Town Council - Regular Meeting

And this would be the other point. So from here on, so let me sit my hand here. Just back in the middle of the go. You go that way. You go that way. That's a piece of the eye. That's what correct. That's three four. Okay. over there. But what's dividing is is

it was dividing three from four is actually where the school is from the school back across the street from the school this way from street right to uh cheers and I'm from across the street from the new housing even

you get up to here but the one beer places here we go good evening tonight is Monday April 13th at 7 o'clock we're here for a regular town council meeting if everybody rise for pledge of allegiance and stand up for invocation please thank I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under God indivisibley and justice for all.

Pastor eternal God we thank you God for your goodness your kindness and your love. We thank you God for allowing us to be here one more time. We ask you God to look upon us tonight with wisdom and knowledge. God continue to bless our community God. continue to look upon our country. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. You can be seated. Council members, hopefully you've had a chance to look at the agenda. If there's no uh uh additions or deletions and entertain a motion to accept. So moved. Thank you, Po. Do I have a second? Second. Thank you, Eric. All in favor signify saying I. I.

Opposed. So carried. Approval of March 23rd town council minutes. Uh, Council members, hopefully you've had a chance to review them. If there's no additions or deletions, I'd entertain a motion to accept. So move. Thank you, Christine. Do I have a second? Second. Thank you, Tony. All in favor signify by saying I. I. Opposed? So carried. Council members comments. We're starting with uh Ward 4 tonight. Penal. Good evening. It's great to see everyone here this evening. That's all I got. Thank you. Ward one. Ditto. Nice to see everyone here. Happy spring. W two. Just glad to see everybody here tonight and apologize if I got to turn my phone off. Ward three.

Oh, welcome everybody. Enjoy the sunshine. It's a beautiful day today. Well, thank you everybody. Moving forward, the next item on the agenda is board of election appointments. Uh we've had two additional people put on the list today. uh Ruth Anne Spicer and her granddaughter Aubrey Spicer. Uh what we got to do is we got to pick three and three alternates. Uh looking at it, we've got people from uh Why don't you announce who?

Yeah. Okay. We got Kathy Morlin, Fran Hayes, Lisa Roing, Roseanne pronounce that last name. Karp. I don't know what that other mating name is in there. Shirley Hitchens and Mary Lou Brumley. uh plus the two splicer ladies. Uh what we got to do is pick three for the board and three alternates. Looking at this, we've got uh uh one from Ward two and we've got uh two from W three and the rest of them are from W four. So it would be my best idea is we try to get one from each ward, which we're not going to because we're not going to have one from Ward one, but let's pick one from W two, which is the only one there at Hitchens. if you so accept to be and ward three we can vote on the ones that have put in for that you have two and then uh the ones remaining in ward four we can uh vote on who you want for ward four is that acceptable council members

sure is for me the only question I who was on the board the last election we had penal only Shirley Hitchens and uh Mary Lou Yeah. In a lane. Okay.

So, with that, uh, uh, give me some nominees as to what you want to do. Does everybody agree with, uh, I'll make the motion for the Hitchens lady being award two. Do I have a second for that? Second. Thank you, Tony. All in favor signify by saying I. I. Opposed? So carried. Give me a name for ward three. We've got two. We got Fran Hayes and we got a new lady that lives in the housing development behind Walmart is where she lives. So, uh, she's interested in being, uh, part of the town. So, we got them two people. So, if there's either one of them you, uh, want to nominate I make a motion for Francis Hayes. Nomination for Hayes. Do I have a second? Second.

Thank you, Christine. All in favor signify saying I. I. Opposed. So carried. Ward four. There's where the problem is. You got one, two, three, four, five. You got five. I take a nomination for one of them. I'll nominate Lisa Rawling. Pronounce it. Ralphing. Ruffling. Yeah, we got a nomination for Lisa. Do we have a second? Second. Thank you, Christine. All in favor signify saying I. I.

Opposed? So carry. So there's the three that make up the board. Now, we need three alternates. So, we have uh uh Lynn uh the lady carp from out behind the uh Walmart. We've got uh Marylu and we got the two spicer. We got Ruth Anne and got her granddaughter. So, with that uh let's go by go for one first. Who would like to make a nominee of one of them left? To be all inclusive, I'd like to nominate the um person from uh the new development behind Walmart. All right. Karp is her last name. So, she'll be the first alternate.

