Agenda for Regular Meeting

Synopsis:   This Resolution is being presented by City Council for Council’s review and approval. This Resolution amends Res. #25-002 to amend the standing committees of the Council of the City of Wilmington for the 109^th Council Session and the personnel assignments for such committees.

Synopsis:   This Resolution is being presented by City Council for Council’s review and approval. This Resolution urges the Delaware General Assembly to enact legislation amending Title 29, Section 10002 of the Delaware Code by adding the “legislative body of the City of Wilmington” to the definitions of “caucus” and “public body”.  With these proposed amendments, meetings of any caucus of the              Wilmington City Council would be exempt from the open meeting requirements of the Delaware Freedom of Information Act.

Synopsis:   This Ordinance is being presented by City Council for Council’s review and approval. This Ordinance amends Chapter 45 of the City Code to authorize the Department of Finance to retain an outside vendor to make recommendations concerning the creation of an affordable water program and the setting of water assessment rates.  The Ordinance also permits the Department, after review, to accept in whole or in part, or to reject these recommendations.

Synopsis:   This Ordinance is being presented by City Council for Council’s review and approval. This Ordinance amends Chapter 45 of the City Code to prohibit the Department of Finance from instituting monitions actions against City utility customers whose debts consist solely of unpaid water, sewerage, and stormwater fees, interest, penalties, and costs. This Ordinance shall become effective on July 1, 2025.

Synopsis:  This Ordinance is being presented by City Council for Council’s review and approval. This Ordinance prohibits the Department of Finance from disconnecting water service for nonpayment of sewer, stormwater, and water service charges.

Synopsis:   This Ordinance is being presented by City Council for Council’s review and approval. This Ordinance amends Chapter 34 of the City Code by establishing residential rent stabilization policies.  For non-exempt residential dwelling units, the authorized rent ceilings for rental units shall be determined by the current base payment standards established by the New Castle County Housing Authority.  In addition, and subject to the ren ceiling provisions, the maximum percentage increase to rent in any 12-month period shall be the lesser of (a) three percent (3%) or (b) the 12-month average percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington (All Items), as most recently published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor.

Synopsis:  This Ordinance is being presented by the Administration for Council’s review and approval. This Ordinance is the third amendment to the Fiscal Year 2025 Operating Budget, which was originally enacted in Substitute No. 1 to Ordinance  No. 24-016 and was previously amended by Ordinance Nos. 24-050 and 25-001. This Ordinance will enable the City’s Fire Department to take over the provision of emergency medical services to City residents from Trinity Health of the Mid-Atlantic Region (St. Francis Hospital), which has informed the City that it will no longer be able to provide such services.

Synopsis:  This Ordinance is being presented by the Administration for Council’s review and approval. This Ordinance amends Section 10-1 of the City Code regarding the fees for ambulances and related services provided by the City’s Fire Department to (i) increase the rates for basic ambulance service and administration of oxygen, (ii) delete the cervical collar rate, and (iii) add a loaded mile rate.  The      City will collect such fees from private insurers, Medicare, and Medicaid.

Synopsis:  This Resolution is being presented by City Council for Council’s review and approval. This Resolution is being presented by City Council for Council’s review and approval. This Resolution urges the Delaware General Assembly to enact legislation that will amend City Charter § 2-204 to exclude August and December from the twice-a-month meeting requirement except when a meeting is requested by the Mayor, President of City Council, or a majority of the City Council.

Synopsis:   This Ordinance is presented on behalf of the Administration for Council’s review and approval. This Ordinance authorizes the City to execute an agreement with Axon Enterprise, Inc. to purchase interview room equipment and related services for the Wilmington Police Department for a period of five (5) years commencing on or about the date of the last signature on the agreement.

Synopsis:   This Resolution is being presented by the Administration for Council’s review and approval. This Resolution authorizes the Office of Emergency Management’s grant application to the Delaware Emergency Management Agency for Fiscal Year 2024 Emergency Management Performance Grant funds in the amount of $164,000.00.  The funds will be used to support the operation of the Office of      Emergency Management and the Emergency Operations Center.

Synopsis:   This Resolution is being presented by the Administration for Council’s review and approval. In light of and consistent with the passage of the Delaware Marijuana Control Act by the Delaware General Assembly, this Ordinance amends various sections of      Chapter 48 of the City Code to explicitly permit and limit the cultivation, manufacture, testing, and retail of recreational marijuana within certain commercial, manufacturing, and waterfront zoning districts in the City of Wilmington as follows: (i) marijuana            cultivation facilities, marijuana product manufacturing facilities, marijuana testing facilities, and retail marijuana stores will be permitted as a matter of right in the C-5 (Heavy Commercial) commercial zoning district, the M-1 (Light Manufacturing) and M-2          (General Industrial) manufacturing and industrial zoning districts, and the W-1(Waterfront Manufacturing), W-2 (Waterfront Manufacturing/Commercial), and W-3 (Waterfront Low Intensity Manufacturing/Commercial Recreation) waterfront zoning                districts and (ii) marijuana testing facilities and retail marijuana stores will be permitted as special exception uses in the W-4 (Waterfront Residential/Commercial) waterfront district.  In addition, this Ordinance requires a buffer zone of 300 feet between any of the four permitted marijuana-related uses and (i) residential zoning districts or (ii) public and private schools serving any grade between kindergarten and twelfth grade.  Finally, this Ordinance establishes parking requirements for laboratory, research, and testing facilities, which will apply to marijuana testing facilities.

Synopsis:    This Resolution is being presented by the Administration for Council’s review and approval. This Resolution authorizes the Mayor, or his designee, to file a Second Substantial Amendment to the City Fiscal Year 2025/Federal Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Action Plan with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that adds $350,000 in Community Development Block Grant                Program funding for the First Start Homebuyers Program using available prior year grant funds.

Synopsis:   This Resolution is being presented by City Council for Council’s review and approval. This Resolution urges the Delaware General Assembly to enact legislation that will amend City Charter § 3-906 to require the five (5) members of the City Planning                  Commission who are appointed by the Mayor to be subject to confirmation by City Council. 

Synopsis:  This Resolution is being presented by City Council for Council’s review and approval. The Wilmington City Council 2022-2025 Strategic Plan prioritizes a “Safe and Secure Wilmington.” The Wilmington Police Department (WPD) has faced challenges              related to officer retention and recruitment, reflecting a national trend of declining interest in law enforcement careers. As of February 10, 2025, WPD was approximately 26 officers below authorized strength. This Resolution requests that the Administration, in coordination with the Wilmington Police Department (WPD), conduct a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis to assess the viability of expanding eligibility for the WPD’s take-home vehicle program and present findings and recommendations to the City Council within six months of the passage of this Resolution.