Regular Meeting of Wilmington City Council

Thursday, January 15, 2015 at 6:30 p.m.

Council Chambers
Louis L. Redding City/County Building
800 North French Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801

AGENDA

  1. Call to Order
    Invocation
    Pledge of Allegiance
    Roll Call
  2. Approval of Minutes
  3. Committee Reports
  4. Acceptance of Treasurer's Report

5. Non-legislative Business

M. Brown Sympathy John L. Wright
M. Brown Sympathy Bertram Furrowh
Cabrera Recognize Dr. Nelson R. Santos
Cabrera Welcome Women's Business Center
Freel Farewell Joan Fultz
Gregory Retirement Karl Hines
Gregory Sympathy Maxine Jacqueline Anderson
Shabazz Sympathy Ardella B. Faulkner

5. Legislative Business

Nnamdi O. Chukwuocha: 1st District

Agenda #4010
Resolution
Pending		 To authorize the Department of Parks and Recreation to accept a grant from the Delaware Land and Water Conservation Trust Fund for improvements at Helen Chambers Park
Synopsis This Resolution is being presented by the Administration for City Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing the Administration to accept a $100,000 grant, originally awarded to the City in 2009 from the Delaware Land and Water Conservation Trust Fund (DLWCF). The grant requires the City to provide a $100,000 match which is already approved as part of the FY 2012 Capital Budget. The grant will be used by the Parks and Recreation Department to construct a basketball court, a picnic plaza, a pathway and other improvements at Helen Chambers Park in the West Center City area of Wilmington.
Agenda #4011
Resolution
Pending		 To authorize the Department of Parks and Recreation to accept a grant from the Delaware Land and Water Conservation Trust Fund for improvements at Brown Park, Eastlawn Playground, Tatnall Street Playground and Brown Burton Winchester Park
Synopsis This Resolution is being presented by the Administration for City Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing the Administration to accept a $120,000 grant, originally awarded to the City in 2008 from the Delaware Land and Water Conservation Trust Fund (DLWCF). The grant requires the City to provide a $120,000 match which is already approved as part of the FY 2008 Capital Budget. The grant will be used by the Parks and Recreation Department to make playground improvements to Brown Park, Eastlawn Playground, Tatnall Street Playground and Brown Burton Winchester Park.
Agenda #4012
Resolution
Pending		 To urge the Department of Education to institute a moratorium on new charter school application reviews
Synopsis This Resolution is being presented by City Council for Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be expressing its concerns to the Delaware Department of Education (DOE) about the proliferation of charter schools in the City of Wilmington and throughout the State. The Resolution also urges the DOE to institute a moratorium on new charter school applications to allow elected officials and community representatives time to assess the impact of charter schools in Wilmington and throughout the State.

Hanifa G.N. Shabazz: 4th District

Agenda #4013
Ordinance
1st & 2nd Reading		 To amend Chapter 44 of the City Code regarding the duration of the Wilmington Downtown Business Improvement District, assessments on properties located within the Wilmington Downtown Business Improvement District, and the issuance of licenses to delinquent licensees
Synopsis This Ordinance is being presented by the Administration and City Council for Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing changes to Chapter 44 of the City Code affecting the Wilmington Downtown Business Improvement District (WDBID). Specifically, the Ordinance would extend the authorization of the WDBID to October 1, 2024 and would stipulate that a property re-assessment by the County Board of Assessment Review (NCCBAR) would become effective with regards to the DBID having to adjust its assessment for a property within its jurisdiction only after the NCCBAR makes a final decision about an assessment appeal, as opposed to when the assessment appeal is filed with the NCCBAR which is the current practice. Finally, the Ordinance would authorize the City to prohibit the issuance of a business license to any person or business which is delinquent to the WDBID.

Michael A. Brown, Sr.: At-Large

Agenda #4014
Resolution
Pending		 To Support the City of Wilmington and the Delaware Department of Justice’s Application to Secure a Grant from the Neighborhood Building Blocks Fund to Enhance the Wilmington Community Policing Initiative”
Synopsis This Resolution is being presented by City Council for Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be expressing its support for a Wilmington Community Policing Initiative proposed by Attorney General Matt Denn to aggressively implement an expanded, visible and effective community policing presence in specific high-crime neighborhoods in Wilmington. Funding in the amount of $640,200 would be used by the Delaware Department of Justice to pay overtime to police officers of the Wilmington Police Department, New Castle County Police Department and Delaware State Police Department who volunteer to serve as patrol officers in neighborhoods and at times selected by the Wilmington Police Department through the use of crime incidence data. The initiative would allow for the use of best practices in a number of areas, including advice from front-line officers regarding effective tactics and deployment, use of crime incidence data to make adjustments to tactics and deployment, involvement of community residents both at the decision-making level and in face-to-face contact with officers patrolling neighborhoods on foot, and effective training of officers in legal and other issues involved in visible foot patrols of high-crime areas.

Loretta Walsh: At-Large

Agenda #4015
Resolution
Pending		 To encourage Governor Jack Markell to pardon Delaware Abolitionists
Synopsis This Resolution is being presented by City Council for Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be urging Delaware Governor Jack Markell to issue pardons to three notable Delawareans for the criminal convictions they were given because of their efforts to help slaves achieve freedom. The individuals for whom this Resolution seeks pardons are Thomas Garrett, a Quaker abolitionist who is credited with helping more than 2,700 slaves to freedom; John Hunn, a farmer from the Odessa area and a member of the Camden, Delaware Friends Meeting who was convicted for aiding the Hawkins family to reach freedom, and Hunn’s partner in the abolitionist movement, Samuel Burris, a free black man, who, because he helped Hunn free slaves in Maryland and Southern Delaware, was sold back into slavery and ultimately released back to freedom by the highest bidder. The Resolution also salutes the unwavering humanitarian efforts of all of those who fought for the freedom of those enslaved.
  1. Petitions and Communications
  2. Adjournment