Milford City Council Meeting – March 9, 2026

The Milford City Council met on March 9, 2026. All council members were present except Councilman Perez. The meeting included a 15-minute public comment period, a public hearing on a conditional use application, monthly staff and finance reports, several contract authorizations, introduction of two ordinances, and an executive session.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Craig Gold (427 South Washington Street) said he has lived in Milford for more than 10 years. He raised concerns about being prevented from using the police department’s chain of command and said a restraining order had been issued against him after persistent phone calls. He asked whether chain-of-command access is discretionary and requested help from legislators or the police chief.
• Sarah Bloom (24106 Jericho Road, Lincoln, DE) urged the council to move the North Rehoboth Boulevard/Purdue corridor from study to construction. She cited a Kent MPO study documenting 242 crashes in six years and 44 crashes at the North Walnut Street/Rehoboth Boulevard intersection, and noted that a woman was recently killed walking near Purdue. She called for formal council prioritization, improved lighting, a TAP application by April 17, and interim pedestrian safety improvements; she also noted the MPO had submitted the corridor for the Capital Transportation Program and bike/ped program, while the city’s Safe Streets for All application was not awarded. She said the corridor serves 1,400 Purdue employees and that waiting until 2037 is not Vision Zero.

Public Hearing – Conditional Use Application CU-231-2025

• City Solicitor outlined the public hearing rules for the zoning application. Planning Director Rob Pierce reviewed the application for Stone & Sage Holistic Healing Center at 206 North Walnut Street, zoned R2 Residential. Code enforcement issued a notice of violation in September 2025 for an unlawful business. The Board of Adjustment had approved four variances related to major home-occupation limits (employees, clients, instructional students, and sales of branded apparel) and five sign variances, while denying one sign variance related to freestanding sign height. Planning staff noted the applicant still must obtain a certificate of occupancy, building permits, and coordination with the state fire marshal and DHSS for plumbing code compliance.
• Applicant Amy Perfetti testified that the single-family home was previously a doctor’s office, that she and her daughter live there, and that she relocated her existing wellness business from 37 North Walnut Street into a dedicated addition. She said the use is a continuation of a low-impact professional use and has created no neighbor issues.
• In response to a council question about parking, planning staff said a residential driveway is sufficient for a home occupation and nearby public parking is available. Perfetti said additional paving is planned to reduce vehicle stacking.
• Julie Morris, speaking online, said she was in favor of approval but asked whether the previous Walnut Street location would remain open and receive deliveries. Perfetti confirmed that 37 North Walnut Street remains open and receives all deliveries.
• The council approved the conditional use by a 7-0 roll-call vote, with Councilman Perez absent.

Staff Reports and Department Updates

• The mayor proposed shifting department-head presentations from monthly to quarterly, with written reports still included in the packet. Several council members emphasized the value of monthly presentations for transparency and discussion; the city manager suggested written monthly reports plus quarterly verbal reports. No decision was made.
• Police Chief’s report: reminded council of the quarterly Police Accountability Council meeting on April 9; described a department-wide mindfulness meditation session focused on sleep; and reported CRASE active-attacker training for city personnel. It was noted that the department hopes to make crime data available online and reported a 35% reduction in Part I crimes from 2024 to 2025, with double-digit reductions two years in a row.
• City Clerk’s report: preparation for the 2026 election is underway; absentee ballots are available; special event applications received include the Milford Little League Parade (April 17), Bud and Boat Festival (April 25), and Delaware Hospice car show (August 6).
• City Manager’s report: thanked police for CRASE training; noted February storm response efforts; Del Tech tour; wellness village tour; Airport Road corridor study; and high school presentations.
• Public Works: February was busy with snow events, frozen meters, and water breaks. Storm debris collection is ongoing; residents can request pickup through customer service or the My Milford app.
• Electric: storm cleanup continues. A planned outage will affect Elk’s Lodge Road and Orchard Hill Estates, with an extended outage from approximately 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and possible brief 30-minute outages near Washington/South Walnut, coordinated with Delmarva Power.
• Planning & Zoning: 64 new residential dwelling permits were issued in the first two months (48 apartment units, 6 townhouses, 10 single-family homes). The state approved the city’s five-year downtown development district extension through August 10, 2031.
• Parks and Recreation: the director was absent due to a personal matter; no update was given.
• Human Resources: onboarding for vacant positions is underway; two full-time hires in public works and electric came from Del Tech’s Georgetown campus; the Tyler Munis conversion is still pending go-live.
• Economic Development/Community Engagement: the director was absent; no new businesses had been finalized.
• IT: the AI-based surveillance system for city facilities is nearing completion, grant-funded at a cost of less than $1,000 with more than 60 cameras; Microsoft Copilot is being tested.
• Finance: the audit for fiscal year 2024 is being finalized, and a draft report will be distributed to council soon.

