Agenda for Regular Meeting

Synopsis: This Resolution is being presented by City Council for Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be supporting the decision by the Delaware General Assembly to create an Education Funding Improvement Commission. This appointed body would conduct a comprehensive review of the State’s public education funding system and make recommendations for its improvement. The Commission is empowered to determine how groups of students—including low- income students—could benefit from additional funding. The Council Resolution also urges members of the Commission to take into consideration the needs of the students in the City of Wilmington when making recommendations for funding structure improvements.

Synopsis: This Ordinance is being presented by the Administration and City Council for CityCouncil’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing amendments to Chapter 3 of the City Code related to the treatment, care, control and licensing of animals. Specifically, the council would be aligning the City’s animal care and control laws with State law which is important to the City’s interests as the State move forward with establishing a State animal control and enforcement process. Under the new Ordinance, all animal owners would still be subject to strict licensing and rabies inoculation requirements as well as fines or possibly imprisonment for violating City laws regarding the treatment and care of animals and the proper control of animals so they do not become a nuisance or a danger in the community. The Ordinance would also end the requirement that the owners of one breed of animal—pit bull—must register their animals with the City in addition to having to license their animal. Under the new Ordinance, all animal owners and all animals would be subject to the same legal requirements and would be treated equally under the law.

Synopsis: This Ordinance is being presented by the Administration for City Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be approving certain traffic and parking regulations. These changes would involve a variety of regulations such as all-way stop signs, no parking signs, no loading zone signs, four-hour parking signs and others. For a complete listing of the traffic/parking regulations and the streets that are affected by this proposed Ordinance, please download a complete copy of the Ordinance by visiting the City’s website at www.WilmingtonDE.gov/government/ccagenda.

Synopsis: This Ordinance is being presented by the Administration for City Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing the Department of Human Resources to enter into an amended one-year contract with an option for three, one-year extensions with USI InsuranceServices (USI), a successor to Willis of Delaware, Inc., to serve as the City’s property and casualty insurance broker. The contract, for the period of August 1, 2014 through July 31, 2015, would not exceed $60,000 and could be renewed up to three times at the same annual amount. USI was selected through a competitive City bidding process.

Synopsis: This Ordinance is being presented by the Administration for City Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing the Department of Human Resources to enter into an amended one-year contract with an option for three, one-year extensions with USI Insurance Services (USI), a successor to Willis of Delaware, Inc., to serve as the City’s life and health insurance broker. The contract, for the period of August 1, 2014 through July 31, 2015, would not exceed $135,000 and could be renewed up to three times at the same annual amount. USI was selected through a competitive City bidding process.

Synopsis: This Resolution is being presented by the Administration for City Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing the City, through the Department of Planning, to accept a $17,848 grant from the State of Delaware’s Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs. The funds would be used as part of the annual cost of Wilmington’s Historic Preservation PlanningProgram. The State grant requires a local match which has already been budgeted in the City’sGeneral Fund.

Synopsis: This Ordinance is being presented by the Administration for City Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be amending Chapter 13 of the Wilmington City Code regarding health and sanitation and would be repealing and replacing a portion of Chapter 45 of the Wilmington City Code regarding solid waste disposal. These changes are intended to increase the city’s collection rate for recyclables thus improving the City’s environmental accomplishments and reducing costs associated with the disposal of trash in the local landfill. The legislation would provide approximately 21,000 residential homes and apartments with a free 65-gallon gray bin for weekly disposal of trash. If a resident has more trash than the gray bin will hold, they will be required to dispose of extra trash in a specially colored and marked City-issued trash bag purchased from the City for $1.00 per bag. This new process will be waived during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays to allow for the collection of extra holiday trash at no additional charge. The legislation will also amend the City’s special pick-up collection system to provide residential home- owners with one free special pick-up a year. Additional pick-ups for residential customers would cost $50.00 while special pick-up collections for owners of rental properties would cost $75.00 under the new legislation.