Agenda for Regular Meeting

Synopsis: This Resolution is being presented by the Administration for City Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing the Department and Parks and Recreation to accept a $20,000 state grant that would be used to extend the weekend operating hours for the William “Hicks” Anderson Center as part of the citywide Safe Haven Program. The grant will fund extended hours at the center from July 1, 2014 through September 30, 2014. The State Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families is providing funding to 10 community agencies in Wilmington so they can extend their operating hours for the summer.

Synopsis: This Resolution is being presented by the City Council for Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be supporting the State Department of Education’sformation of a working group – charged with developing a pilot plan for education funding flexibility – and urging the department to confer with the Education, Youth and Families Committee of the Wilmington City Council and others within the city knowledgeable in the area of urban education when sharing the group’s findings and proposals. Council would also be supporting the notion that the State of Delaware recognizes the challenges associated with current funding education structures, and acknowledges the benefits that could come from a revised funding structure that would allow greater levels of flexibility to school districts.

Synopsis: This Resolution is being presented by the City Council for Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be supporting the State House of Representatives’ decision to create a task force to study and provide alternative solutions to school retention and social promotion, and urging the task force and state Department of Education to confer with the Education, Youth and Families Committee of the Wilmington City Council and others within the city knowledgeable in the area of urban education when sharing the group’s findings and proposals.

Synopsis: This Ordinance is being presented by the Administration for City Council’s
review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing certain traffic and parking regulations affecting East 12th Street, East 13th Street, North French Street and Wilson Street. These traffic and parking changes are due to the anticipated movement of bus and vehicular traffic related to the opening of the new Community Education Building on North French Street. You can view a complete list of the changes by accessing the Ordinance atwww.WilmingtonDE.gov/government/ccagenda

Synopsis: This Resolution is being presented by the Administration and City Council for Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing a public hearing to be held on August 21, 2014, regarding Ordinance No. 14-030 which would amend Chapter 48, which is the City’s Zoning Code. In particular, this Ordinance would correct an inconsistency in the Administration and Enforcement section of the Code by making it clearer that all applications for single-family to multiple-family property conversions must first be approved by the Zoning Board of Adjustment. The recommended change in the Zoning Code will be reviewed by the City’s Planning Commission on July 15, 2014.

Synopsis: This Ordinance is being presented by the Administration for City Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing certain traffic and parking regulations affecting the following streets/locations: East 17th Street at Spruce Street, King Street at West 6th Street, North Scott Street, West 3rd Street at Greenhill Avenue, West 4th Street at Greenhill Avenue, King Street at West 6th Street and East 11th Street and Thatcher Street. Additional details may be found in the Ordinance at this link: 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 Administration to enter into a one- year extension of an original 2009 contract with Xerox State and Local Solutions to process parking violations and collect fines. The cost of the contract, which will be in effect from July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015, is $ $1,187,000.

Synopsis: This Resolution is being presented by the City Council for Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing a public hearing to be held on September 18, 2014 regarding Ordinance No. 14-026, which would rezone certain portions of the property comprising the former Wilmington Finishing site.

Synopsis: This Resolution is being presented by the Administration for City Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be authorizing the Wilmington Police Department to accept two grants that will be used for overtime pay and for the purchase of advanced equipment. The first grant for $14,160 is from the State of Delaware’s Criminal Justice Council and requires local dollar match from the City. The second grant, in the amount of $234,977, is a U.S. Department of Justice Assistance Grant, which also requires no local dollar match from the City.

Synopsis: This Ordinance is being presented by the City Council for Council’s review and approval. The Ordinance would clarify the process and criteria by which the City’s Police and Fire Chiefs schedule a training academy to fill vacant staff positions. The Ordinance would require the two Department heads to appear before the Council Public Safety Committee four times a year, instead of twice a year, to review staffing levels. The Ordinance further requires the fire and police chiefs to present a Resolution to Council calling for the commencement of an academy should staffing levels fall below 95% of each Department’s respective authorized maximum staffing total as stated in the City’s Position Allocation List (PAL). Currently, there isno requirement in City Code for the Fire and Police Chiefs to come before Council before deciding to schedule a training academy.

Synopsis: This Ordinance is being presented by the City Council for Council’s review and approval. The Ordinance would clarify the process and criteria by which the City’s Police and Fire Chiefs schedule a training academy to fill vacant staff positions. The Ordinance would require the two Department heads to appear before the Council Public Safety Committee four times a year, instead of twice a year, to review staffing levels. The Ordinance further requires the fire and police chiefs to present a Resolution to Council calling for the commencement of an academy should staffing levels fall below 95% of each Department’s respective authorized maximum staffing total as stated in the City’s Position Allocation List (PAL). Currently, there is no requirement in City Code for the Fire and Police Chiefs to come before Council before deciding to schedule a training academy.

Synopsis: This Ordinance is being presented by City Council for Council’s review and approval.This Budget Amendment Ordinance would reduce the Fiscal Year 2015 appropriation to the Wilmington Fire Department by approximately $447,000. The savings will allow the Department to operate at maximum efficiency while not filling seven currently vacant firefighter positions that are due to retirements over the past several months. One of the positions has been vacant for more than three months, five positions have been vacant for about two months and another has been vacant for a month. According to the 2012 Berkshire Report, a reduction of staff will not affect the Department’s response time in arriving at fire scenes, will not affect overall firefighting activities, and will not reduce public safety to citizens. The budget amendment also reduces the authorized staffing of the Fire Department by seven positions which would coincide with the reduction of appropriations to the department and thus solidify the intended savings to taxpayers.

Synopsis: This Resolution is being presented by City Council for Council’s review and approval. If approved, Council would be requesting that the Williams’ Administration join in a cooperative effort with City Council to bring about a savings to taxpayers and a reduction of government spending by eliminating eight vacant positions in the Wilmington Fire Department (WFD) and to send Council for its consideration an amended Position Allocation List that reflects a reduction in the authorized strength of the WFD by eight positions.*

Synopsis: This Ordinance is being presented by the Administration for Council’s review
and approval. This Ordinance authorizes the City to enter into City Contract 15003PD –Police Clothing – with Graves Uniforms LLC for a period of one year at a price of one hundred eleven thousand seven hundred eighty dollars ($111,788.00), with a possible extension of one year at the City’s option upon the same terms and conditions (including price).