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Dewey Beach council approves FY27 budget, event permit, code changes and police chief contract; tree rule tabled
Summary
At its Feb. 13 meeting the Dewey Beach Town Council approved the FY27 budget with a rainy‑day set‑aside and surplus allocations, granted The Starboard temporary event expansions, passed several code and fee changes and approved an amended three‑year contract for the police chief; a minimum‑tree ordinance was sent back for revisions.
Dewey Beach — The Town Council on Feb. 13 approved a series of fiscal and code actions and one personnel contract while sending a controversial tree‑requirement ordinance back for redrafting.
In a consent of several motions the council unanimously approved a temporary expansion of The Starboard’s premises for three 2026 events (opening weekend/St. Patrick’s March 13–15; Running the Bull June 27; Dewey Goes Pink Oct. 2–3) after a brief public hearing in which Megan Laren represented the applicant.
On fiscal matters the council adopted the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget as revised by the finance committee. Finance staff projected an 8% revenue increase and a $155,722 surplus; council voted to remove a $15,000 operating line for a comprehensive plan and instead fund that work from FY26 surplus, and to allocate roughly 13% of parking‑meter revenue into a rainy‑day set‑aside to meet the town’s updated fund‑balance targets. Miss Hall, the town’s finance representative, told council transfer‑tax receipts and parking revenues exceeded earlier expectations.
Council also passed code updates and fee changes: an ordinance clarifying building‑height rules for pre‑FIRM (pre‑flood‑insurance‑rate‑map) structures; amendments setting property‑maintenance standards and penalty procedures (with an addition that the building official may consult the town manager before extending compliance deadlines or waiving fines); and an ordinance adjusting license fees and parking‑hours (paid parking now begins at 9 a.m.). The council voted to refer a draft stormwater rule that would require properties to retain on‑site runoff to the Planning & Zoning Commission for study.
On personnel, the council approved a three‑year amended contract for the town’s police chief (identified in council records as Mr. Zulper) setting salary at $125,000 with a 5% automatic increase each April 1 and continued benefits. The contract drew public comment urging performance‑linked adjustments before the vote; council members defended the chief’s performance and approved the measure.
The minimum‑tree requirement proposed to require a baseline number of trees per lot for new construction or redevelopment prompted objections during public comment and among commissioners about how it would apply to fully built lots, condominiums and disaster‑rebuild scenarios. Resident David Mosquitz warned the rule could prevent rebuilding when there is no room for required trees. Council tabled the ordinance for further drafting.
What’s next: items the council referred to planning bodies or staff (stormwater, tree ordinance redraft, permit tracking for maintenance projects) will return at a future meeting; the next council meeting was set for March 20, 2026.
