ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETING
The Annual Council Meeting was held on May 14, 2001 at 7:30 p.m. with Mayor Hutchison presiding. Council members present were Council President Christiansen, Mr. McGlumphy, Mr. Pitts, Mr. Gorman, Mr. Truitt, Mr. Carey, Mrs. Malone, Mr. Salters, and Mr. Weller.
Council staff members present were Chief Faulkner, Mr. Cooper, Mr. O'Connor, Mr. DePrima, Mrs. Mitchell, Deputy Fire Chief Bashista, Mrs. Green, and Mr. Rodriguez.
OPEN FORUM
The Open Forum was held at 7:15 p.m., prior to commencement of the Official Council Meeting. Council President Christiansen declared the Open Forum in session and reminded those present that Council is not in official session and cannot take formal action.
There was no one present wishing to speak during the Open Forum.
The invocation was given by Pastor Anthony W. Trout, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
AGENDA ADDITIONS/DELETIONS
Mayor Hutchison requested that consideration of items #3A-#3C be reversed to represent years of service. Mr. Carey moved for approval of the agenda as amended, seconded by Mr. McGlumphy and unanimously carried.
ADOPTION OF MINUTES - REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING OF APRIL 23, 2001
The Minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of April 23, 2001 were unanimously approved by motion of Council President Christiansen, seconded by Mr. Weller and bore the written approval of Mayor Hutchison.
ADOPTION OF MINUTES - SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING OF APRIL 25, 2001
The Minutes of the Special Council Meeting of April 25, 2001 were unanimously approved by motion of Mr. Weller, seconded by Mr. McGlumphy and bore the written approval of Mayor Hutchison.
PRESENTATION BY REPRESENTATIVE NANCY WAGNER
Representative Wagner noted the many contributions and sacrifices that were made by those members of Council whose terms on Council will expire this evening. In recognition of these members, she presented the following tributes on behalf of the General Assembly of the State of Delaware:
Council President Robin R. Christiansen
“House of Representatives Tribute. Be it hereby known to all, that the House of Representatives commends Robin R. Christiansen in recognition of his outstanding leadership and valuable contributions while serving on the Dover City Council for 18 years, including 11 years as Council President and Vice-Mayor. With deep appreciation for his hard work and efforts which have greatly benefitted the City of Dover and its residents, the House of Representatives extends its sincere congratulations and directs this tribute be presented on the 14th day of May 2001.”
Councilwoman Holly L. Malone
“House of Representatives Tribute. Be it hereby known to all, that the House of Representatives commends Holly L. Malone in recognition of her outstanding leadership and valuable contributions while serving on the Dover City Council for 8 years. With deep appreciation for her hard work and efforts which have greatly benefitted the City of Dover and its residents, the House of Representatives extends its sincere congratulations and directs this tribute to be presented on the 14th day of May 2001".
Councilman Charles A. Weller
“House of Representatives Tribute. Be it hereby known to all, that the House of Representatives commends Charles A. Weller in recognition of his outstanding leadership and valuable contributions while serving on the Dover City Council for 4 years. With deep appreciation for his hard work and efforts which have greatly benefitted the City of Dover and its residents, the House of Representatives extends its sincere congratulations and directs this tribute to be presented on the 14th day of May 2001".
RESOLUTION - CHARLES A. WELLER
The City Clerk read the following Resolution into the record:
WHEREAS, Charles A. Weller was sworn into office as Councilman of the Second District of the City of Dover - a position he served with distinction from May 1997 through May 2001; and
WHEREAS, during his term in office, Charles A. Weller served as a member and chairman of the Utility Committee, Transportation Review Committee, and Communications Committee, and as a member of the Parks and Recreation Committee, and Safety Advisory Committee; and
WHEREAS, Charles A. Weller kept abreast of all issues that concerned the community, maintaining personal contact with citizens throughout the City; and
WHEREAS, the dedication and zeal Charles A. Weller portrayed as a member of Council represented his deep and genuine love for this City and his pride in the progress that has been achieved in the community.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor and Council recognize that Charles A. Weller will be sorely missed and express their sincere appreciation to him and his family for the many personal hours contributed to the City of Dover.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Mayor and Council wish Councilman Weller and his family success in all future endeavors and direct the City Clerk to make this resolution a part of the permanent records of the City of Dover as a lasting symbol of appreciation and gratitude to Charles A. Weller.
