Millsboro Town Council Regular Meeting – June 1, 2026
Millsboro Town Council Regular Meeting – June 1, 2026
The Millsboro Town Council met on Monday, June 1, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. (later voted to move future meetings to 6:00 p.m.). The meeting covered public comments on stormwater issues, downtown development, and road conditions; police department updates including a new victim advocate and a request for additional sergeants; budget approval; a contested decision on which town-owned properties to include in a request for proposals (RFP); and numerous routine approvals.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes: Approved the minutes of the May 4, 2026 meeting.
- Treasurer’s Report: Approved payment of bills as presented.
- Stage Rental – Cupola Park: Approved a stage rental request from Holy Trinity Church for “Appraise in the Park” on September 5, 2026 (9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.).
- Dam Mill Run: Approved the 43rd Dam Mill Run on Sunday, July 12, 2026, at 7:30 a.m.
- Board of Elections: Approved the addition of Suzanne Warrell to the Board of Election.
- Annexation Committee: Created an annexation committee for property at 29494 Millsboro Highway (tax parcel 133-16.00-138.04). Committee members appointed: Councilmen Presley, McKay, and Mason.
- Deed of Bill of Sale: Accepted the deed of bill of sale for well sites and water treatment facility in Plantation Lakes (parcels 133-16.00-73.1, 73.12, and 73.00).
- Cadence Academy Final Site Plan: Approved the final site plan for a preschool after confirmation that all state and town conditions were met.
- Holiday Market: Approved the annual holiday market on November 14, 2026 (9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.) with a $25 vendor fee.
- FY27 Budget: Approved the fiscal year 2027 budget (two motions: budget approval and fund appropriation).
- Lodging Tax: Passed an ordinance amending Chapter 183 to establish a 3% local lodging tax on hotel, motel, and tourist home rentals, with proceeds dedicated to transportation-related purposes.
- Stop Sign Request: Approved a resolution requesting DelDOT to install an all-way stop at Sheep Pen Road and Claremont Court.
- Downtown Development District Incentives & Application: Approved incentive measures (building permit fee waiver, property tax abatement, expedited permitting) and a resolution to apply for the state’s Downtown Development District designation.
- Meeting Time Change: Voted to move future regular council meetings from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on the first Monday of each month.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Mark and Lori Kalpis (residents of Plantation Lakes): Described long-standing stormwater management failures (erosion, sinkholes, drainage issues) since 2014. They requested a comprehensive inspection by the township and relevant agencies to evaluate safety and environmental impacts, determine if facilities function as designed, ensure responsible parties address deficiencies, and keep residents informed. They referenced an email sent May 19, 2026.
- Tim and Ida Walsh (owners of 360 Main Street, adjacent to Cupola Park): Expressed support for the town’s revitalization efforts and the proposed RFP for town-owned properties. They noted their 1.8-acre riverfront parcel and expressed interest in public-private partnerships to bring economic vitality to downtown Millsboro.
- Diane Surrey (resident of Villages of Millwood): Reported that developer Leonard Iacono has filled potholes after coordination with the mayor and council. She stressed that paving is still needed and urged completion this summer, noting past broken promises.
- Unscheduled Speaker (allowed by mayor): Raised concerns about social media rumors that Cupola Park might be developed. She urged the council not to eliminate the park, calling it a community treasure, and requested a public hearing if development is seriously considered. The mayor responded that the RFP process is only to gather ideas and no decisions have been made.
Discussion Items
- Police Department Report (Chief Moyer):
- New Victim Advocate: Introduced Kaitlin Taylor, a political science/public policy graduate with paralegal certification.
- Crime Statistics: Part one crimes (most serious) down 26% year-to-date compared to the same period in 2025. Part three crimes (quality-of-life enforcement) increased due to proactive policing.
- Crash Data: Two collisions at Laurel Road and Delaware Avenue within three hours, both caused by failure to yield. Council discussed the need for a stop sign at that intersection.
- School Resource Officer (SRO) Report: The SRO made 375 contacts with students (497 minutes), 4 with parents (31 minutes), 30 with staff (137 minutes), and 3 conflict resolutions (65 minutes). Only 6 crime reports were filed.
- Significant Incidents: A violent incident at a halfway house (8-9 beds) led to an arrest; an ongoing rape investigation at Millsboro Village; a sexual assault at Cupola Park (reported late, from December 2025); and an overdose death at Old Landing Apartments.
- Council Questions: Councilman Presley noted a nearly 400% increase in aggravated assaults (part one) from 5 to 19 this year and asked for location and cause analysis. Chief Moyer agreed to investigate.
- Request for Two Additional Patrol Sergeants (Chief Moyer): Proposed a phased approach to increase patrol sergeants from two to four. The first sergeant would be promoted in July 2026 (start of FY27) and the second in January 2027. The cost increase is approximately $15,000 total for FY27 (salary plus benefits). The motion passed unanimously.
