This meeting is being transcribed and summarized.

Kent County Levy Court Business Meeting is called order.

Uh Tuesday, May twelfth, twenty twenty six.

It's seven PM.

Five five five Bay Road, Dover Delaware, Levy Court Chambers, room two oh three.

With that, I'll turn it over to County Administrator Kevin Sippel.

Thank you, Madam President.

This meeting is being held in person at five five five Bay Road, Dover Delaware in our levy court chambers.

We're also making it available via the internet through WebEx.

Participants can join us by phone or by computer during the meeting.

There will be opportunities for public comment for those attending in person or online.

When the president opens a public comment period, those attending in person may step forward to one of the two podiums and be recognized.

If you are joining us by phone and wish to comment, please press star three, which will raise your electronic hand.

If you are online, you will see a handy microphone icon at the bottom of your screen.

Please use those at the appropriate times.

We ask guests to begin public comments by stating your name and address the address for the record.

The county attorney will administer an oath of affirmation for anyone giving testimony during public hearing.

We ask that public comments relate to the subjects announced by the President.

In addition to public comments, or excuse me, in addition to public hearings, there are two public comment periods, one at the beginning of the meeting for agenda items and one near the end of the meeting for general comments.

This meeting is being recorded and will follow the rules of procedures adopted by Levy Court as well as the Mason Rules of Order.

Back to you, Madam President.

Thank you.

I would ask invocation by Commissioner Angel.

Pledge of allegiance be led by Commissioner Hall.

Moment of silence for our troops and first responders.

Commissioner Sweeney.

All rise.

Heavenly Father, please guide us tonight.

We can bring us the wisdoms for the people's business.

Give us the strength and to do what's right for the people.

Present it with based on the facts.

And the safe travels for all who appear tonight and go home.

Amen.

Please remain standing for a moment of silence for military law enforcement firefighters, paramedics, and other first responders who have given their lives in the line of duty.

Please remember these individual.

First responders who died in line of duty, as well as keeping their families in your thoughts and prayers as they do with the loss of their loved ones.

Deputy Sheriff Richard Coyle from the Crittenden County Sheriff's Office in Kentucky.

Border Patrol agent Sean McDonough from the United States Homeland Security.

Police Officer Don Keller from Greenwood Police Department, South Carolina.

Game Warden Pilot, Joshua Tivets from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Fire Chief Russell Schultz from the Walker Fire Department in Missouri and Fire Engineer Neil Shable from the Lake Valley Fire Protection District in California.

Thank you.

Mr.

Knock roll call.

Mr.

Angel.

Present.

Mr.

Hall.

Present.

Mr.

Hertz.

Here.

Mr.

Pepper.

Here.

Mr.

Scott.

Here.

Mr.

Sweeney.

Here.

Mrs.

Maston.

Here.

Madam President, roll call.

Reveal seven present.

Let the record show seven present.

Need a motion to accept the agenda.

So move, Madam President.

Second.

Motion by Vice President Scott.

Second by Commissioner Angel.

Any questions?

Roll call.

Mr.

Angel?

Yes.

Mr.

Hall?

Yes.

Mr.

Hertz.

Yes.

Mr.

Pepper.

Yes.

Mr.

Scott?

Yes.

Mr.

Sweeney?

Yes.

Mrs.

Maston?

Yes.

Madam President, roll call.

Reveal seven yes.

Let the record show seven years for the adoption of the agenda.

At this point, we open up the meeting for public comments on any agenda items not covered by a public hearing.

Is there anyone here who would like to speak about any of the agenda items?

For our guests joining us online.

If you would like to make public comments at this time, please indicate by raising the electronic hand or pressing start.

Three if you join us by phone.

I see no hands raised online, Madam President.

Thank you.

Motion to accept consent agenda to the presentation.

Madam President.

Oh, sir.

I'm sorry I didn't see you.

I apologize.

I'll say.

Thank you for allowing me to speak.

My name is Joe Zingarrow.

I'm the chairperson of the 34th R.

D.

I understand that there has been discussion here about rental fees for rooms in the Levy Court building.

I'd like to offer my thoughts.

One, my taxes help build and maintain the building and continue to do so.

Other buildings built on the shoulders of the public's tax, like the Kent County Library do not charge any fees for the use of their rooms, neither does the State Police Barracks 3.

The Harrington Library lets the 30th RD use a room with no charge.

Letting the 34th RD, which happens to be a Democratic group, does not reflect bias or favoritism on the part of Levy Court.

Republican groups can also use the building if they so choose.

A group of Democrats does not prevent other groups from using the facility.

Past rentals for use of rooms in the Levy Court building have over the past 20 years typically generated 1 to $4,000 for an average of $2,500 a year.

Room rentals are not a moneymaker for Levy Court.

I have seen groups as small as five individuals use room 221.

Having a room rental fee might be more than such groups can afford.

Levy Court can choose to require groups that want to use one of the rooms to place a certain amount of money as a retainer should there be damage to the room or should the janitorial services need to do more cleaning than it usually does for the room.

I understand that the attorney for Levy Court suggested charging everyone who uses a room or charge no one.

I am asking Levy Court to not charge any groups to use available rooms in the Levy Court building.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, sir.

Motion to accept consent agenda 2608?

So move, Madam President.

Second.

Motion by Vice President Scott, second by Commissioner Hall.

Any questions?

Roll call?

Mr.

Angel?

Yes.

Mr.

Hall?

Yes.

Mr.

Hertz.

Mr.

Hertz.

Yes.

Oh, I'm sorry.

That's not.

Yes.

Mr.

Pepper.

Yes.

Mr.

Scott?

Yes.

Mr.

Sweeney?

Yes.