ADOPTED: MAY 14, 2001
Council President Christiansen moved for adoption of the Resolution, seconded by Mr. Carey and unanimously carried.
Mayor Hutchison and members of Council presented Councilman Weller with the Resolution, a Dover Cup, and a Key to the City. Mr. Weller thanked his wife for her support, and the residents of Dover for giving him the opportunity to serve. He commended fellow members of Council and wished them success in the future.
RESOLUTION - HOLLY L. MALONE
The City Clerk read the following Resolution into the record:
WHEREAS, Holly L. Malone was appointed to serve as a civilian member of the City’s Parks and Recreation Committee from May 1992, until resigning when elected as Councilwoman of the First District of the City of Dover from May 1993 through May 2001; and
WHEREAS, during her term in office, Holly L. Malone served as a member of the Code Board of Appeals, Safety Advisory Committee, City/County Liaison Committee, Cable Franchise Committee, Transportation Review Committee, Dover Library Commission, Legislative and Finance Committee, and the Parks and Recreation Committee, sitting as Chairwoman from May 1995 to May 2001; and
WHEREAS, Holly L. Malone was instrumental in the City’s effort to develop Schutte Park as a regional sports and recreation facility and served with a stubborn commitment in this charge for the benefit of the citizens of Dover; and
WHEREAS, Holly L. Malone served with devotion and participated whole-heartedly as a member of Council, earning her the respect of a host of residents representing all ages and walks of life.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor and Council recognize that Holly L. Malone will be sorely missed and express their sincere appreciation to her and her family for the many dedicated years of service and personal sacrifices made on behalf of the City of Dover.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Mayor and Council wish Councilwoman Malone and her family success and happiness in the future and direct the City Clerk to make this resolution a part of the permanent records of the City of Dover as a lasting symbol of appreciation and gratitude to Holly L. Malone.
ADOPTED: MAY 14, 2001
Council President Christiansen moved for adoption of the Resolution, seconded by Mr. Salters and unanimously carried.
Mayor Hutchison and members of Council presented Councilwoman Malone with the Resolution, a Dover Cup, and a Key to the City. Mrs. Malone thanked her friends for the many cards, notes, flowers, and words of encouragement that were received during the past few weeks. She thanked staff for providing her assistance, relayed gratitude to the residents for giving her the opportunity of a lifetime, and thanked her family for their love and support over the last 8 years.
RESOLUTION - ROBIN R. CHRISTIANSEN
The City Clerk read the following Resolution into the record:
WHEREAS, Robin R. Christiansen has served as Councilman of the City of Dover for 18 years: having been elected to serve as Councilman of the Fourth District from May 1983 through May 1989; as Councilman At-Large from May 1989 through May 1993; and as Councilman of the Third District from May 1993 through May 2001; and
WHEREAS, during his term in office, Robin R. Christiansen served as a member and Chairman of the Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, and Fire Prevention Code Board of Appeals and the Safety Advisory Committee, and as a member of the Parks and Recreation Committee, Legislative and Finance Committee, Chamber of Commerce and County Government, Downtown Dover Development Corporation, and Dover Library Commission; and
WHEREAS, his knowledge and interest in municipal affairs was recognized by the Delaware League of Local Governments when he was elected President in 1996 and then served as Vice-President and was appointed to the Transportation and Communications Committee and its Steering Committee, and Crime and Public Safety Committee of the National League of Cities; and
WHEREAS, Robin R. Christiansen was appointed to serve as the City of Dover’s first Council President - a position he has held with honor and distinction since its creation, from May 1990 through May 2001; and
WHEREAS, as Council President, Robin R. Christiansen was instrumental in resolving the many complex issues that are encountered in the everyday functions of a progressive municipality and, in recognizing the need, established numerous ad-hoc and sub-committees to address specific concerns facing the City; and
WHEREAS, Council President Christiansen, throughout his tenure, displayed a quality of leadership that fostered respect from his colleagues and contributed greatly to the soundness of the City; and
WHEREAS, Council President Christiansen’s expertise and civic awareness symbolize municipal officials that have guided progress in the City of Dover beginning with the original Charter.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor and Council express sincere appreciation to Robin R. Christiansen and his family for the many dedicated years of service and personal sacrifices made for the good of the community and welfare of the citizens of the City of Dover and recognize that his leadership will be sorely missed.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Mayor and Council wish Councilman Christiansen and his family success in all future endeavors and direct the City Clerk to make this resolution a part of the permanent records of the City of Dover as a lasting symbol of appreciation and gratitude to Robin R. Christiansen.
