Organizations seeking financial grants from the county now have to begin by convincing their Council representative that their project is a good idea.

A new procedure, which went into effect with the turn of the fiscal year, provides each Council member with $15,000 to be distributed during the coming 12 months. Council's finance committee -- which, like all other committees, consists of all 13 members -- still has to approve the grants by majority vote, but that is expected to be little more than a formality after the sponsoring member and Council's financial advisor decide, respectively, that the cause is worthy and that the paperwork and documentation are in order.

Grants remain available only to nonprofit and civic organizations. Groundrules still limit the maximum grant to $2,500 and an organization to receiving only one grant a year. It is required that the money be intended for a specific purpose and not be used for normal operating expenses. Requesting organizations must provide information about their finances and relative policies. Two or more Council members may split the total among their allocation, but the cap still applies. The new arrangement is expected to provide a more diverse distribution of the grants.

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BELLS, NOT BOOMS: Where Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky programmed canon shots into his 1812 Festival Overture, attenders of this year's Ice Cream Festival will hear bells. Although, as Delaforum previously reported, the canon were silenced as an economy measure, event planners have found what they consider a appropriate substitute -- 'Bells of Remembrance'. The nine bells commemorate the World Trade Center attack. County Executive Christopher Coons has requested area church to also ring their bells during the Delaware Symphony's performance at the conclusion of the two-day event at 6 p.m. on July 10. (CLICK HERE to read previous Delaforum article.)

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NO WHITE ELEPHANT: The civic building in Brandywine Town Center is used on between 20 and 25 days a month and, despite persistent rumors, there is no intention of turning the structure over to the center's current owner, according to county spokeswoman Allison Levine. In response to an inquiry from

Delaforum, she said it was scheduled for use on 21 days in May, 20 in April and 22 in March. "It is booked quite heavily for the next several months and some bookings go into next year," she said. Recent users include athletic, health, school and community organizations.

It was built and turned over to county government as a community amenity as part of the agreement with Rollins interests when the property was rezoned to permit construction of Town Center. Following John Rollins's death and the breakup of his businesses, the center was sold. The civic building can be used without charge by nonprofit organizations. It is not staffed, but is maintained regularly. Users are required to pick up and return the keys at the Government Center at New Castle Corporate Commons. Bookings are handled through the Community Governing office

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Former county auditor Robert Hicks sued County Council president Paul Clark and the six other members who voted to fire him.

He alleged in a complaint filed in federal court on Jun. 29 that his "career was abruptly and illegally ended because he exposed illegality and corruption in high places." The 'high places', the 35-page

Sheldon and William Bell as influenced by them. All are Democrats while Hicks is a Republican who supported Clark's opponents, Ernie Lopez in the general election and Penrose Hollins in the Democratic primary. Council's subsequent hiring of Robert Wasserbach, who is white, as auditor is alleged to have had racial overtones. Hicks, who is black, seeks reinstatement in his former job with back pay as well as compensatory and punitive damages. (CLICK HERE to read previous Delaforum article.)

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All 13 members of County Council not only voted to enact a residential rental code for properties in unincorporated areas, but signed on as cosponsors of the ordinance.

"What a difference a year makes," declared a jubilant County Executive Christopher Coons who tried unsuccessfully when he was president of Council to have a virtually identical measure enacted. The three present members who helped defeat it the first time around voted affirmatively. Karen Venezky did so while calling it "a good first step." Primary sponsor Robert Weiner said New Castle County no longer is the largest jurisdiction in the middle Atlantic region without such a code. Michael Morton, lawyer for the Delaware Apartment Association, called the code an "important, meaningful, well-thought-out" law.

Dissent during a 15 minute non-debate on Jun. 28 had to do with the measure not going far enough. Venezky and David Tackett said it stops short of dealing with the problem of too many people living in a rental unit. Patty Powell said it makes no provision to assist low-income people displaced when a housing unit fails inspection. Jea Street said enforcement provisions require more inspectors and financing, but said he voted affirmatively because such "a code is better than no code." As "a living document that can be changed over time" the code can be improved as experience dictates, Weiner said. (CLICK HERE to read previous Delaforum article.)

