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 meetings 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.
- Sussex County Council
- Chancery Court hears New Castle County property taxes
- Delaware Renewable Energy Taskforce (Statewide)
- Delaware Department of Transportation open house (New Castle)
- Delaware Pedestrian Council (Statewide)
- Dover Police Accountability Board
Sussex leaders face tough land-use decisions
The Sussex County Council on Tuesday will consider a slew of zoning approvals to accommodate big building projects, including the recently controversial Belle Mead housing development and Atlantic Fields shopping center.
The meeting follows years of breakneck growth that has transformed Southern Delaware, beyond just its beach communities, and sparked a debate over what type of developments should be allowed where.
Just in response to the recent Atlantic Fields proposal, hundreds of local residents have flooded Facebook comment sections to share their reactions over the past month.
While some expressed glee with a plan to bring popular retailers, such as Costco and Target, others denounced it as one that would pave over a piece of open space just inland from Rehoboth Beach and Lewes.
The council meeting on Tuesday will occur almost a week after the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission recommended an approval of the Atlantic Fields’ rezoning request, which would clear the way for it to be built.
Also during Tuesday’s meeting, the council will discuss an ordinance to allow a distribution center warehouse next to the Delaware Coastal Airport near Georgetown, and a subdivision near Selbyville with more than 200 townhomes and single-family houses.
📍 The Sussex County Council will meet at 10 a.m. on Tuesday at the Sussex County Administrative Office Building, located at 2 The Circle in Georgetown. For additional details, including information about virtual attendance, click here.
A county property tax fight goes to court
New Castle County residents may finally get their long-delayed property tax bills.
On Monday, a Delaware judge will preside over an expedited lawsuit involving a coalition of commercial landlords and hotel owners suing New Castle County and area school districts over a new property tax system that treats business and residential properties differently.
New Castle County’s goal of receiving payments on its tax bills by the end of November will depend on the judge issuing a ruling in the dispute by the end of October.
📍 The trial will begin at 9:15 a.m. Monday in courtroom 12A at the New Castle County courthouse, located at 500 North King Street in Wilmington.
Renewable Energy Taskforce to discuss solar backlog
A Delaware taskforce in charge of recommending ways for the state to support the growth of renewable energy amid federal pushback against the industry will meet Thursday.
On its agenda is a discussion about Delmarva Power’s backlog of community solar projects, among other items discussing energy produced by the sun.
Last week, the New York Times reported that the renewable energy industry, particularly solar, is booming despite federal subsidies being hard to come by.
📍 The Renewable Energy Taskforce will meet virtually at 1 p.m. on Thursday. For additional details, including information about the virtual attendance, click here.
A trail to connect Route 9 neighborhoods
Delaware transportation officials will hold a meeting in New Castle to present plans to improve a walking trail through Surratte, Rose Hill and Oakmont parks.
Last year, Spotlight Delaware reported on community-led cleanup efforts along the path through the three parks and how they revitalized an area with a reputation for drugs, violence and blight.
📍 The presentation will occur between 4 and 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Route 9 Library, located at 3022 New Castle Ave. in New Castle. DelDOT encourages residents to attend at any time during that period to learn details of the project and submit comments.
Council to discuss Delaware’s dangerous roads
Delaware transportation officials who sit on the state’s pedestrian council are meeting this week to discuss, among other topics, fatal crashes that have occurred on the state roads this year.
The state’s roads remain particularly dangerous for pedestrians, even 10 years after Delaware’s launched the pedestrian council following reporting then from the News Journal.
A total of 34 people died while walking on roads in Delaware in 2024, according to data kept by the state.
📍 The Sussex County Council will meet at 1 p.m. on Thursday at the Delaware conference room within the DelDOT headquarters, located at 800 S. Bay Road in Dover. For additional details, including information about virtual attendance, click here.
Session to discuss Dover’s police acrimony
Members of Dover’s police accountability board will attend an informational session sponsored by a citizens group that has been critical of law enforcement in Delaware’s capital city in recent months.
The gathering also is happening amid a showdown between Dover’s police chief and its officers after the rank-and-file held a vote of no confidence for their boss earlier this summer.
📍 The gathering is not an official meeting, but was publicly noticed in case a quorum of the board attends. It is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday at a meeting space adjacent to the Holy Trinity UAME Church, located at 101 S. New St. in Dover.