ADOPTED: MAY 14, 2001
Mr. Salters moved for adoption of the Resolution, seconded by Mr. Weller and unanimously carried, with Council President Christiansen abstaining.
Mayor Hutchison and members of Council presented Council President Christiansen with the Resolution, a Dover Cup, and a Key to the City. In appreciation for serving as Dover’s First Council President, Mayor Hutchison presented Council President Christiansen with a shadow box displaying the original gavel from the Council Chambers. Council President Christiansen relayed appreciation to past and present members of Council and staff for their assistance, to the residents of the City of Dover for allowing him to serve, and to his family for their support and patience.
COMMENTS - KENT COUNTY LEVY COURT PRESIDENT DONALD BLAKEY
On behalf of Kent County Levy Court, President Donald Blakey congratulated those members of Council whose terms expire and welcomed those members that will be taking Office - wishing them all well in the future. He invited Council to attend meetings of the Levy Court and advised members that the County is making a strong effort to work with all municipalities and residents of Kent County. It is their hope that the City will join them in the future and work as a team.
OATHS OF OFFICE - CITY COUNCIL
The Honorable Henry DuPont Ridgely, President Judge of the Superior Court, administered the Oath of Office to members of City Council, as follows:
At-Large - Carleton E. Carey, Sr.
First District - Stephen R. Speed
Second District - Eugene B. Ruane
Third District - Robert G. Ritter, Jr.
Fourth District - Reuben Salters
RECESS
Mr. McGlumphy moved to recess to allow for photographs of the Mayor and members of City Council, seconded by Mr. Carey and unanimously carried.
Meeting recessed at 8:15 p.m. and reconvened at 8:30 p.m.
STATE OF THE CITY MESSAGE - MAYOR JAMES L. HUTCHISON
Mayor James L. Hutchison offered the following State of the City Message:
“INTRODUCTION
This marks the completion of my seventh year as the Mayor of the City of Dover. I am proud to report that we have experienced the strongest growth in our history during these seven years, and we were able to do that without a property tax increase. Much credit must be given to our City Manager, Jim O'Connor, and City Council for their efforts. All departments in the City have improved their operations and are working and communicating with each other because of our IBM AS/400 technology which enhances our ability to better serve our customers. The City continues to grow with a year-to-year assessment increase of $22 million for last July's billing. To date since last July, we have added an additional $25.2 million in assessment to our tax base. The Tax Assessor's office is currently in the process of conducting a reassessment of all properties within the City. The next assessment will be implemented in 2002. Duke Energy successfully maintained the availability and reliability of all generating units throughout the 2000-01 fiscal year while costs for fuel and natural gas soared over the period. Duke Energy continued its objective of supplying competitively priced energy to the City.
Recent efforts by the Public Works Department to expand our water supply and production assets will be realized this summer with the addition of two new Cheswold aquifer wells with estimated production capabilities off 800 gallons per minute. This additional resource will enhance our ability to deliver water to all current and future customers.
I feel the accomplishments of the City of Dover staff, City Manager and City Council have prepared us for a strong and healthy future allowing us to continue to give a high quality of life to our citizens.
FINANCE
The Finance Department continues to administer the internal controls and fine-tune them for effective financial management. The City continues to receive a clean audit opinion.
On the investments side, the diversification of investments is working out fine; and the safety of our money is kept as the number one objective. The Finance Department will be working on developing a method of forecasting future cash flows to improve laddering our investments.