Second. Or do you want to vote on all three? Do you want to vote one by one? Well, let's get the three together, then we'll vote them all at one time if it's agreed upon. I motion Kathy Lynn. Lynn is a second alternate. Do I have a a second on that motion? Second. Thank you, Tony. All in favor signal by saying I. I. I. So moved. And then the third. Who would be the third alternate? I'll nominate Ruth Anne Spicer. Second. Ruthan will be the third alternate. Okay. With the carp lady, the Lynn, and Ruth Anne are the three alternates for the upcoming election. Is that agreed upon by the uh town council? That's a motion to approve.

Motion. Thank you. Pan has second. Second. Thank you, Eric. All in favor signify by saying I. I. Opposed. So carried.

Uh moving on. Second reading and adoption of ordinance 202607. This is the ordinance for uh the old dentist office across uh from what I used to call Fisers. It uh they have moved into the new building out on the highway. They want to change this uh from UR2 to UB3 which is business uh which is business is coming up all along there. So we've had the first uh reading and it went through. We've got no letters of anybody disagreeing with this or opposed or for it. So deny is the voting on it by the council. So with that uh I'd entertain a motion to accept.

So moved. Thank Okay. Thank you Pendle. Second.

Second. Thank you, Eric. All in favor signify by saying I. I. Opposed. So carried. Thank you, councel. We're at the part of the town manager report. Gan is not here tonight. Gan is in Florida for uh uh Main Street conference and he will be back Thursday. So I'm going to try to be Jean tonight. Board of Election appointments, we got his second reading. We got that. Departmental reports. uh police and public works facility. Site grading continues. Storm water structure delivered. All the hardware for the storm water and uh the wastewater is being delivered. Uh all the compact soil is there. States are being put in the ground as to lay out the uh the whole operation of both buildings and all. So that's being done at this time. Uh Parsons Lane trail head and parking area. They had some change orders uh with material and then we had a a good change order which saved us some money on the fabric and stone and then we had change order three which was an increase in tree removal coming out with a total of $3,922. So I think we're all right with that with the money that we put aside for that. So we're in great shape for that. If you haven't rode by there, ride by there and look at the how open that is without the trees there now. So, it's going to be a great uh great parking spot for people that want to get on the bike trail. Moving on, notice of solicitation for candidates for mayor W 3 and W 4 are available. Candidates filing deadline is Friday, April 17th at uh 2026. Remember, council members, we got to be here at 5:00. Municipal election is Saturday, May 9th. Uh polls open at 8 to 6. Upcoming events. Uh, Sussex County Association of Towns Legislative Breakfast is in

Milville. Certification of candidates is five o'clock on Friday. 27 2027 budget workshop is Monday, April 20th at 5:00 right here at town hall. Special planning commission meeting is April 22nd here at Town Hall. A Delaware League of Local Government is Thursday, April 23rd, uh, 5:30 at Chzwall. uh legislative updates, spring recess. I think they went just went back today. So, uh we'll have some things coming out as what they want to bring to the towns and to the place. Uh we are at the point now uh any questions, council member, before I move on. We're at the point now public comment. Uh now's the time here from our public. We welcome your comments which are very important to us. Note that all comments are limited to three minutes. As a reminder, please go to the podium to comment. Please give your name, address, and address your remarks to the chair. Note that this will not be entering into dialogue at this time. The purpose of this agenda item is for you, the public, to inform us, the council, about your views. At this time, the is open. Sunny Gani 22512 Springfield Lane. Two comments. There is a Central Park in Georgetown, 225 South Bedford Street. We got about 10 15 acres of green land. Anybody who is have a burning desire to make this town beautiful can contact me and we can go through. We have a trail now we can walk. I got to go through the insurance issues and all that. So, we got to sign a waiver to walk around there. The other thing is workforce housing. I still will keep hammering on that. There is no more affordable housing. I don't think you can make it affordable. So, workforce housing, if

you guys, the new council, the new mayor, if they guys decide that this city needs some extra housing, let's do the high density and see if we can get some more housing built. Thank you, sir.

Good evening, Mr. Pearson. My name is John Peterson and I reside at 304 North Bedford Street. The Georgetown Volunteer Fire Company maintains an antique fire truck that is a marked apparatus bearing Georgetown lettering. The fire truck is a recognizable town symbol. The Georgetown Historical Society is a private organization that displays the Confederate flag on its grounds. The Confederate flag is inseparable from the Jim Crow system of state sanctioned racial hierarchy that governed large parts of the United States well into the 20th century. The town of Georgetown has no relationship, partnership, or affiliation with the Georgetown Historical Society. The historical society has scheduled an antique firet truck show for July 18. Entering Georgetown's antique fire truck in that event would place a townmark symbol in direct proximity to the Confederate flag. Based on this association, a reasonable observer could infer that the town of Georgetown endorses, tolerates, or aligns with the Confederate flag displayed at the historical society. That inference would constitute a foreseeable and avoidable misattribution of government speech. I respectfully ask the council to request the Georgetown Volunteer Fire Company decline to enter its antique fire truck into this summer's competition at the Georgetown Historical Society. Thank you.

