Agenda for Regular Meeting

This Resolution is being presented by City Council for Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be urging the Federal government to incentivize residential living in higher poverty and economically disadvantaged communities in Wilmington and around the nation by adopting a student loan forgiveness or deferral program. The Resolution states that the adoption of an incentive program would allow a student to take advantage of the benefits of loan forgiveness or deferral if they agreed to reside in residential areas in order to inject energy and investment in those areas. The Resolution is being offered as a way to reduce the projected $1.2 trillion student loan burden on student citizens in the United States while infusing residential communities with energetic and involved Americans who are eager to enter the workforce after completing their education.

This Resolution is being presented by City Council for Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be establishing the Council Organization Commission (COC), a five-member advisory group appointed by the Council President and comprised of Wilmington residents who are currently not holding and/or seeking public office. The mission of the COC would be to update the 30-year old report of the 1987 Council Compensation Commission, which laid out a formula for periodic updates to the compensation plan for citizens who serve as Members of City Council. The COC is further charged with reviewing the structure and functions of the Council. Specifically, the COC would recommend the appropriate number of Council Members based on current and historic population totals and needs of City residents, the appropriate number of district and at-large member positions; whether the Council President position should continue to be a part-time position or become a full-time position with appropriate   compensation; and the reasonableness of establishing staggered Council terms of office. The COC is charged with issuing a report within 180 days of its appointment. The report would be presented to the 107th Session of Council which convenes in January of 2017 for its consideration. Any part or parts of the report that are accepted and enacted by the 107th Session would become effective beginning in January of 2021 when the 108th Session of the Council convenes.

This Ordinance is being presented by the Administration for City Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing the Administration, through the Public Works Department, to enter into a one-year agreement with Diamond Materials LLC for bituminous concrete which is commonly referred to as asphalt, blacktop, or pavement. The agreement totals $92,375 and carries an option for the City to renew the agreement at the same rate and conditions for two, one-year extensions.

This Ordinance is being presented by the Administration for City Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing the Administration, through the Department of Public Works, to enter into a one-year contract beginning July 1, 2016 with RDS Vending, LLC for vending machine services in all City government buildings. The City would receive $1,253 per month or 25% of gross sales (whichever is greater) for allowing this vending company to sell its goods in City buildings. The contract contains an option for three, one-year extension periods. RDS Vending LLC was selected through a City competitive bidding process.

This Ordinance is being presented by the Administration for City Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing the Departments of Public Works and Parks and Recreation to enter into separate five-year agreements with the Delaware Solid Waste Authority (DSWA) for the disposal of the City’s trash (solid waste) and recyclable materials. Under the Public Works agreement in the first year, the DSWA will accept the City’s trash and recyclable materials at the Cherry Island Landfill for a cost of $69 per ton instead of the regular $85 per ton tipping or dumping fee. In each of the following four years of the agreement, the cost to the City would increase by one dollar per year. Under the terms of the Parks and Recreation agreement, the DSWA will accept the City’s trash for a cost of $65 per ton versus the regular $85 in the first year of the agreement. As with the Public Works agreement, the cost to the City would increase by one dollar in each of the four successive years of the Parks and Recreation contract. The City anticipates saving $1,828,000 in trash tipping fees over the course of the five-year agreements along with an additional savings of $150,400 in disposal costs for recyclable materials.

This Ordinance is being presented by the Administration for City Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing the Administration, through the Department of Public Works, to enter into a five-year contract with American Water Resources LLC (AWR) to administer and provide a voluntary warranty protection program for Wilmington’s residential owners of water service lines and sewer laterals (water and sewer service lines). This program would enable residential owners of water and sewer lines to purchase warranty protection from AWR for water and sewer line maintenance and repair costs on portions of the water and sewer system that are the responsibility of the property owner and not the City government. AWR would pay the City an initial $50,000 administrative fee and would also annually pay the City 10% of the warranty fees it collects from residential owners. In addition, AWR will pay the City $20,000 annually to be used at the City’s discretion to assist residential water and sewer line owners who are not AWR warranty customers. The annual cost to a residential owner to have both their water and sewer lines under warranty with AWR is approximately $100.

This Resolution is being presented by City Council for Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be supporting efforts by the Federal Railroad Administration and its regional, state and local partners to expand the range of public transit and rail options for Wilmington residents as well as for all residents of Delaware. The Resolution further urges a collective effort to come up with innovative projects to improve and enhance public transportation.

This Ordinance is being presented by the Administration and City Council for Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing an amendment to the City’s Mobile Food Vending Unit Pilot Program to extend the expiration date of the pilot program to September 30, 2016 instead of June 30, 2016. The extension period will allow the City to gather more information about the food vending program to help determine its effectiveness.

This Ordinance is being presented by the Administration for City Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing the issuance of up to $50 million in General Obligation Funds in order to enable the City Treasurer to refinance current City bond debt at a lower interest rate. This Ordinance would authorize the Treasurer to proceed to secure a lower interest rate which would save the City money on future payments to retire its outstanding debt.