The City has started a process of reviewing leasing options for some vehicle/equipment purchases. This will lessen the impact on our cash flows for capital items.
The Finance Department also continues to receive the national award for its annual financial report and this year has also published the Citizens' Report to reach out to the citizens and customers. We are confident that we will receive a national award for this report.
A major challenge will be faced in the next two years when revised reporting standards become effective. The Department has already started working on this major project, and we feel confident that we will incorporate all the required financial reporting changes very effectively.
POLICE
During 2000 the Dover Police Department achieved a long-awaited goal--that of National Accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). The Department became officially accredited in March 2000 after meeting over 400 standards set by CALEA. During the accreditation process, the Dover Police Department received many favorable comments and had only a few minor corrections to make. I feel that this is an outstanding achievement.
The Department also continued with its efforts to bring new programs to the citizens of Dover. One such program was the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program. The Dover Police Department was the first to bring this prevention program to Delaware, and it has been well received by the rental communities located within the City limits. The program encompasses a cooperative effort among the Police Department, the managers of the rental communities and the residents of the communities in a joint effort to decrease crime in their respective communities. Among other initiatives were the "Are You Okay?" program in which the Department partnered with the Modern Maturity Center, the Attorney General's Office, MBNA, Acme, Proctor and Gamble, and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program. This partnership ensures that our citizens who require someone to check on them on a daily basis are provided that service.
The Dover Police Department continued its efforts to ensure traffic safety by maintaining its partnership with the Delaware Office of Highway Safety. For the second year in a row, the Department tied for first place in the Chief's Challenge Competition. Delaware Law Enforcement agencies were challenged to put into place seatbelt and child restraint initiatives to include enforcement, education and training.
I am pleased to report that Dover experienced a 10.3% decrease in crime over 1999 statistics and that violent crime, which consists of homicide, robbery, rape and aggravated assault, has decreased by 21.8% since 1999 and 30.5% since 1998. I am also pleased to report that drug arrests increased by more than 33% over 1999. This is a direct result of strong, pro-active law enforcement by the members of the Drugs, Vice and Organized Crime Unit, the Dover Governor's Safe Streets Task Force and the officers assigned to the Patrol Unit. Strong enforcement of the drug laws will continue to be a top priority of the Dover Police Department in 2001. The Dover Police Department will continue to develop strategies to meet new challenges. It remains an essential part of the agency's mission to identify new programs and initiatives so that we may continually improve the quality of life for our citizens.
INSPECTIONS AND PLANNING
In 2000, two of the three growth indicators that we monitored showed a decrease in activity. Even though the overall levels are still high, we simply were not able to sustain the same level of activity during the past two record years. There was a decrease in non-residential square footage approved by the Planning Commission from 842,000 square feet in 1999 to 636,670 square feet in 2000. It should be pointed out that the proposed Dover Downs Hotel and Slots Addition accounted for almost half of the square feet approved in 1999.
Some notable projects approved in 2000:
• The 120,000 S.F. Target store and 65,000 S.F. Safeway at Dover Crossing Shopping Center
• New 66,000 S.F. Kent Christian Center on Dennys Road
• Delaware State University – Student Housing Complex on College Road
• Owens Manor Senior Housing Apartments with 60 apartments
• Marriott Fairfield Hotel with 77 rooms
• Red Roof Inn with 57 rooms
A second growth indicator is new housing starts where a decrease was also seen. Housing starts dropped from 195 in 1999 to 171 in 2000.
The third indicator of growth is the value of construction activity reported on building permits. In 2000, the value reported on construction permits was $86.9 million dollars. This was 10% greater than the 1999 value. This was by far the highest claimed construction value over the last decade. The Dover Downs Hotel permits account for one third of this value. It is unlikely that this trend will be sustained next year.
As the City grows, the activity of the Planning and Inspections Department also grows:
• Due to the rash of arsons, our Fire Marshal's Office logged in a record 681 hours of investigation time at 82 fire scenes.
• The number of business licenses was at its highest point at 3,369 licenses issued.
• For the first time ever, the Department issued over 7,000 licenses and permits and collected over $1.8 million in revenue.
