Council approves $1.535M loan for Martin Farms sewer relocation; water portion presented with principal forgiveness

Seaford Mayor and Council approved a $1,535,000 loan from the Delaware Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund to finance Phase 1 of the Martin Farms sewer relocation project and heard a separate public hearing on the water portion of the work.

What the council approved: The resolution authorizes the city to accept a $1,535,000 loan for sewer work that staff said will replace about 1,750 feet of 12‑inch gravity sewer main, 80 feet of 10‑inch gravity main, seven manholes and 36 laterals. Staff said the sewer loan is a 20‑year loan at 2% interest and will be backed by a general obligation bond associated with the DWPCRF loan.

Water portion: Staff presented the water portion as a separate hearing. The water scope listed 781 feet of 10‑inch water main, 220 feet of 8‑inch water main and 1,180 feet of 6‑inch main with three new hydrants, five valves and 36 new services. Staff said the water portion had a project cost of $962,400 and that the city received a 100% principal forgiveness loan for that water portion, which staff described as having no cost to the city provided the project is completed per the terms.

Public comment and outreach: Resident Dan Cannon urged that the council approve the $1,535,000 borrowing for Martin Farms but urged additional transparency and timely sharing of project details with affected neighbors. Cannon recounted prior contacts—letters, an initial meeting, two public hearings and other outreach—and recommended presenting a preliminary engineering report (PER) in advance of funding decisions and more direct outreach about property impacts, traffic disruption, access to nearby facilities and potential effects on rates and property values. City staff responded that outreach has included mailed letters, a neighborhood meeting, door‑to‑door contact attempts and that the engineering team had sought elevations and other data needed for design; staff said turnout at an earlier meeting was low (three attendees representing two properties) but promised further contact when the contractor mobilizes.

Next steps: The council motion authorized executing the loan documents; staff said they would return the signed paperwork to the DWPCRF program for processing and proceed with design and construction steps. Staff also noted the project has been in planning for several years and that underground electric work in rear yards reduced need to access the public right‑of‑way.