PARKS, RECREATION, AND COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT COMMITTEE

The Parks, Recreation, and Community Enhancement Committee meeting was held on September 14, 2009, at 12:00 noon with Chairwoman Russell presiding. Members present were Mr. Ruane, Mr. Hogan, and Mrs. Horsey. Mr. Lewis was absent.

AGENDA ADDITIONS/DELETIONS

Mr. Hogan moved for approval of the agenda, seconded by Mr. Ruane and unanimously carried.

Benchmarks Established for the Economic Development Office

During the Parks, Recreation, and Community Enhancement Committee meeting of June 8, 2009, Mr. Anthony DePrima, City Manager, stated his desire to compile a report that includes meaningful economic statistics that can be monitored and that reflect factors that the Economic Development Office can influence. He felt it would be appropriate for this information to be submitted twice per year, or quarterly, and stated his intention to have such a report available to the Committee.

Mr. William Neaton, Economic Development Director, reviewed benchmarks which he stated were developed by Mr. DePrima and Mrs. Ann Marie Townshend, Director of Planning and Community Development, to chart the progress of the Economic Development Office and to give Council and the Committee an understanding of what the office does. He also reviewed a list of vacant and inactive properties in the downtown area.

In response to Mrs. Russell, Mrs. Townshend explained that there is an ongoing problem with property owners in downtown Dover who fail to maintain vacant properties and then express frustration because improvements must be made to make them eligible for occupation. She explained that the vacant building ordinance establishes a vacant building registration fee for properties that are not sale or lease ready, but does not require that property be brought up to occupiable standards. She noted that exterior violations can be addressed by inspectors, but interior problems cannot be enforced.

Referring to the economic benchmarks presented by Mr. Neaton, Mr. Ruane suggested that additional information be included when establishing measurement tools. He stated that there are numerous goals for the Economic Development Office that were included in the City of Dover Comprehensive Plan that were not reflected in the benchmarks listed which would be relevant in measuring the economic status of the Dover area, citing efforts to develop tourism as an example. He felt that the information that was provided regarding major employers was important but that additional statistics relating to smaller businesses are also vital and should be included. He stated his belief that statistics relating to various economic sectors, e.g., the financial and hotel industries, the arts, culture, and education would be useful. He suggested that staff look to national and local levels of statistical gathering that are currently being used, citing the statistics presented on the U. S. Department of Labor’s website as an example of the type of information that is useful in developing an economic profile. He believed that efforts related to job retention, recruitment, and marketing should be reflected as well.

Mrs. Townshend stated that staff’s goal was to provide these benchmarks to Council to allow members to provide feedback on the type of information that would be useful. She noted that she had received mixed responses from Council regarding the type of statistics that should be included, as she had previously been told that labor statistics from the State and Federal governments were not helpful. She agreed that additional measures should be included, but wanted to keep goals realistic as the organization was in its start-up year, and she felt it was important to be realistic in terms of the projects that can be managed. She noted that many of the activities of the office are anecdotal in terms of relationship building and are difficult to quantify.

Mr. DePrima suggested that tracking the square footage of space gained and lost in large industrial and office buildings in the City would be a useful measure.

In response to Mrs. Townshend, Mr. Ruane stated the vision for examining the economic well-being of the City should be expanded beyond the boundaries of the City of Dover. He noted that while, ideally, vacant commercial buildings within the City’s boundaries would be occupied by new owners, which would maintain the value of the building and contribute to the City’s tax base, residents of Dover still benefit when businesses are retained in the surrounding area and jobs are not lost.

In response to Mrs. Russell, Mr. Neaton explained that his office is working closely with Wesley College to facilitate their move into the building that the General Services Administration will be vacating. He stated that he and his staff maintain a good relationship with Delaware State College and Delaware Technical and Community College; however, they have not had good outreach to Wilmington College at this point.

Mr. Hogan stated that he felt that the number of events held in Downtown Dover is the most important measure of the Economic Development Office’s success. It was his belief that people are not frequenting the downtown area due to the perception that there is “nothing to do” downtown.

Mr. Neaton invited members to attend the Downtown Dover Partnership One Year Anniversary Celebration scheduled for Thursday, September 17, 2009, at 5:00 p.m. He noted that a slide show will be presented which showcases events held downtown and includes photos that show hundreds of people in attendance. He also reminded members of the First Friday event sponsored monthly by the Downtown Dover Partnership.

