Agenda for Regular Meeting

Synopsis:  This Resolution is being presented by City Council for its review and approval. If approved, Council would be asking the Governor to designate Wilmington or appropriate sections of Wilmington as a Targeted Employment Area (TEA) enabling the City to participate in the Immigrant Investor Program (IIP). The IIP has been established to attract foreign investors to create businesses and jobs in the local community. In exchange for the investment, which can range from $500,000 to $1 million depending on the location of the business, the foreign investor is able to obtain United States Permanent Residence (green card status) for the investor and his or her family. There are currently more than 300 Immigrant Investor Programs established around the United States.

Synopsis:  This Ordinance is being presented by the Administration for Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing a two-year contract—with a City option for a third year at the same annual cost—for HVAC preventive maintenance and general and emergency service for the City’s Municipal Complex at 500 Wilmington Avenue. The vendor—Bradley-Sciocchetti, Inc., based in Pennsauken, New Jersey—was the lowest responsible bidder for the City’s recently completed publicly bid contract 14007PW. The two-year cost of the contract is not to exceed $60,532 or $30,266 annually. The contract also provides for an annual materials allowance not to exceed $5,000.

Synopsis:  This Ordinance is being presented by the Administration for Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing the City to proceed with the acquisition of the Finger-Gordon property in South Wilmington. The City would contribute $808,833 of the total $1.5 million purchase price to obtain approximately 20-acres of land which would become part of the planned South Wilmington Wetlands and Flood Mitigation Program.

Synopsis:   This Ordinance is being presented by the Administration for Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing a $200,000 pension increase for the City’s uniformed and non-uniformed retirees. The increase is based on a recommendation to the Administration earlier this year by the City Pension Commission. $100,000 of the appropriation would benefit police and fire retirees, while the remaining $100,000 would benefit all other non-uniformed retirees. The monthly increase in pension benefits would be retroactive to July 1, 2013 or to the beginning of the FY 2014 Fiscal Year.

Synopsis:  This Ordinance is being presented by the Administration for Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be approving negotiated draft contracts (excluding exact price and length provisions) with three “short-listed” electricity providers that were selected recently by the City through a Request for Proposals (RFP) process. In order to obtain the lowest possible cost for electricity beginning in Fiscal Year 2015, it is necessary for a “short-listed” selection of electricity providers to be in place so the City can choose an electric provider within a matter of hours after the City is provided with the exact prices and contract lengths offered by the “short-listed” providers. Under this Ordinance, Council would also be authorizing the Commissioner of Public Works to execute an agreement with an electricity provider for a term of two or three years with an option to extend the contract for an additional one or two years.

Synopsis:  This Ordinance is being presented by the Administration for Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing the issuance of up to $4,370,000 aggregate principal balance of General Obligation Bonds in order to provide financing for the acquisition and restoration of the South Wilmington Wetlands Project, the placement of such land in permanent conservation to help address flooding concerns, and to provide significant water quality and recreation benefit to the City. Council would also be authorizing the payment of costs associated with the issuance of the Bonds.

Synopsis:  This Ordinance is being presented by the Administration for Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing a one-year contract—with a City option for a second year at the same annual cost—for the cleaning of police uniforms. The vendor—Blue Swan, Inc.—located at 2001 Delaware Avenue in Wilmington was the lowest responsible bidder for the City’s recently completed publicly bid contract 14008PD. The one-year cost of the contract that would begin on July 1, 2013, is $32,640.

Synopsis:  This Resolution is being presented by City Council for its review and approval. If approved, Council would be supporting efforts underway within the United States Congress to restore recently voided provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act which was established to ensure that the right of all citizens to vote is protected. This Resolution is in direct response to the recent United States Supreme Court 5 to 4 decision led by Chief Justice John Roberts which declared as unconstitutional Section 4 of the 1965 law. Section 4 established the formula that determined which jurisdictions are subject to federal “preclearance” of any changes made to local or state election laws.