ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

This report is a summary of all administrative and public works activities within the Town during October and early November that were not reported at the Town Council work session.  Some pending items are also included in this report    

Major Items

Ø      Election

• The members of the Board of Supervisors of Elections, Accounts Receivable Clerk Betty Jane Keen, Town Clerk Marie Thomas, and I met with Town Solicitor Dennis Schrader to discuss changes to the Town’s election procedures in order to meet the requirements of the State’s new election law.    

Ø      Financial

• Background work on the FY 09 budget has been completed, and initial meetings have been held with the department managers to review their operating budget requests.
• Internal policies and procedures have been established to administer:  (a) the Town’s contributions to the deductible component of the new health insurance, and (b) the amounts collected for the Emergency Services Enhancement Funding Program, and (c) semi-annual payments to Town Council members.
• The Finance Director attended the State Treasurer’s quarterly Municipal Finance Forum in Dover.  

Ø      Historical Committee

• Councilman Richard Nippes, members of the Historical Committee, Town Clerk Marie Thomas and I visited the Historical Museum in Milton and had an informative meeting about establishing an Ocean View Historical Museum with the Director of the Museum.

Ø      John West Park

• Trees in the park and at the Shores’ house were trimmed.  This work was partially funded with  grant money.  Trees in the Country Estates park will be trimmed at a later date.
• The deeds for the two properties involved in the land swap have been recorded, and copies were sent to DNREC.   

Ø      Public Safety Building

• Councilman Wichmann, Town Administrative Official McMullen, Police Chief McLaughlin, and I met with representatives of Willow Construction and URS to discuss drainage issues for the building and paving for the parking lot. 
• The irrigation system is scheduled for installation at the Public Safety building and the Town Hall on November 12^th.   

Ø      Town Hall

• The emergency generator has been installed and is now operational.   
• The mailbox and payment drop boxes are now operational. 

Ø      Water System

• A survey concerning income eligibility for CDBG funds was mailed to the property owners who will participate in the Town’s water system.   
• A Water Project Progress meeting was held on November 1^st, and the following information was disseminated:  (a) the Town is 291 days into 365-day contract; 79.7% of the contract time is completed; (b) $4,983,855 has been expended; (c) Work on Route 26 continues; and (d) Two road crossings still need to be finished—one on Central Avenue and one on Route 26.     

Miscellaneous

¨      Mayor and Mrs. Meredith; Councilmen Amendt, Wichmann, and Nippes,

       and I attended the September SCAT dinner meeting.

¨      Mayor Meredith and I attended the SCAT Steering Committee meeting.

¨      Mayor Meredith, Councilman Nippes, and I attended the planning meeting

      on the Sussex County Comprehensive Plan.  Issues such as annexation of 

      land in the towns’ growth areas and the need for the County and towns to

       have greater control over development was discussed.     

¨      Councilman Nippes, and I attended the Tidewater Appreciation Dinner.

¨      Town Administrative Official McMullen and I attended training on the

       2010 Census. 

¨      Board of Adjustment Members Bill Olsen and Tom Sylvia and I attended

      a Seminar on Board of Adjustment Issues.

¨      Accounts Receivable Clerk Betty Jane Keen, Town Clerk Marie Thomas,

      and I attended the 19^th Delaware Institute for Local Government

      Leaders.  We learned that the Delaware League of Local Governments 

      has received approval to offer a workers compensation plan to towns,

      effective January 1, 2008.  The Town plans to join this plan if it is

      economically feasible; I will discuss this matter with Mike Mercer.  

¨      I attended the Sussex County Today and Tomorrow Conference.

¨      I attended a Rural Summit Conference in Solomons, Maryland.

¨      Accounts Receivable Clerk Betty Jane Keen and Receptionist Melanie

      Breech received certificates for completion of the 2007 session of the

      Municipal Clerks Training from Delaware’s Institute of Public 

      Administration.      

Administrative Department

¨      Rental tax forms and payments, which are due on November 15^th, are

      now being received and processed by the Town Administrative official and

       members of the Finance Department..   

¨      Town Administrative Official McMullen and I met with a representative of

       the Delaware Solid Waste Authority to discuss recycling services.  We

       subsequently learned that the costs of this service would double if the

       recycling containers were returned to the houses rather than left at the

       curb and have abandoned the idea because it will be cumbersome and

       potentially expensive for the Town to bill for this service.

¨      The Town will go to settlement on the property located at 20 West

       Avenue on November 7^th. 

¨      The Town Manager and Town Clerk prepared material for and attended

       the Regular Town Council Meeting and the Town Council Work 

       Session.  

¨      The Town Administrative Official and Town Clerk prepared material for

       and attended the Board of Adjustment and Planning and Zoning

       Commission meetings.

¨      The Town Administrative Official continues to issue building permits and

      Certificates of Compliance.

¨      The Town Administrative Official continues his frequent meetings with 

       surveyors, engineers, developers, contractors, applicants, and attorneys in

       an effort to discuss and clarify Code requirements as they pertain to

       Board of  Adjustment and Planning and Zoning applications, building and

       sign permit applications, and other matters of importance to the Town.   

¨      The Town Administrative Official made many site visits throughout the

      Town to inspect road and drainage conditions and violations of the Town

      Code.        

¨      The Town Administrative Official sent violation letters to property owners

       who did not comply with Town regulations, property owners who did not

       have rental licenses, and business owners who did not have licenses to

      operate in the Town. 

¨      The Town Administrative Official continues to develop policies,

       procedures, and forms to streamline operations within his department. 

Department of Public Works  

¨    DPW staff members continue to maintain the new plantings around the Town Hall.  Their diligent attention to these plantings has ensured that they survived the intense summer and fall heat and continue to receive grateful compliments from passersby. 

¨    DPW staff members are in the process of installing traffic control signs in 

     Hunters Run. 

¨    DPW staff members are checking the holiday lights to ensure that they are in perfect order for the holiday season.  

¨    DPW staff members continue to resolve verbal and written complaints and requests for service   that have been forwarded from the administrative staff. 

                                                                       Respectfully submitted,

                                                                Conway Gregory  

                                         Town Manager

November 2, 2007