Council approves consent agenda, small grants and airport advisory committee appointments

At its Jan. 7 meeting, Sussex County Council approved the consent agenda including an existing wastewater agreement with Delmarva Bioenergy Center South Blades area, awarded two small community grants and confirmed appointees to the Sussex County Airport Advisory Committee.

The consent agenda passed by roll call. The county administrator noted the consent items and staff recommended approval. Council approved two grant requests posted on the agenda: $2,500 to the Franklin Public Library to install safety doors for its meeting room and $1,000 (from a district account) to the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce for its Fire & Ice Festival. Both grant motions were seconded and approved by unanimous vote as recorded on the meeting record.

The council also approved appointments to the Airport Advisory Committee. The airport manager presented a packet including bylaws and objectives and asked council to approve eight individuals who sought to remain on the committee: Dustin Berlinger, Larry Kelly, Jeffrey Reed, Rick Gardner, Ray Hopkins, Ezra Rickards, Mark Ryan, Scott Thomas. Council confirmed the appointments by roll-call vote.

Staff noted three thank-you letters were received and read into the record from the Delaware Lions Foundation, Volunteer Delaware 50 Plus, and Unique Minds Changing Lives Inc., thanking council for donations. The public comment period included remarks from Jack Young of the League of Women Voters, which welcomed new council members, and a resident who urged attention to infrastructure, growth management and housing affordability.

All consent and grant votes were recorded as passing without opposition in the meeting minutes.