- Starge & Strike Event Overview (Chief Moyer): Presented operational plans for the July 12 parade and fireworks. DelDOT will provide 20 personnel for traffic control. Road closures from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Shuttle buses will run. No vote required; information only.
- Senate Bill 23 Update (Town Manager Burke): Reported that municipalities, including Millsboro, submitted letters objecting to the bill, which would override local zoning for workforce/affordable housing. The bill advanced out of committee despite opposition. Burke noted the coalition is preparing for further action.
- RFP for Town-Owned Properties (Mayor McKee): Proposed issuing an RFP for potential sale, lease, or development of several town-owned parcels: the old police station, chamber of commerce building, former Art League building, and railroad depot. Cupola Park was also suggested for inclusion. After debate, Councilman McKay moved to include only the first three properties and exclude Cupola Park. The motion passed on a roll call vote: Councilmembers Mac, DeCilla, Khan, and O’Neill in favor; Mayor McKee and Councilmen Presley and Mason opposed (4-3). Councilman Presley later expressed interest in bringing back the Cupola Park discussion at a future meeting.
- Downtown Development District (DDD) Incentives & Application: Town Manager Burke presented proposed local incentives (building permit fee waiver, property tax abatement, expedited permitting) to accompany the DDD application. The council approved the incentives and a resolution to apply for the DDD designation. The application deadline is within a few weeks.
- Meeting Time Change: After discussion, the council voted to move the regular monthly meeting from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., keeping the first Monday of the month. The intent is to allow more public attendance and reduce after-hours staff costs.
Key Outcomes
- Police Sergeant Addition Approved: Two new patrol sergeant positions authorized in a phased approach (July 2026 and January 2027).
- FY27 Budget Adopted: The fiscal year 2027 budget was approved unanimously.
- RFP Approved (Without Cupola Park): The motion to issue an RFP for the old police station, chamber office, former Art League building, and railroad depot passed 4-3; Cupola Park was excluded.
- Downtown Development District Application Authorized: Resolution passed to apply for state DDD designation with local incentives.
- Stop Sign Request Submitted: Resolution asking DelDOT to install an all-way stop at Sheep Pen Road and Claremont Court.
- Lodging Tax Ordinance Adopted: 3% local lodging tax approved, effective for hotel, motel, and tourist home rentals.
- Meeting Time Changed to 6:00 p.m.: Beginning with the next regular meeting, council will convene at 6:00 p.m. on the first Monday of the month.
Meeting Transcript
Like to call the meeting to order, please. Today is Monday, June 1st. This is a meeting of the Millsborough Town Council. Please stay in and drum me in the Pledge of Believers. Miss Connor? Here. Miss Rider Fox? Here. Bob McKay. Present. Mr. Burke. Present. Miss Sunder. Present. Mr. O'Neal? Present. Mr. Mason. Present. Mr. Presley. President. So moved. All the favorite? All right. Motion fest. Public comments. First one up is Mark and Lori Kalpis. Hi, good evening. Um, yeah, my name is Mark Kapas, and with me is Lori Kopas. And uh tonight we wanted to take our three minutes to discuss uh a lot of the uh uh land and erosion problems that exist in plantation lakes. And it's been going on since uh 2014. So I I figured I might kind of bring you up the date, but it it's um it's a long-standing stormwater management issues that have been affecting our community, inclusion including erosion sinkholes, drainage failures, and uncontrolled runoff. The problems are not new, as I said, it's been since 2014, and uh residents have been reporting them for years, but you know, between the HOA and everything else, they just say they're going to get to it maybe you know next year. And that includes the HOA is as well as Lenar. But what began is isolated concerns has become a uh community-wide uh issue, impacting community areas, retention basins, and neighborhood properties in several locations. Significant erosion has wash away soil and vegetation. Retention basin areas have developed sinkholes and depressions that raise concerns about structural stability and public safety. During storm events, runoff flows through the areas where drainage systems appear unable to properly manage the volume of water being discharged. These conditions are not merely cosmetic landscape concerns. They involve critical stormwater infrastructure that was designed to protect homes, common areas, waterways, walkways, downstream properties from flooding and erosion. Residents have reportedly uh uh have uh re reported that these deficiencies uh to the appropriate parties uh have sought inspections, corrective actions, and transparency regarding the condition of stormwater facilities. However, many of the concerns remain unresolved. We respectfully request that the township and relevant agencies conduct a comprehensive inspection of the stormwater management system serving the community, and that was already outlined. Uh uh much of this was outlined, or some of this was outlined in an email to the township made by Lori uh on June 1st, if you want to go back and reference or excuse me, May 19th. And yeah, now here we are, June 1st, and we we haven't heard from anybody, so yeah. But in any event, if you can help us out to evaluate the erosion and sinkhole problems for public potential safety and environmental impacts, determine whether the the facilities are functioning as originally and designed and approved, ensure the responsible parties address deficiencies and implement necessary repairs, keep residents informed regarding finding directive action. And greatly appreciate it.
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