SAFETY ADVISORY AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
The Safety Advisory and Transportation Committee Meeting was held on October 25, 2005 at 5:00 p.m. with Chairman Hogan presiding. Members present were Mr. Carey, Mr. Ritter (departed at 6:00 p.m.), Mr. Lakeman, and Mr. Link (arrived at 6:05 p.m.). Members of Council present were Mr. Ruane and Mr. Slavin (departed at 6:05 p.m.). Mayor Speed was also present.
AGENDA ADDITIONS/DELETIONS
Mr. Carey moved for approval of the agenda, seconded by Mr. Ritter and unanimously carried.
Traffic Concerns - The Overlook on Silver Lake
Members reviewed a letter received from Mr. Edward McNamara, President of the Overlook on Silver Lake Homeowners Association, Inc. The residents felt that the traffic problems being encountered would be eliminated by the placement of speed bumps at the two (2) entrances to the development.
Mr. Clive Sadler, 116 Overlook Place, provided a map depicting the streets and alleys within the Overlook on Silver Lake. He explained that people utilize Venue Drive, off of LePore Road, for cutting through the alley to gain access to the liquor store, hotel, or to access Route 13. In an effort to alleviate this, the alley was changed to one-way so that traffic could not enter from LePore Road. The consequence of this action is that people now utilize Venue Drive to access the alley at a very high rate of speed. There is a tremendous amount of non-residential traffic utilizing the neighborhood roads at a high rate of speed to access Route 13. Mr. Sadler indicated that speed bumps would possibly deter or eliminate these problems. In addition, there is a lot of litter and debris from the restaurant, hotel, and liquor store thrown in the alleyway, particularly liquor bottles.
Mr. DePrima advised members that he has been working with the residents of the neighborhood in an effort to close off or move the connecting point between the commercial area and the residential neighborhood. He advised members that there was an existing easement across the property before the development of the Overlook on Silver Lake. When the property was subdivided, the developer had the opportunity to either maintain or move the easement. In order to create additional lots, the easement was moved and the developer was required to preserve access to the commercial lots through this property, which is a legal agreement over which the City has no authority. The City has attempted to work with the owners to move the easement to help alleviate some of the neighborhood concerns. There was also an extensive amount of enforcement and action that has been taken in this area. However, Mr. DePrima noted that staff has concentrated on the alleyway in order to provide some type of resolution and reminded members that speed bumps are prohibited in accordance with the Dover Code.
Police Chief Horvath advised members of the actions that have been taken and that 86% of the vehicles utilize the alley correctly (one-way). He requested that enforcement be increased in this area with a very low tolerance. He cautioned members that a narrow roadway that is close to your home may not necessarily translate to a high rate of speed on radar. Chief Horvath assured members that the Police Department will continue to respond to complaints.
Fire Chief Bashista reviewed information that was provided to members regarding the use of speed bumps (Attachment #1).
After much discussion, Mr. Hogan suggested a two-way stop sign on each end of the alley-way and reduction of the speed limit to 15 MPH. Chief Horvath suggested that additional signage be erected under the speed limit sign indicating “strictly enforced”. There was some discussion regarding the possibility of returning to a one-way alley in the opposite direction as well as instituting a 15 MPH speed limit throughout the entire neighborhood.
Mr. Carey moved to recommend that the speed limit for the alley be reduced to 15 MPH and that stop signs be erected at the entrance to the alley from the hotel and liquor store, and down the alley as you come to the entrance. The motion was seconded by Mr. Ritter and unanimously carried.
Status - Emergency Operations Plan
Chief Horvath introduced Lt. Bernat, who is responsible for the City’s Emergency Operations; Allen Metheny, Assistant Director of Public Safety with the Division of Emergency Management for Kent County; Jaime Turner, Director of DEMA; and Daniel Valley, Director of American Red Cross of Delmarva.
Chief Horvath advised members that the City of Dover’s Emergency Operations Plan (DEOP) was originally compiled in 1978, was significantly updated in March 1998, and is reviewed and updated annually. The Plan has been designed to provide guidance in developing a state of readiness for all conditions of emergency, including civil disorders, natural disasters or nuclear attack upon the United States.
