respond and whether work on the port will proceed in the interim may be shared this week.
The Diamond State Port Corporation board of directors will meet at 2 p.m. Monday, July 20, at the Buena Vista Conference Center, located at 661 S. Dupont Highway in New Castle. For more details and a link for remote viewing, click here.
Hospital review board to discuss charity care implementation
Created two years ago, the Diamond State Hospital Cost Review Board is tasked with reviewing the budgets of state hospital systems to find ways they could reduce costs for patients.
After a year of wrangling over membership and a lawsuit by Delaware’s largest healthcare system, ChristianaCare, that challenged the board’s power, officials are moving closer to the introducing the regulations that will oversee their work.
In addition, the board will discuss Senate Bill 13, which expands the eligibility for free and reduced care for patients, known as “charity care,” that serves as a precondition for healthcare systems’ nonprofit status.
Under the law, healthcare systems must report their efforts to fulfill the new charity care guidelines annually to the Diamond State Hospital Cost Review Board.
The Diamond State Hospital Cost Review Board will meet at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 21, at the Herman M. Holloway Sr. Campus – DHSS Chapel, located at 1901 N. Dupont Highway in New Castle. For more details and a link for remote viewing, click here.
