New Castle County subcommittee reviews slate of board nominees; votes set for next week

The New Castle County Boards and Commissions Subcommittee met Sept. 16 to hear introductions from nominees for a range of county advisory bodies and to discuss procedural questions about sponsorship of appointment resolutions and the county’s informal practice on holding multiple board seats. No formal votes on the nominations were taken; the council will consider all appointments at its regular meeting next Tuesday.

Many of the nominees spoke briefly about their backgrounds and reasons for wanting to serve. Bishop George Gibson, nominated to the New Castle County Housing Advisory Board, told the panel he has 45 years of pastoral experience and directs several community programs, including the Interdenominational Ministers Action Council of Delaware (IMAC), LEAP (Labor Education and Empowerment) and a pathway-to-apprenticeship program. “I have a lot of hats,” he said, describing concerns about housing stability for “black and brown people” he serves and mentioning difficulties residents face maintaining mortgages and accessing homeownership.

Why it matters: The subcommittee’s recommendations shape the county’s advisory bodies on housing, historic preservation, planning and design review—panels that advise officials on zoning, development standards, preservation and funding priorities. Several nominees’ professional backgrounds—archival and preservation work, engineering, affordable-housing development and financial management—reflect the county’s immediate policy topics, including the upcoming comprehensive plan review and local housing initiatives.

Most nominations were presented as informational introductions. New or prospective appointees included nominees for the Hockessin Design Review Advisory Committee (DRAC), the New Castle County Historic Review Board (HRB), the Planning Board, the Financial Advisory Council and other advisory bodies. Speakers noted that some DRAC seats are newly active after years without meetings; one presenter said the Hockessin DRAC aims for between five and nine members and reported eight prospective members at the time of the meeting.

A handful of nominees described professional experience related to the bodies they seek to join. Connor Munzer (now Connor Graham) identified herself as a senior archivist at Longwood Gardens and emphasized a background in state archival collections and historic-home research. Robert Ott, nominated to the Planning Board, described more than 15 years as a professional engineer working on water and wastewater projects and said he hopes to contribute on resilience and hazard mitigation during the county’s 5-year comprehensive-plan review. Karen Felix, a nominee for the Financial Advisory Council, outlined executive financial experience and local community work: “It’s my passion and my desire to serve on a board because I have over 30 years of financial experience,” she said, adding that she helps small businesses access capital.

Procedural dispute over sponsorship: The subcommittee spent substantive time on a procedural disagreement about who should be listed as the formal sponsor on the resolution for Karen Felix’s appointment. Council rules cited during the discussion included a council rule referenced as “rule 4,575,” which a staff member summarized as assigning sponsorship to the council member in whose district the candidate resides, and a state citation discussed as “Title 9, Chapter 11.” Several council members said the courtesy of primary sponsorship should go to the council member representing the nominee’s district; others urged moving forward without delay so the county could fill long-standing vacancies. The council president and at least one district council member agreed the resolution could list co-primes or co-sponsors and that staff could adjust the resolution before next week’s vote.

Discussion on dual appointments: Council members also debated whether residents should be allowed to serve on more than one county board at a time. Opinions diverged: some council members said they would not object to a qualified resident serving on two boards—so long as meeting schedules do not conflict—while others suggested prioritizing applicants who were not already serving, to broaden participation. Suggestions included limiting dual service to two boards and conducting due diligence on time availability and potential conflicts.

Other items and next steps: The subcommittee approved the minutes from its June 17 meeting by voice vote and then recessed nominations to the full council; members were told votes on the slate will appear on the consent agenda at next Tuesday’s regular council meeting and that nominees do not need to attend. Staff noted two open county-council-appointed seats remain on the Audit Committee and two on the Open Space Advisory Committee.

The meeting closed with a motion to adjourn; the subcommittee set personnel (nomination) votes for the council’s next regular meeting, where formal action is expected.