Thank you, sir. Adam Buchchkowski, 200 South Bedford Street. Um, again, the lamp fixture remains hanging. Keep talking about this until it's remedied. Um, speaking with fellow residents of the town, um, it seems that zoning uh, code enforcements are something that are almost targeted to people. Uh and I think going forward what would be a very fair course of action uh would be when you receive a zoning violation if it was not something that was cited by town officials it was designated by whom when name and phone number who called this in. Um, it does seem like we have some code enforcement kairens in the town and I think you have a right in this country to face your accuser. Um, this would obviously give you the opportunity to uh return the favor and diligently watch their home for any code enforcement violations. Um, I think that would be very fair. It does seem like, you know, if you're someone that uh is unliked in the town, they uh drive by your house 17 times a day looking for a code enforcement violation. So, just something I thought to, you know, play nice in the neighborhood. Uh other than that, the circle's looking beautiful. Town's looking great. Um everything's all good, but I will continue to complain about the light fixture until it is remedied. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Adam. Anybody else?

Clayton Towns onen 20293 Inis Road um here in Georgetown. Um, just to piggy back on the Georgetown Historical Society comments, we just had our Easter egg hunt and we had over 200 people out there of every color, creed, uh, nationality, religion. We of course we don't check for that, but um, kids had a great time. They entertained and there was no objections and they've been doing it for years and years and we'll continue to do it. Thank you. Thank you, Clayton. Anybody else? Lisa. I'm Lisa Roing and I live at um two Sweet Gum Court, Georgetown. I would assume that you would as a council think that I'm a reasonable person since you all voted that I would be a good person to be an election watcher. Is that a correct assumption?

Yeah. Yeah.

Okay. So, as a reasonable person, I'd like to say I in no way, shape, or form equate the George Shelton Fire Company engine or logo when it would be sitting at a place that had a flag. That is offensive to some. Um, and and even with that, I think it's some that don't understand the flag. Um, but saying that I totally disagree and I feel like what is more needed than sanctions is discussion. And I know there's been a lot of discussion in the past, but I don't think anything was resolved or anything was um was resolved satisfactory. So I I feel like that's a point of further discussion. I I don't think it's, you know, some people are are not happy with it being there. Some people understand why it's there, some people don't understand why it's there, and I feel like it's something that's not resolved, so could could use a lot more discussion. Um, I I read a really good article um recently, too. I'm going to keep this brief, but it was how that Confederate battle flag was hijacked. How it was hijacked by hate groups. Um that there there are several flags, there are several Union flags, there are several Confederate flags. That particular um Confederate battle flag was hijacked and used later after the Confederacy by hate groups. And so this is where we need to have more discussion, more education, and and come to some kind of understanding of what's the best thing to do because the Georgetown Historical

Society is is our history is the history of Georgetown. So it's more than the flag. It's more than a firet truck. It's it it represents all of us, every one of us, what we would like to see um portrayed by the history of Georgetown, what others we'd like to see when they come into town, what would they like to see, what collectively would every one of you sitting up there like to portray about Georgetown? So, it really could use a lot more discussion. That's my opinion.

Thank you, Lisa. Anybody else? Well, this concludes our meeting for the night. We've got to go into executive session. So, at this time, I'm going to ask everybody to to leave if you don't mind. And what'll happen is we'll have an executive session. They can they can wait if they want. I mean, it's up to they they can wait outside. Yeah. Cuz we're going to stay right here. Stay here. Yeah. We're going to stay right here. So, please go outside and uh you can wait if you want, but the executive session is about a personnel matter that we've got to discuss and then when we come out of that, we'll come be back up here and and make a decision. You don't want to go into that?

No, you won't take. Thank you everybody for coming. Short and sweet tonight. See a piece of cloth. Even if even if we do have a light hanging. It's a piece of cloth. Adam. Even if we do have a light hanging. Although Although Nathan did tell me that the one that you have out there she was trying to tell me. I like Okay. What's with the light? It's hanging. I We can't get We got to get the scaffling in here to fix it.