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Wilmington council adopts package of charter, grant and meeting measures; refers several ordinances to committee
Summary
At its April 3 meeting, Wilmington City Council approved a series of resolutions asking the state to amend city charter provisions, accepted federal and state grant actions, and referred several ordinances (including budget and ambulance-fee updates and a marijuana zoning change) to committee for further review.
Wilmington City Council on Thursday moved a package of procedural and funding measures and referred several ordinances to committee for detailed review.
Key actions adopted included council resolutions asking the Delaware General Assembly to amend parts of the city charter, accepting grant applications and federal funding changes, and approving procedural committee changes within council. Several ordinances were read and referred to committee rather than decided at the meeting.
Among adopted resolutions, the council: - Approved a request to the General Assembly to amend city charter section 2-204 to exclude August and December from the twice‑monthly meeting requirement except when meetings are requested by the mayor, council president or a majority of council (Resolution 25‑016). - Agreed to seek state authorization for a city-council caucus mechanism and asked the General Assembly to consider the change (Resolution 25‑015). - Authorized the Office of Emergency Management to apply for a FY2024 Emergency Management grant from the Delaware Emergency Management Agency totaling $164,000; the grant requires a local match of $164,000, which the city said is already budgeted within the Office of Emergency Management (Resolution 25‑017). - Approved a second substantial amendment to the city’s annual action plan to add $350,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for the First Start Home Buyers program, using available prior grant funds (Resolution 25‑018). - Adopted a resolution urging the General Assembly to make planning‑commission appointments subject to council approval to align the charter with state law (Resolution 25‑019). - Adopted a resolution requesting a cost‑benefit analysis on a potential take‑home vehicle program for Wilmington police officers (Resolution 25‑020).
Council also conducted several procedural votes and referrals: it accepted minutes and committee reports, received the city treasurer’s report, accepted non‑legislative business, and recorded multiple first/second readings. Notable referrals to committee included: - Ordinance 25‑011: Amendment No. 3 to the FY2025 operating budget (referred to Finance and Economic Development Committee for review). - Ordinance 25‑012: Amendments to Chapter 10 revising ambulance and related fire-department fees (referred to Finance and Economic Development Committee). - Ordinance 25‑013: Zoning changes to permit cultivation, manufacture, testing and retail of recreational marijuana in certain commercial manufacturing and waterfront districts (referred to the Community Development and Urban Planning Committee).
Vote tallies were recorded by roll call where required. Highlights: - Resolution 25‑014 (standing-committee membership changes): adopted 9–0 (4 absent). - Resolution 25‑015 (request to authorize council caucuses at state level): adopted 9–0 (4 absent). - Resolution 25‑016 (exclude Aug/Dec from the twice-monthly meeting requirement): adopted 9–0 (4 absent). - Ordinance 25‑005 (Axon contract for interview-room equipment): adopted by roll call (see separate article for details). - Resolution 25‑017 (OEM grant application for $164,000): adopted 9–0 (4 absent). - Resolution 25‑018 (CDBG amendment adding $350,000 for First Start Home Buyers): adopted; roll call recorded 7 yeas, 2 present, 4 absent. - Resolution 25‑019 (planning commission appointment oversight): adopted; roll call recorded 8 yeas, 1 present, 4 absent. - Resolution 25‑020 (take‑home vehicle cost‑benefit analysis): adopted 7 yeas, 2 nays, 4 absent (Councilman Owens and Councilwoman Oliver voted no).
Several items slated for discussion were held or noted earlier in the meeting because a sponsor was absent: council members announced that the ordinances that would amend Chapter 45 concerning a third‑party operational and financial assessment of the water/sewer fund, prohibitions on including arrears for owner‑occupied customers, and prohibiting water service disconnections for nonpayment, as well as an ordinance to amend Chapter 34 to provide for residential rent stabilization, would be held until the sponsoring council member was present.
The council scheduled further committee consideration of the budget amendment, ambulance fee changes and the marijuana zoning proposal before returning them to the full council for votes.