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EXEMPTIONS SOUGHT: Properties in Arden, Ardentown and Ardencroft would be exempted from provisions of the Unified Development Code which prohibit more than one single-family house on a lot under provisions of a proposed ordinance introduced into County Council on Jun. 28. The measure, sponsored by Councilman John Cartier, also would not require that replacing or rebuilding more than half of a structure previously certified as legally not conforming to the code be done in a way that the resulting building meets current standards.

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IT WORKS: Principal Julianne Pecorella told the Brandywine school board that year-around schooling at Maple Lane Elementary found favor with parents, teachers and students during its first year. Although she said it will take three to four years to gather sufficient data to measure academic benefits, early indications are that a 'balanced calendar' is "a better approach to education." The calendar calls for restarting a month early while making up the 'lost' vacation time with optional 'intersessions'. During the past year, 83% of the school's 300 students attended those enrichment or remedial classes.

Pecorella told the board on Jun. 27 that tests showed that most of the students returned to school last August at the same reading levels they exhibited when they left in June. Preventing children from falling behind during the summer is one of the main reasons for adopting a year-around scheduled. She said 12 students have opted to transfer out of Maple Lane under the public school choice law for the 2005-06 academic year, but 11 will transfer in. She said no teachers asked to be assigned to another school. Maple Lane is a kindergarten-through-fourth grade school.

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The Brandywine school board approved a property tax rate for the coming fiscal year that is 12.2% higher than this year's, but deferred taking action on a preliminary fiscal 2006 budget.

Financial officer David Blowman told the board on Jun. 27 that the increase to $1.4365 for each $100 of assessed value from $1.2805 will yield an additional $5 million in revenue. Most of that will go to pay for security measures, improved maintenance, higher energy costs and improvements to athletic facilities. The temporary 12¢ tax rate increase was approved at the May referendum. Another 1.6¢ is for added debt-service cost and 2¢ is to meet increased tuition bills for Brandywine students attending special schools in other districts, principally Christina. School taxes are due on or before Sept. 30.

Postponing consideration of the budget will give the district's finance committee an opportunity to review it after the close of the present fiscal year on June 30, Blowman said. Although the actual proposal may be modified somewhat, a preliminary draft presented to the board indicates that the spending plan will be in the neighborhood of $114.9 million. That would be an 11.4% increase over the present budget. Most of that growth would be in salaries and other employment costs, by far the largest spending category. Allocations for facilities and support services also would rise. (CLICK HERE to read previous Delaforum article.)

Responding to a suggestion by board member Craig Gilbert, superintendent Bruce Harter said an advisory committee will be reconvened this autumn to consider a new round of cost-containment measures.

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TOPPED OUT:

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The Recycling Public Advisory Council, as expected, endorsed proposed legislation authorizing counties and municipalities to set up non-mandatory recycling programs.

"It's not what anyone of us would sit down and write ourselves. But it's the best compromise for the state of Delaware," said council chairman Paul Wilkinson before six of the nine members on the panel voted on Jun. 22 in favor of supporting the latest version of a bill drafted in the governor's office which will be introduced into the General Assembly by Senator David McBride. There is no chance that it can be enacted before the Assembly's first session is adjourned on Jun. 30. Steve Masterson, of Waste Management, a trash-hauling firm, abstained from the council's vote.

Compromise continued until the last minute. A provision in the bill authorizing creation of recycling districts for which a single hauler would be franchised was dropped and an absolute prohibition against the Delaware Solid Waste Authority's charging a fee to accept recyclable material was softened. Nothing was changed in the way of providing more liberal state financial aid to assist municipalities meet start-up costs, however. Pasquale Canzano, of the waste authority, voted in favor of the endorsement. George Wright, of the League of Local Governments, did not attend the meeting. (CLICK HERE to read previous Delaforum article.)

If the legislation is enacted, a ban on the waste authority accepting lawn waste would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2007.

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NOT VERY OPEN ABOUT IT: The state Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control displays a sign in front of its office on Lukens Drive near New Castle advising folks who come to attend public meetings there to park in the rear of the building and use the back door. A sign on that door identifies it as the correct entrance to access the public meeting room. Problem is the door is kept locked. The only way to get it opened is to attract the attention of someone inside the building by rapping loudly on the glass panel in the door.