Lt. Bernat advised members that the mission of the DEOP is to protect life and property by preparing for and carrying out emergency preparedness operations and to prevent or minimize repair and recovery from injury and damage which may result from a man-made or natural disaster. The authority to activate the DEOP rests with the Mayor of the City of Dover and, in his absence, Council President and then the City Manager. The responsibility for implementation of the DEOP Center rests with the City Manager or in his/her absence, the Police Lieutenant in charge of Emergency Preparedness. It also provides for the necessary coordination with the State, County, and other emergency service providers.
Mr. Metheny assured members that Kent County is made available to assist the City of Dover with any emergency related needs. He briefed members on the Emergency Operations Plan for Kent County which was completely rewritten in 2004, and explained the role of Kent County Emergency Management, which is to provide assistance to various jurisdictions, including the City of Dover. The Plan was also developed to assist the citizens and visitors of Kent County in case of emergency. Mr. Metheny referred to the recent evacuation incidents that occurred in the southern states and indicated that although there are evacuation routes established, DelDOT has not marked these routes. This matter is currently being resolved by the development of traffic management teams who have been charged with reviewing traffic management in detail. He stated that the area the team is currently working on is Route 1 and that they are developing detour routes for every mile of Route 1. The traffic management team is also developing evacuation route designations which will be marked as such. Mr. Metheny advised members that there are 17 Shelters approved within Kent County which could provide for approximately 5,500 evacuees. He briefly explained the Delaware Emergency Notification System (reverse 911 system) and advised members that Delaware is the first in the Country to be designated as a “Storm Ready State”, which indicates that there are systems in place to alert the public to emergency situations very quickly.
Responding to Mr. Ruane, Mr. Metheny stated that everything included in the Plan for Kent County also includes the City of Dover. He assured members that there are evacuation plans for the elderly and others that have physical limitations and are unable to evacuate; however, this is under the responsibility of the State of Delaware’s Plan, which the County is a part of and explained that the State requests assistance from the local levels with this responsibility. Mr. Metheny advised members that according to all emergency plans, including the federal level, citizens should be prepared to take care of themselves for the first 72 hours.
Mr. Turner, Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA), explained that the traffic management team concept came out of issues resulting from the two (2) Nascar races that occur each year. These events serve as practice sessions. He assured members that what happened in Louisiana and New Orleans is not the norm. Members should understand that there must be pro-active leadership and quick decisions made during emergency situations. Mr. Turner reviewed the processes that occur for the various types of emergency situations, assuring members that representation from the City of Dover is included in most of the situations.
Mr. Valley, Director of American Red Cross of Delmarva, explained the role of the Red Cross and the specific areas that the Delmarva Chapter is responsible for. The Red Cross partners with the City, County, and State. He explained that in addition to major emergency situations, Red Cross also deals with individual disasters such as house fires. The major role for the American Red Cross, when an emergency plan is engaged, is to provide mass care, sheltering, and feeding during major disasters.
Mr. Hogan stated that he was intrigued by the entire presentation and thanked each of the participants for their time.
DelDOT Request for Input on Corridor Preservation
In conjunction with the DelDOT Corridor Capacity Preservation Program (Delaware Code, Title 17, Section 145), the list of adopted corridors must be updated every three (3) years to account for change. The Mayor advised members that DelDOT has requested input from the City of Dover regarding the Corridor Preservation before selecting locations for inclusion in the Program. Mayor Speed recommended Route 8 or another suitable, existing east-west corridor, for preservation.
Mr. Lakeman moved to recommend requesting that Route 8, or any other suitable existing east-west corridor, be included in the Corridor Preservation Program for the City of Dover, seconded by Mr. Link and unanimously carried.
Mr. Carey moved for adjournment, seconded by Mr. Link and unanimously carried.
Meeting Adjourned at 6:41 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Kenneth L. Hogan
Chairman
KLH/jg
S:ClerksOfficeAgendas&MinutesCommittee-Minutes200510-25-2005-SA&T.wpd
Attachments to Original Minutes and File Copy:
Attachment #1 - Letter from Fire Chief Bashista - Use of Speed Reduction Devices