• Total inspections were at a record 13,760.
• A new Rental Dwelling Permit ordinance and program were instituted.
Some notable Planning and Community Development activities include:
• A Strategic Plan for Downtown Dover's West Side envisioning over 200,000 S.F. of new economic activity, revitalized neighbors and improved roads
• A completely modernized sign ordinance---25 volunteers representing residents, businesses, and sign contractors helped in this project
• Our Community Development office helped a record 21 low- to moderate-income families buy their first homes using our Dover First Start Program. These families were able to take advantage of the $5,000 assistance with closing costs which this program offers.
ELECTRIC
In order to meet the service requirements for the Target store, Dover Crossing and the John Hunn Brown development, new circuits were designed and built. These new circuits are being fed from the Horsepond Substation.
In order to increase reliability and reduce potential environmental impact at the Dover Air Force Base Substation, four oil circuit breakers were replaced with new gas filled (SF6) breakers.
Four breakers were removed from Dover Air Force Base and have been sent to a re-manufacturing facility to be rebuilt. These breakers can be rebuilt and returned to service at a considerable savings over purchasing new ones. This process will continue, four breakers at a time, as an ongoing maintenance plan which will keep all 69KV breakers in peak operating condition.
The emergency power supplies (battery banks) for Frazier, Mid-City and McKee substations were replaced due to extreme age. This will insure proper operation of all substation equipment under conditions of loss of primary power.
City personnel worked with engineers from Duke Engineering Services to develop a design for future substations on the City electric system. The new Dover Downs Substation will be built based on this design. Transformers, switchgear and associated equipment have been ordered and the site surveyed for the Dover Downs Substation. In addition to providing service to Dover Downs, three additional circuits will be fed from this substation, Dover Mall, Delaware State University and loads on Persimmon Tree Lane.
The old (1985) Dispatch Center has been completely renovated. A new System Operations Center has been built in its place. In addition to the physical reconstruction, new control consoles, map board and projector screen have been installed. The old mainframe base SCADA system has been replaced with a PC based system using a Windows NT operating system. This will be a much more user friendly system which will allow greater flexibility in monitoring and controlling the electric system. All new equipment is in place, and the transition to the new SCADA system will be complete by June 1.
Examination and replacement, where indicated, of underground cable are continuing. This is an ongoing maintenance project to increase reliability by reducing outages due to problems with old cable.
Two distribution reclosers were installed on the 12KV distribution system at South State Street Extended and Lewis Drive. They will reduce the number and length of outages by checking the lines several times before taking them out of service completely.
T-1 fiber optic electronics were installed and tested at all substations and the Electric Administration Building in order to use the fiber optic system for internal communications.
Installation of a remote terminal unit (RTU) at the McKee Run Substation was completed in order to provide the System Operations Center with the status of McKee Run generators, system load and tie flows with Conectiv.
In order to insure system reliability and protect the integrity of our interconnection with Conectiv, a new 230KV to 69KV substation will be designed and built. It will be positioned on the east side of Dover near the Conectiv 230KV transmission line. This will be our primary connection point with Conectiv and will be able to supply 100% of our system load under all operating conditions.
A Relay/Substation Maintenance and Repair Shop will be built at the Horsepond Substation. This will provide the facilities for the Relay Technicians to do inspections and repairs to major pieces of substation equipment in house, reducing cost and the time for this work.
Additional instrumentation will be installed on the system and in substations to increase the information used for monitoring system loads. The additional instrumentation will allow better control and balance of loads on individual circuits improving reliability and increasing efficiency.
The 69KV breaker re-build program will continue with four breakers scheduled each year as part of the ongoing maintenance plan.
The Mayfair and Division Street substations will be moved from the 22KV circuits to the 69KV loop to improve their reliability. The 4KV circuits at Division Street will be rebuilt as 12KV circuits as part of the ongoing project to reduce the number of voltage levels used to deliver power on the City system.
The Dover Downs Substation will be completed and placed in service including the re-location of a 69KV transmission line near the raceway.
As a continuing result of extensive research, evaluation, and testing, worries of Y2K problems extending to the end of 2000 did not materialize. All events went according to plans, and no Y2K (for year-end 2000) related incidents were experienced.