Mr. Ruane emphasized that staff should consider quality rather than quantity in recruiting businesses for the downtown area. He felt the goal should be not just to fill empty buildings but to recruit enterprises and activities that will draw the public downtown. He suggested an appropriate measure of economic success would be to recruit businesses in targeted categories.

Mrs. Horsey stated that she felt that the City should enforce building codes more stringently. She felt that quality businesses are reluctant to locate to the downtown area because the storefronts and sidewalks are not maintained. She expressed frustration with property owners who “do not care enough” to apply for loans that have been made available through the efforts of the Design Committee to improve building facades.

Mrs. Townshend noted that these funds are available only for building exteriors and many of the buildings in the downtown area also need extensive interior repairs.

Mrs. Townshend stated that staff would look at national statistics that are available for the local area as a basis for comparison, track vacant building square footage in the City, and prepare a monthly analysis of statistics related to the City of Dover’s economic health.

Mr. Ruane noted that more jobs are created nationally and locally by small businesses than large enterprises and request that this information be included in the analysis.

Mr. Neaton stated he would be working with the Director of the new Kent County Economic Development Office to develop economic health guidelines based on small businesses.

Mr. DePrima noted that the current budget will be going to print in the near future and that the benchmarks included are similar to those that the committee reviewed; however, he noted that the Committee’s suggestions will be incorporated in the future.

Statistics Regarding Jobs and Businesses Gained and Lost in the City of Dover Since July 2008

Mrs. Ann Marie Townshend, Director of Planning and Economic Development, reviewed statistics on the number of jobs and businesses lost in Dover since July 2008. She noted that the report was based on figures that were provided by the Kent Economic Partnership and she was unsure of the methodology used to collect data, the cut-off dates used, or the criteria by which major employers were identified, and she was not confident that the numbers were completely accurate. She stated staff’s intention to begin tracking numbers quarterly using a consistent methodology.

In response to Mrs. Russell, Mrs. Townshend noted that staff plans to track employment statistics for City, State, and County governments and school districts in the future. She also stated her intention to include information related to small businesses and various commercial sectors.

Updates

Members were provided the following updates:

Puncheon Run Watershed Action Team Update

Mr. Scott Koenig, Public Services Manager, presented an update on the Puncheon Run Watershed. He stated that the Governors Avenue Bridge project is approximately 95% complete. He noted that there have been two large rain events since the bridge was installed, and the bridge is functioning as it should. He noted that there were two properties that did have extensive flooding during the recent rainstorms; however, it was determined that the new bridge is not an impediment. He stated that Mr. Ruane had provided photos indicating that flooding appears to be related to problems with the Route 13 bridge. Mr. Koenig stated that construction debris on the west side of the Route 13 bridge, elevation differences in that area, and possibly the need to clear the stream between Governors Avenue and Route 13 may all be contributing factors. He noted that he plans to discuss these issues with the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT), as well as Senator Brian Bushweller and Representative Bradford Bennett.

Mr. Koenig stated that he will be contacting the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) to determine if “as-built” drawings of the new Governors Avenue bridge are available or if they must be purchased. He indicated that it may be more cost effective and timely to obtain these drawings from the surveyor. He explained that the drawings will be reviewed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to determine if a letter for map revision can be issued so that properties in the area can be removed from the flood plain. Mr. Koenig noted that this will eliminate the need for property owners to obtain expensive flood insurance, which is required for mortgaged properties located in a flood plain. He indicated that funds for consulting fees related to the revision are included in the current budget. He expected that all work required would be completed in late fall, with submission to FEMA around the first of the year.

Mr. Koenig indicated he would like to reconvene the Puncheon Run Action Team in October or November. At that time, he hopes to have further information regarding the Route 13 bridge obstructions and information regarding the letter of map revision to provide to residents.

In response to Mrs. Horsey, Mr. Koenig reported that the construction equipment currently being stored at the intersection of Wyoming and Governors Avenue will be used to perform storm drain work, utility tie-ins, and to run cable for an “intelligent” traffic signal system. He agreed that it is in everyone’s interest to return the intersection to normal as soon as possible to avoid cut-through traffic in nearby neighborhoods; however, he stated the State has made it clear that they do not dictate the schedule of the contractor performing the construction.

Mr. Neaton noted that approval had recently been granted from DelDOT to put up City signs to indicate that the thoroughfare and businesses are open during construction. He also indicated that DelDOT and the contractor schedule monthly meetings at Bayhealth to discuss construction progress.