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WHERE TO PUT IT?: No one is saying it's too much of a good thing, but the county police force has had "to rent a few trailers" to store all the anti-terror equipment that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is sending its way. That is after as much as possible has been put into the trunks of patrol cars. William Dill, police finance officer, told a recent County Council public safety committee meeting that there is not enough storage space in the headquarters at Minquadale to handle all the stuff. When the new public safety building is finished that should be remedied, he said.

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NO DAWDLING: Who said politicians can't move quickly when the issue calls for it? It took literally less than a minute for Council's executive committee on Jun. 20 to receive a motion, second it, and voice vote approval. The question before the 11 members who attended the meeting was  whether to take off for the month of August. It's not that the members can't take the heat. Council traditionally calls a dog-days recess, but gave up half of its vacation in 2004 to be on hand should action of some sort be required in light of the then-recent indictment of the county executive and chief administrative officer.

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An issue beyond its jurisdiction -- but not outside its members' range of interest -- turned out to be the most divisive that Council Council has dealt with since its expansion last year.

After heated debate, 12 members split three ways, to defeat a resolution sponsored by Councilwoman Patty Powell that would have called upon the General Assembly to enact a controversial measure to prohibit residential development anywhere that the ground held more six parts per million of arsenic. Powell, Penrose Hollins, Jea Street and David Tackett voted in favor; Council president Paul Clark, George Smiley, William Tansey and Karen Venezky voted 'no'. The issue actually was decided by John Cartier, Joseph Reda, Timothy Sheldon and Robert Weiner who abstained. William Bell was absent.

Powell said that "as elected officials, it is our job to do our utmost to protect our residents." She said that Senator David Sokola's pending bill would do just that. Clark argued at the Jun. 14 session that it would be ill-advised for either Council or the Assembly to arbitrarily impose a restrictive standard before the state Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control completes a study to come up with a scientifically-supported standard. Sheldon urged Council to back off because taking a stand might alienate legislators and sway their votes on legislation directly affecting county government.

Martha Dennison, of the Civic League for New Castle County, testified in support of Powell's resolution while Jeffrey Bross, of the pro-development Committee of 100, opposed it.

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Cameras at Concord Pike and Naamans Road have caught what transportation secretary Nathan Hayward called "an unbelievable number" of drivers running red lights.

As of the last count, just under $53,000 in fines have been collected from more than 600 violators there. But, according to Delaware Department of Transportation spokesman Michael Williams, that is just something over half the number who were caught in the act. Another 700 vehicle owners signed affidavits claiming that someone else was driving. Even if you believe them, he said, the law provides that the registered owner is responsible for paying the $75 fine no matter who was actually driving. If the owners don't cough up the money, they will be flagged when they next go to renew their registration.

So far, the busy north Brandywine Hundred intersection is the leading all camera locations in the state, Hayward said. The sophisticated equipment is beginning to pay for itself even though it is intended to improve safety at places with high accident counts rather than as revenue generators, he said. DelDOT will press for authorization to expand the program. Two cameras at Concord and Naamans went into operation on Jan. 21. They monitor traffic turning left onto the pike from westbound Naamans and going north on Concord through the intersection.

Statewide, 22,477 citations were issued through Jun. 8 for violations recorded at the 20 intersections which are being monitored.

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NOT ANOTHER ONE: Residents of the Paladin Club are nonplused about yet another postponement by the Board of Adjustment of a hearing on the appeal by Edgewood Village l.l.c. of a Department of Land Use order to rebuild an historic wall it had partly destroyed. "The whole process is beginning to take on an awful smell ... [a] smell like the politics of old," said Jim Jones, president of Friends of Paladin, a civic group which is pressing to have the wall restored. That seems more so, he added, because the new hearing date, Jul. 7, is during the week of the Independence Day holiday "when many people are away."

The latest postponement, the third, was "due to a scheduling conflict," according to Vince Kowall, assistant land use administrator. In response to a Delaforum inquiry concerning apparently conflicting schedule information advertised in Brandywine Community News, he said the weekly newspaper's deadline had passed before "we learned of the continuance." The News Journal ad listed the continuance as a separate item, but he blamed an "oversight" for the case also being listed in the agenda for the Jun. 23 hearing included in the same advertisement. (CLICK HERE to read previous Delaforum article.)

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