Duke Energy continued its investments in the City's infrastructure during 2000. The most extensive maintenance outage on McKee Run Unit 3 that the facility had ever experienced was performed. The turbine-generator was completely overhauled with several long-standing historical maintenance problems corrected. As a result, the machine returned to service demonstrating the best performance outputs since commercial operation began in 1975. In addition, 70% of the Unit 3 boiler waterwall surface area was replaced to repair hydrogen damage that had been present for many years. In total, this work represented approximately $1.8 million of investment in the City's assets and avoided costs for Dover.
In July of 2000, the Duke Energy team reached a two-year milestone for an accident-free workplace. This represents the commitment that Duke Energy places on protecting its employees and the community as a whole. To date, Duke Energy has over 990 continuous days of accident-free work.
The coming year contains several projects and activities that will continue to improve the City's operation. Plans include the following:
• Work Safely – First and foremost is to operate safely. Duke Energy's third year accident-free anniversary will be in July of 2001.
• Manage Market Conditions – The coming year promises even more changes in the energy market, from continuing to do business in a deregulated environment to aggressively trading energy in the region. The Duke Energy team is focused on working through those changes and bringing value to our partnership with the City of Dover.
• City of Dover Energy Needs – With ongoing growth in the City and the surrounding area, Duke Energy will be making sure there is enough energy to supply that growth. The infrastructure of the City's Electric Department will continue to be supported. Engineering and project management services will be provided as requested. Duke Energy expects to play a vital role in the Dover Downs Substation construction and the design, construction and project management of a new 230KV tie station east of the City.
• Community Involvement – The Duke Fluor/Daniel Operating Services team will continue its focus on community involvement through its relationship with the United Way and other projects throughout the year. Over 94% of its staff was involved in some kind of community service project during the past year, and again there was 100% employee participation in the 2000 United Way campaign, leading the State of Delaware in per capita donations.
We look forward to the coming year and to an even more successful partnership with Duke Energy.
PUBLIC WORKS
Over the past year the Department of Public Works has completed several water system improvements including the South State Street Water Main Upgrade from Water Street to Wyoming Avenue, the Water Street Water Main Upgrade from South State Street to South Governors Avenue and the Towne Pointe/Leipsic Road Water Main Interconnection. In addition, work began in March on the Southwest Water Loop which will extend water service along Wyoming Mill Road. Each of these projects will help improve flow distribution in the City's pipe network in addition to improving fire protection.
Approximately $550,000 worth of street work was completed in the street construction and repair program. This work included eight City streets. In addition, there were a number of sidewalk interconnection projects completed in various subdivisions throughout the City. In the upcoming year it is estimated the City will spend approximately $750,000 on streets related improvement projects.
A number of sanitary sewer projects identified in the technical documents for the 2000 Wastewater Facilities Master Plan have entered the planning and design phases. The largest of these projects is the U.S. 13 Interceptor Sewer. This project will eliminate the Schwartz Pumping Station and extend our gravity sewer system to recently annexed properties on the north end of Dover along the U.S. 13 business corridor. Easements are currently being acquired on the proposed alignment, and design will continue through the summer months in anticipation of bid solicitation during the fall. Over the next several years, additional improvements will be made to various pumping stations throughout our system.
In addition, the City of Dover will complete improvements to the water system to allow for fluoridation and chlorination of the City's entire water supply by the end of 2001.
INFORMATION SERVICES
Across the IBM AS/400 and Microsoft server platforms, the Information Services Department continues to upgrade both operating system and application software to maintain the best quality product for our customers as well as vendor support.
Hardware upgrades have followed this same philosophy. Physical upgrades are necessary as newer, more demanding software is purchased and increased data volumes are required. Since the hardware cost trend continues downward--increasing value for the dollar each year--we buy equipment with an eye toward incremental upgrades as needed rather than immediate purchase of extra capacity that may not be needed short term.
We have also begun to collect and report metrics regarding our IBM AS/400 and Microsoft servers. This provides us with empirical data for reporting system availability and capacity utilization. This not only gives us a good look at the past but also is beneficial for the early detection of potential problem areas as well as for the charting of growth and the planning of future procurements.