Planning and Funding for New Library

Ms. Margery Cyr, Library Director, reviewed an update on planning and funding for the new library. Ms. Cyr indicated the project was initially budgeted for $23.5 million, but through hard work, that figure has been reduced to $22 million, without compromising services or the structure of the building. She noted that staff met with the State Council of Libraries on September 9, 2009, and the Council agreed to recommend $5 million be placed for a library bond in the next fiscal year. Ms. Cyr noted that if the bond is approved, State contributions will total $10.6 million, which is slightly less than 50% of the projected cost of the library.

Ms. Cyr stated that Ms. Donna Stone, Manager of the TD Bank, has agreed to serve as the Chair of the library’s Capital Campaign, and Mrs. Carla Markell will serve as Honorary Chair. The Capital Campaign Office at Wesley College is being prepared for occupancy. She stated that a new sign with a conceptual drawing representing the appearance of the new structure has been placed on Loockerman Street.

Ms. Cyr noted that staff is hosting a Green Summit for the public in the evening on September 30, 2009, to discuss plans for alternative energy and sustainable design for the library, and she hopes to schedule a separate event for Council on the same day so that they can be fully informed on the project.

CDBG Program

Mr. Neaton, Director of Economic Development, reported that he is working with attorney Gerry Street to develop a lease between the Dover Interfaith Ministry and the Downtown Dover Partnership and hoped that this will be finalized within the next two weeks.

Mrs. Townshend, Planning and Community Development Director, noted that the lease will be reviewed by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to determine if $60,000 of CDBG funds can be expended for this purpose. Mrs. Townshend noted that if HUD determines these funds cannot be used to lease property, staff will encourage the Interfaith Ministry to utilize funds for building renovations, which is an approved use. She noted that this may be the best option in view of need to expend funds in a timely manner.

Housing and Recovery Act of 2008 Funds (Neighborhood Stabilization Fund)

Mrs. Townshend, Planning and Community Development Director, noted that staff has worked with two families who are ready to purchase foreclosed properties. Mrs. Tracey Harvey, Community Development Manager, has been working with Mr. Van Temple, Chair of Diamond State Community Land Trust (DSCLT), and Ms. Ami Sebastian-Hauer, Executive Director of the Dover Housing Authority (DHA), and has identified foreclosed properties that these organizations would like to purchase. She indicated that the DHA has a contract on one property and is working on two others, and DSCLT has one contract.

During the meeting of February 9, 2009, the Parks, Recreation, and Community Enhancement Committee considered a proposal to partner with Discover Bank and others to leverage additional funds for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) through the New Markets Tax Credit Program. The Committee recommended that Council approve a non-binding letter of intent to proceed with the leveraging program, which was approved at the City Council meeting of March 23, 2009. Mrs. Townshend indicated that the City has still not received a concrete proposal from the leveraging partners; however, the City is proceeding to obligate NSP funds due to the need to move forward expeditiously. She indicated that staff may request approval from the Committee and City Council to withdraw from the leveraging program, as the program appears not to be as lucrative as it initially appeared and the program is proceeding very slowly.

In response to Mrs. Russell, Mrs. Townshend stated that the foreclosed properties in question are in various states of repair. She noted that the City’s role is to assist applicants with down payments and that the purchaser is responsible for locating the property. She explained that the Kent County Association of Realtors is part of the partnership and is facilitating transactions with prospective property owners.

 

Responding to Mr. Ruane, Mrs. Townshend stated she is not certain how many foreclosed properties have been identified within the City and where they are located. She stated that the City’s program targeted eight (8) properties, six (6) are in progress and are situated in various locations throughout the City.

Mrs. Townshend noted that she spoke with representatives from Fannie Mae and was told that their foreclosed properties are open only to applicants using public funds (which would include buyers under the NSP program) for the first 15 days after being listed.

 

Youth Advisory Committee

Mrs. Russell stated that the Youth Advisory Committee met on September 10, 2009, with ten (10) members present. She noted that members of the Committee plan to volunteer at a number of upcoming community activities, including the Governor’s Fall Festival, the Community Youth Party to be held at the YMCA, and the City of Dover Home for the Holidays celebration, and have shown interest in serving at the Salvation Army. Members have formed a planning subcommittee and are considering planning an event to “give back” to the community, possibly a food drive or a basketball fundraising benefit.

Mrs. Horsey moved for adjournment, seconded by Mr. Hogan and unanimously carried.

Meeting Adjourned at 1:18 P.M.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Sophia R. Russell

Chairwoman

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