Mrs.

Maston?

Yes.

Madam President roll call reveal seven years.

Let the record show seven years for consent agenda 2608.

We have no public hearings this evening.

Apparently no old business.

Moving on to new business.

Commissioner Pepper.

Yes.

I have one item, introduction of ordinance.

LC 26-09, an ordinance authorizing the issuance of Kent County Delaware Economic Development Revenue Bonds in an amount not to exceed $5 million for the benefit of Providence Creek Academy Charter School Incorporated to refinance prior debt.

This is for public hearing on Tuesday, May 26, 2026 at 7 p.m.

Thank you.

Moving to Vice President Scott.

Thank you, Madam President.

This is going to be in reference to the opioid abatement and redemption strategies grant review.

Joel.

Good evening, Commissioners.

As we discussed last week in the workshop and after a presentation from the uh OIPOID commission here in the State of Delaware, we have brought forth a couple of recommendations for the Kent County balance of 518,579 for available funding through the various means that are provided for the municipality.

The funding allocation tables included in your packet.

There are organizations that are identified based on recommendations from the staff and in conjunction with the Commission.

The Commission is going to then act on your decisions if those are approved to move forward in terms of having the organizations that would like that money to be applied to their opioid efforts here in Kent County.

There would be an additional screening for all of those organizations.

With that and pending any questions, Vice President Scott, sir, you have the motion at the bottom of the abacon.

Joel, just to clarify a couple of things.

This was part of the opioid settlement that has been going on for a number of years now.

And there is a third party that we are utilizing to filter out and make sure that the individuals that are possibly going to be receiving the funding meets the criteria to do so.

Am I correct by saying that?

That is correct.

Yeah, that is one of the various options for all the municipalities in the counties that were uh authorized uh to distribute funds on behalf of uh the OPOID Commission uh based on that settlement and uh the election and the recommendation that we're bringing forward is for the uh managed grant, this third party vendor from the uh OEP Commission.

Thank you, Joel.

Commissioner Sweeney.

Thank you.

Um Joel, do you mind um reading into the record the six or organizations that and how much they were granted?

Yeah, the recommendation that we're bringing forward you all today are the following uh organizations, and again, this is pending uh additional review.

This is just uh uh based on your approval then to go forward to the commission.

Um it would be the Delaware State Police in the amount of fifty thousand dollars, chorus wellness and behavioral health, and the amount of one hundred and thirty-seven thousand dollars.

The City of Dover, Dover Police Department, and the amount of 150,000.

The Delaware Center for Justice for 84,000.

Out loud in Delaware Incorporated for the amount of $30,000, and Phoenix family resources in the amount of $67,600 uh for a grant total of about $518,600.

Thank you, sir.

Any other questions for Joel?

No questions?

Uh back to you, Vice President Scott.

Thank you, Madam President.

I move to approve the allocation of $518,507.90 in local government opioid settlement, better known as ORS of funding as presented by the staff outlined in exhibit A, and to authorize the county administrator to execute all necessary documentation associated with the POS management grant process on behalf of Kent County.

Second in motion.

Motion by Vice President Scott, seconded by Commissioner Angel.

Any questions?

Roll call.

Mr.

Angel?

Yes.

Mr.

Hall, I'm sorry.

Yes.

Mr.

Hertz.

Yes.

Mr.

Pepper.

Yes.

Mr.

Scott?

Yes.

Mr.

Sweeney?

Yes.

Mrs.

Maston?

Yes.

Madam President, roll call reveals seven years.

That the record shows seven years for the opioid abatement and remediation strategies.

On to you, Commissioner Sweeney.

Thanks, ma'am.

Move to approve Mr.

Mark Mountain of 4051B, Rhode Island Drive in Dover to the as the fifth district appointee to the community development advisory committee.

We have a second.

Second.

Motion by Commissioner Sweeney, second by Commissioner Angel.

Questions?

Roll call.

Mr.

Angel?

Yes.

Mr.

Hall?

Yes.

Mr.

Hertz?

No.

Mr.

Pepper.

Yes.

Mr.

Scott.

Yes.

Mr.

Sweeney?

Yes.

Mrs.

Maston?

Yes.

Madam President, roll call reveal six genes, one day.

Commissioner Sweeney.

Thank you, ma'am.

Move to approve Mr.

Stephen Hill of 314 Theater Lane in News Creek to the as the fifth district appointee to the community board of appeals.

Motion by Commissioner Sweeney.

Do we have a second?

Second.

Second by Commissioner Angel.

Any questions?

Roll call?

Mr.

Angel?

Yes.

Mr.

Hall?

Yes.

Mr.

Hertz.

No.

Mr.

Pepper.

Yes.

Mr.

Scott?

Yes.

Mr.

Sweeney?

Yes.

Mrs.

Maston?

Yes.

Madam President, roll call reveal six genes, one name.

I don't believe we have an executive session tonight.

Do any of the commissioners have any information items?

Commissioner Pepper.

Yes, ma'am.

You have any information items for us?

Sonning 82.

That's all.

Commissioner Hertz?

Yeah, I'm good tonight.

Thank you.

Any public comment about anything that we've covered this evening?

For our guests joining us online.

If you would like to make any public comments about anything covered this evening, please indicate by raising electronic hand or pressing star three if you are joining us by phone.

I see no hands raised online at this time, Madam President.

Thank you.

Any Commissioner comments?

Commissioner Pepper, any commissioner comments?

No, ma'am.

Thank you.

You could tell us how Hawaii is.

Any commissioner comments?

No, I'm good tonight.

Thank you.

Seeing we have nothing else, meeting is adjourned.

Thank you.

Thank you both.

That's on the line.

Enjoy.

Thank you.