Agenda for Regular Meeting

Synopsis: This Resolution is being presented by the Administration City Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing the Administration through the Department of Parks and Recreation to accept a Safe Haven grant from the State of Delaware that would enable the City to extend the weekend operating hours of the William “Hicks” Anderson Community Center to accommodate more young people in center programming.

Synopsis: This Resolution is being presented by City Council for Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council is urging the U.S. Congress to reject the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement which the Obama Administration negotiated privately with eleven Pacific Rim nations. The Resolution states that the TPP limits our ability to regulate matters regarding land use, food safety, healthcare and financial services among others. The Resolution also urges the Congress to reject the President’s request that Congress approve the Trade Promotional Authority (TPA) procedural rules which will negate the authority of Congress or any independent body to revise a U.S. trade deal to ensure that it is in the best interests of the American people.

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 Public Works to enter into a five- year contract not to exceed $324,000 with Itron, Inc., for automated water meter reading services. Itron, Inc. previously installed Itron radio transmission modules on the water meters that allow for the reading to be recorded electronically.

Synopsis: This Ordinance 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 Public Works, to sell 550 of the Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SREC) that have been generated from the City’s renewable energy solar panel project at the Porter Water Filtration Plant. The SREC’s would be sold over a 20-year period. For the first ten years, they would be sold at $49.98 per SREC which would generate $27,489 per year in revenue for the City and at a rate of $35.00 per SREC for the second ten year period which would generate $19,250 per year in revenue for the City. This action is part of the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard which is a mandate to increase energy production from renewable sources such as wind, solar, biomass and other alternatives to fossil and nuclear electric generation.

Synopsis: This Ordinance is being presented by the Administration and City Council for City Council’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 should the State continue to move closer to 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 and strict laws, monetary 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 only 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 Resolution is being presented by City Council for Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be supporting Delaware House Joint Resolution No. 4 to create a task force to find ways to increase financial literacy education in the public education system. The Resolution
further states that financial literacy skills are important for students to help them make sound
financial decisions as they attend college, pursue a career or deal with other choices in life having
to do with money or asset management.

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 street 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 a building maintenance agreement for the City’s Emergency Management Center located on South Heald Street. Specifically, the agreement is between the City and Advantage Building & Facility Services, LLC for a period of one year beginning on or about July 1, 2015 at a cost of $98,628.78. The contract has two possible renewals of one year each at the option of the City. The selected vendor submitted the lowest price and best overall proposal as part of a City Request for Proposals (RFP) process.

Synopsis: This Ordinance is being presented by the Administration for City Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing the City, through the Wilmington Police Department, to enter into a one-year contract totaling $30,645 with Blue Swan, Inc. for the cleaning of police uniforms. The Ordinance also allows the contract to be renewed for at least two, one-year renewals at the same cost.

Synopsis: This Resolution is being presented by the Administration for City Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing the Administration, through the Wilmington PoliceDepartment, to accept a $33,200 grant from the State of Delaware’s Special Law Enforcement Assistance Fund (S.L.E.A.F.) which does not require a matching local grant. $4,900 of the grant would be used to purchase an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle or drone. $25,000 of the grant would be used for advanced training initiatives for police officers and the remaining $3,300 would be used for officer overtime pay fora joint operation with the U.S Marshal’s Service.

Synopsis: This Ordinance is being presented by the Administration for City Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be amending the Fiscal Year 2016 General Operating Budget to fund four positions for the Wilmington Police Department, three of which were recommended by the Wilmington Public Safety Strategies Commission. The positions are two Police Inspectors, a Chief Information Officer and a Communications Director. The Ordinance would fund the $827,000 needed for the new positions by reducing FY 2016 police overtime funding by $400,000 and reducing the projected FY 2016 budget surplus by $427,000. The Ordinance also increases the authorized strength of the WPD by two positions for a total of 322 police officer positions.

Synopsis: This Resolution is being presented by City Council for Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be supporting pending legislation in the Delaware State Senate dealing with undocumented immigrants. Specifically, the Resolution urges passage of Senate Bill No. 59 which would allow immigrants who do not have valid documentation to obtain valid driving privileges in Delaware. The Resolution also supports passage of Senate Bill No. 60 which would prohibit police officers from stopping, arresting, searching or detaining any individual on the sole basis of their citizenship or immigration status.