Employees are leaning heavier on software to help them work smarter. As they are learning to use the existing software, they are also increasing their requests for more sophisticated in-house developed applications and add-on programs. The Information Services Department continues to provide custom software at the PC level as well as extensive AS/400 programs to increase the value of the data collected via the HTE software.
External fiber optic connectivity has been completed. The following buildings are interconnected thereby allowing data to be transferred from one building to another at the highest possible speed: City Hall, Weyandt Hall, Dover Public Library, Fire Station 1, Parks & Recreation, Support Services, and Electric Administration. This dramatically increases data transfer speeds while it also eliminates the monthly ISDN phone line costs associated with the prior copper connectivity.
Fiber cable is also in place to the Delaware Office of Information Services at Silver Lake for our connection to the Internet. Once implemented, the existing monthly T-1 line (very high-speed phone line) costs will be eliminated as well.
With the increasing usage of technology across all City departments, the Information Services Department has conducted a variety of in-house training sessions on such topics as AS/400 usage, e-mail management, personal scheduling software, and Internet usage. The Department has hosted third-party training to increase the City's productivity on HTE software. Since getting time away from the job for instruction is difficult, CBTs (Computer Based Training) have also been offered. These are tutorial CDs and videos on a variety of Microsoft products. These are loaned to employees so they can receive the education in a self-paced manner.
The City added another service for customers in the form of Internet Service. This is being provided at a low price with high-quality service for customers to enjoy Internet dial-up access at home. With neither service prepayment nor long-term commitment required, this is a great service. Add to that the convenience of the low fee being combined on the existing utility bill and our city is offering our customers the best possible value. Since this service is being provided through a third party, the City avoided the high cost of purchasing and maintaining costly communications equipment. We have also reduced existing costs. As part of the agreement, the vendor is also hosting the City's Web site at no additional charge.
The City has begun to maintain its own Web sites in house. This eliminated costs for third-party Web maintenance and increased the usability of our site. We make our own changes more quickly, and we are expanding the amount and type of information we present. Information about City events, job postings, and the community at large are as close as a mouse click.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
Administrative Services, in conjunction with the Public Works Department, successfully implemented a new trash fee billing. This service fee involved identifying and establishing service billing accounts for approximately 10,000 customers.
Much of the first part of the year was spent modifying existing operating procedures to provide more convenient service to our customers. Some customers may now establish services over the telephone. We also implemented billed deposits.
Administrative Services hosted Public Power Week in October by holding Customer Appreciation Days. Customers were encouraged to come to the Department and meet the people who provide their services. Customers who visited were treated to refreshments, promotional gifts, and were eligible to win door prizes.
In March, we conducted an informal survey of walk-in customers in order to determine why the number of walk-in customers had increased by 2,000+ in the last four months. The results showed that of the 530 customers surveyed, 34.5% pay their bills in person because the office is convenient to their places of work, while 21.5% percent pay in person to insure that their payments are received. Generally, 98.5% of customers surveyed were satisfied with the service they received; 84.9% were satisfied with the rates; and 51.1% said they would use a payment envelope if it were included with their bills.
Administrative Services did not accomplish its goal of training other departments. The Department has been training its own new employees as well as training on new services. The goal of training other departments will be accomplished in future years.
This year the administrative staff re-formatted the City's budget. We believe the new format is easier to read and navigate.
Next year, Administrative Services plans to continue to examine alternative methods of providing more convenient services to customers, i.e., services by telephone, services by Internet and promote these services to our customers. We also plan to continue to train other departments on the Customer Information System.
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS/GROUNDS
The Grounds Division created a Special Projects Crew this year to devote more time to performing yard repairs for the Electric and Public Works departments and to work on other special projects as they arise. The Division has been heavily involved in the Loockerman Street renovation project planting new trees, installing new tree grates, and adding new flower planters along the street. The Electric Tree Trimmer Division continued to trim or remove trees interfering with the electric transmission and distribution lines and oversee the woody vegetation control spraying of rights-of-way under selected lines. The Groun