The council accepted the police, city clerk, city manager and direct reports, and finance reports by unanimous motions.

Monthly Finance Report

• Finance Director Lou reported January cash was essentially flat from December. The city spent $1.1 million on the corporate center, split evenly between water and sewer impact fees, plus $200,000 in budgeted capital projects. Impact fee collections, restricted cash, and special-purpose funds exceeded $700,000. Operating cash increased by about $500,000, and investment earnings added about $100,000. Utilities and the general fund are tracking ahead of the seasonalized budget and ahead of the prior year.

Communications, Correspondence, and Public Comment Policy

• Council discussed whether to respond to public comments. The city solicitor advised that public comment is not a question-and-answer session; a council member suggested creating an email inbox to direct unanswered questions to staff. No formal policy was adopted.
• A council member publicly thanked the police department for its response to a domestic violence incident involving children, naming Officers Brittany Ham and Smith.
• Council raised the lack of a crosswalk on Route 113 between Hardy’s and McDonald’s, noting frequent pedestrian crossings, past fatalities, and that it is a state highway; the city was asked to prioritize the issue.

Carlisle Fire Company Update

• Fire February totals: 98 responses, with 63 in city limits and 35 outside; 55 in Sussex County and 43 in Kent County. Automatic fire alarms were the most common incident type (25). Fire police were called out three times during the snowstorm.
• EMS February totals: 418 calls, with 293 in city limits and 125 outside; 297 BLS transports, including 94 interfacility transports. The busiest day was Thursday, and the busiest hour was 4-5 p.m. with 35 incidents.
• The substation and the third traffic control vehicle are expected on or before March 31; an EMS supervisor has been selected for hiring on or before April 30.
• The fire chief corrected a citizen’s earlier praise, noting that the February 28 stroke response was handled by Ellendale Fire Company, highlighting the importance of 24/7 EMS coverage.

Contract Authorizations

• Milford Corporate Center Phase I, George & Lynch change order #4: approved a no-cost four-month contract extension to July 10, 2026, due to gas and telecommunication utility conflicts and winter weather.
• Mosquito control: approved the DNREC municipal endorsement form and FAA waiver for the 2026 mosquito spraying program.
• FY25 paving rehabilitation: authorized a purchase order totaling $748,259. Diamond Materials LLC was the low bidder at $650,666, KCI Technologies will provide project management/quality control, and a 5% contingency was included. The work covers seven roads rated poor in the 2023 pavement assessment, including ADA ramps, curbs, sidewalks, storm drain structures, and mill and overlay.

Ordinance Introductions (First Reading)

• Ordinance 2026-02, lands of CCGTL Properties LLC: preliminary conditional use for a second building at 282 North Rehoboth Boulevard (C3 Highway Commercial), increasing from three to four tenants. Planning commission review is scheduled March 17, with council public hearing March 23.
• Ordinance 2026-03, lands of May Stanley: conditional use for a short-term rental at 7 Causey Avenue (C2 Central Business District). Same review schedule: March 17 planning commission and March 23 council public hearing.

Executive Session and Action

• Council entered executive session and, after reconvening, voted to increase the police chief’s salary to $183,000, citing merit increases, cost-of-living adjustments, and the deferred 2025 evaluation. The council then voted to adjourn.

Key Outcomes

• Agenda approved.
• Conditional use CU-231-2025 approved 7-0 (Councilman Perez absent).
• Police, city clerk, city manager/direct reports, and finance reports accepted.
• No-cost change order #4 with George & Lynch authorized.
• DNREC mosquito control agreement authorized.
• FY25 paving purchase order totaling $748,259 authorized.
• Ordinances 2026-02 and 2026-03 introduced.
• Police chief’s salary increased to $183,000.
• Meeting adjourned.