Sussex County News

Update-- At 3:00p.m. today Bethany Beach was to be closed to all beach related activities (swimming, fishing, etc.) until conditions improve.

Coastal Delaware residents and municipalities were preparing mid-week for at least a brush with Hurricane Earl, as the major hurricane continued on its track northwest through the Atlantic. Earl’s closest approach to Delaware was expected to occur Friday afternoon, about 175 miles from the coast, and a hurricane watch was issued by the National Weather Service mid-day on Sept. 1. A hurricane watch and a tropical storm warning remain in effect as of mid-day Thursday, Sept. 2.

After receiving multiple inquiries in recent weeks regarding reported work stoppages, false-work settlement and concrete cracking at the new Indian River Bridge, Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) Secretary Carolann Wicks released a statement this week addressing those concerns.

Indian River Power LLC recently filed a permit application with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) to stabilize 4,863 linear feet of shoreline along Indian River and Island Creek at Burton Island in Millsboro with rip-rap revetment.

Sussex County Council at their Aug. 24 meeting voted to approve a Hazardous Mitigation Plan update for the county.

The Sussex County Economic Development Office is encouraging all Sussex County residents and businesses to participate in a survey regarding perceptions and concerns about the overall business climate in the state.

State Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf will again run for his seat as state representative in the 14th district. He has been elected to the position since four times since 2002 and is currently House Majority Leader.

Sussex County Council and the county Board of Adjustment met for a workshop this week, to discuss ways to move forward after some residents recently expressed concerns about the BoA and their high approval rate for variances and exceptions to code. Since 1973, the BoA has received a total of 10,685 applications. They have approved 9,015 of those and denied 1,281.

Online volunteer registration is now open for the 25th annual Delaware Coastal Cleanup, to be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 25. Sponsored by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), the cleanup spans the First State’s 97-mile eastern coastline and includes river and ocean shorelines, as well as wetland and watershed areas.

The Sussex County Council this week heard from Patti Grimes of the Sussex Economic Development Action Committee (SEDAC) at its council meeting this week, concerning SEDAC’s plans to become a 501(c)3 non-profit group.

Bringing to a close discussions dating back to February, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) Secretary Collin O’Mara recently announced that the agency has finalized a consent agreement with NRG Energy Inc. that will permanently shut down a third coal-fired electrical generating unit at the Indian River Power Plant in Millsboro by the end of 2013.

Democrat Dennis V. Cordrey of Millsboro, director of personnel for Sussex County, has filed to run against current Sussex County Council President Vance Phillips, a Republican, for the District 5 seat on the council. Republican George Cole of Bethany Beach is currently running unopposed in District 4, but the Sussex County Democratic Committee could appoint a candidate to oppose him in the coming months.

Whether doing cannonballs off the boat, taking off from the dock on a personal watercraft or swimming in the open bays, it’s nice to know how clean that water really is. And the Center for the Inland Bays’ second Recreational Water Quality Indicator Report can help in navigating the use of some of the local inland bays.

Flanked by members of the poultry industry, at Allen’s Family Foods in Seaford, and joined by Ed Kee, Delaware’s Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Sen. Tom Carper this week applauded the announcement by President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that the United States and Russia had reached agreement to resume exporting U.S. poultry products to Russia.

Tapa Homes, based in Dagsboro, Del., will be holding a grand opening and open house for their “No Energy Bill” model home on Saturday, July 17, starting at 11 a.m., and on Sunday, July 18, at their location just east of Milford, Del. Builder Brett Reilly said that, when completed with three additional home models, it will be the first “No Energy” subdivision on the peninsula.

Delaware’s current legislative session – the final one of the 145th General Assembly – lasts only through the end of the month, and legislators are currently in the midst of the annual rush to complete work on bills before the June 30 deadline.

Sussex County Council’s process for making appointments to the county Board of Adjustments and Planning & Zoning Commission will be up for discussion on Tuesday, June 15, when the council follows up on a proposed appointment to the BoA by Councilwoman Joan Deaver (D-3rd) from their June 8 meeting.

With the remaining days of the 145th Delaware General Assembly dwindling ahead of the June 30 end of the current session, Sussex County Council members this week received a vital update from Deputy County Administrator Hal Godwin as to the status of bills in which the council has an interest.

Ocean View Councilman Perry Mitchell has officially filed to run against incumbent state Sen. George Bunting in this fall’s primary election for the Democratic nomination for the District 20 senate seat.

Now beachgoers don’t have to wait until they get to Rehoboth Beach or Lewes, or even Bethany Beach or Fenwick Island, to get to a farmers’ market. Or, they can still hit all of them if they want, and one more. The new Georgetown Farmers’ Market is up and running, from now until the end of summer, right off of Route 9 in Georgetown.

At 3:35 p.m., National Weather Service Doppler radar indicated strong thunderstorms moving into central and southern Delaware. Officials said the storms will be capable of producing small hail and gusty winds. In addition, very heavy rain will fall from these storms and will cause water to pond on roads and fill poor drainage areas.

Delaware legislators will return to session on Tuesday, June 1, beginning a final push to pass bills prior to the June 30 end of the 2010 legislative session. A number of those bills could impact Sussex County, and Deputy County Administrator Hal Godwin has continued to keep abreast of them and to inform Sussex County Council members about their progress.

DNREC officials said this week that the Assawoman Canal dredging project is “closing in on completion.” An extension has been granted for work to continue through May 28, and if dredging is not complete by that date, DNREC has requested additional time to get the project finished this season, said Ariane Nichols of DNREC’s Division of Soil and Water Conservation.

Sussex County officials on Tuesday, May 18, unveiled their proposed $139.8 million budget for the 2011 fiscal year. The total budget is up from the 2010 budget, but officials emphasized that the increase is mostly because of a one-time infusion of federal “stimulus” funds for capital projects, not day-to-day expenses.

There will be no casinos or gaming venues approved in Sussex County for at least the next six months. The Sussex County Council on Tuesday, May 18, voted 3-2 to approve a six-month moratorium on applications for casinos and gaming or gambling venues, to give the county time to decide how it wants to address such businesses through planning and zoning regulations.

Lt. Gov. Matthew Denn released his office’s first annual report on public school district spending on April 16, and the report shows that Delaware school districts could spend an additional $28 million per year on direct educational services to students, with no additional expense to taxpayers, if they were all directing funds into the classroom at a uniformly high level.