OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

New Castle County Boards & Commission Subcommittee Meeting - March 17, 2026

Meeting Portal — Tuesday, March 17, 2026
BodyNew Castle County, Delaware
SessionMeeting Portal
DateTuesday, March 17, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 27:35

Transcript — Verbatim
0:05

Okay, thank you.

0:06

All right.

0:07

Welcome to the March 17th Boards and Commission subcommittee meeting.

0:12

The minutes will be taken by my assistant Ken Hempel.

0:16

And calling the meeting to order during roll call, who's here in Council Chambers, myself, Dee Durham, Chair of the Committee, Kevin Kaneko, George Smiley, Janet Kilpatrick, Brandon Toole, David Carter, Valerie George, and online we have John Cartier and Dave Tackett.

0:36

That's all I can see right now.

0:38

If there's anyone else online, please.

0:42

Is that yeah, that's just Dave's name there.

0:45

Um approval of the minutes from February 17th.

0:53

Motional approval is posted.

0:54

Second.

0:54

Second.

0:55

All in favor?

0:56

Aye.

0:57

Any opposed?

0:59

Okay.

1:00

Minutes are approved.

1:01

Moving on to uh boards and commissions for new appointments.

1:06

Um the first up is actually just the um recognition of the appointment of Robert Snowden as chair to the Newcastle County Planning Board.

1:16

So he's he's already on the planning board, but um from the county executive's office.

1:21

Uh this is uh resolution just to recognize his appointment as chair from acting.

1:27

He's the current acting chair.

1:30

Are there any questions or comments about that?

1:35

I was trying to see the name on the bottom next attack it.

1:38

I think it's just it's Dave's name.

1:40

I think it's just his name on the left of the book.

1:45

Yeah.

1:45

Because his name, his picture is vertical for some reason.

1:48

Uh okay.

1:49

Anyway, comments, questions about um Robert Snowden as chair of the planning board.

1:58

Okay.

1:59

Moving on to the next one.

2:01

We have uh the appointment of Maria Ushery to the Newcastle County Police Accountability Board in Mr.

2:09

Smiley's district.

2:11

You're welcome to come up too.

2:12

And Mr.

2:13

Smiley, you have any.

2:19

Any comments?

2:21

Councilman?

2:22

I I'm assuming that's you.

2:25

Yes.

2:25

Okay.

2:26

I did stop by your home the other day.

2:28

You weren't home.

2:28

I left my card in the door.

2:30

Oh, I'm sorry.

2:30

But they are collector items.

2:32

Count yourself lucky to I'd like to thank you very much.

2:36

Appreciate you stepping up and uh I apologize for the fact that they're being compensated for this, right?

2:44

I know most people don't want to be.

2:45

But thank you very much.

2:48

And let the minutes reflect.

2:49

Uh Council President Monique Williams Johns is now present.

2:53

So we'll turn the mic over to you to say a few words about uh your interest in serving on this board.

2:58

My name is Maria Arshri, and I am a citizen of Newcastle County.

3:01

I'm interested to serve on the board so we can bridge the gap between the public safety in the community and the citizens that we serve.

3:09

Mr.

3:09

Kineco.

3:11

Uh thank you, Ms.

3:12

Ushery.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Personnel Matters█████████████████████████████████████████████54%
Public Safety███████████████████████27%
Procedural███████████13%
Racial Equity█████6%
Summary of Proceedings

New Castle County Boards & Commission Subcommittee Meeting - March 17, 2026

The New Castle County Boards and Commission Subcommittee meeting was held on March 17, 2026, at 3:05 PM (based on adjournment notation). The meeting was chaired by Dee Durham and included discussions and nominations for various boards and commissions, particularly the Police Accountability Board. All appointments discussed require a full council vote the following week.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of February 17, 2026, minutes: Approved unanimously by voice vote.

New Appointments

  • Robert Snowden – Chair, New Castle County Planning Board: Recognized as appointed by the County Executive; no questions or objections.
  • Maria Ushery – Police Accountability Board (District: Mr. Smiley): Expressed interest in bridging the gap between public safety and the community. Has a background in nonprofits, HR, and ministry in New Castle County.
  • Jessica Jordan – Diversity Commission (District: Mr. Sheldon): Lifelong Delawarean with experience in inclusion and equity work. Council noted the commission has been dormant and hopes to see renewed action.
  • Margie Lopez Waite – Police Accountability Board (District: Mr. Tackett): 50-year Delaware resident, founder of a dual-language charter school. Emphasized positive relationships with law enforcement and criminal justice reform through education.
  • Dr. Christopher Curry – Police Accountability Board (District: Mr. Tackett): Pastor, former Dean of Students at Delaware State University, son of a police officer. Stressed mutual accountability between community and police.
  • Leslie Palladino – Police Accountability Board (District: Mr. Cartier): Works in nonprofit overdose prevention, in long-term recovery from substance use, and credits the criminal justice system with saving her life. Councilmember Cartier requested she report any impediments to board function.

Reappointments

  • Darlene Sample – Housing Advisory Board (District: Mr. Smiley): Described as a possible charter member with a critical role in reviewing housing agenda items.
  • Dr. Monica Beard – Housing Advisory Board (District: Ms. Kilpatrick): Reappointed to continue serving.
  • Tyler Shade – Housing Advisory Board (District: Ms. Kilpatrick): Reappointed to continue serving.

Discussion Items

  • Police Accountability Board Function: Councilmembers Kaneko, Toole, and Cartier discussed efforts to improve board effectiveness, noting past departures and the need for actionable recommendations. Councilman Cartier instructed new members to report any impediments.
  • Diversity Commission: Council noted the commission's dormancy and expressed hope that new appointee Jessica Jordan would help revitalize it.

Key Outcomes

  • All new appointments and reappointments discussed will be voted on at the next full council meeting (week of March 17, 2026). No votes were taken during this subcommittee meeting.
  • Councilmembers emphasized support for DEI initiatives despite broader national trends.
  • The meeting adjourned at 3:05 PM (noted as "305" in the transcript).

Meeting Transcript

Okay, thank you. All right. Welcome to the March 17th Boards and Commission subcommittee meeting. The minutes will be taken by my assistant Ken Hempel. And calling the meeting to order during roll call, who's here in Council Chambers, myself, Dee Durham, Chair of the Committee, Kevin Kaneko, George Smiley, Janet Kilpatrick, Brandon Toole, David Carter, Valerie George, and online we have John Cartier and Dave Tackett. That's all I can see right now. If there's anyone else online, please. Is that yeah, that's just Dave's name there. Um approval of the minutes from February 17th. Motional approval is posted. Second. Second. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Okay. Minutes are approved. Moving on to uh boards and commissions for new appointments. Um the first up is actually just the um recognition of the appointment of Robert Snowden as chair to the Newcastle County Planning Board. So he's he's already on the planning board, but um from the county executive's office. Uh this is uh resolution just to recognize his appointment as chair from acting. He's the current acting chair. Are there any questions or comments about that? I was trying to see the name on the bottom next attack it. I think it's just it's Dave's name. I think it's just his name on the left of the book. Yeah. Because his name, his picture is vertical for some reason. Uh okay. Anyway, comments, questions about um Robert Snowden as chair of the planning board. Okay. Moving on to the next one. We have uh the appointment of Maria Ushery to the Newcastle County Police Accountability Board in Mr. Smiley's district. You're welcome to come up too. And Mr. Smiley, you have any. Any comments? Councilman? I I'm assuming that's you. Yes. Okay. I did stop by your home the other day. You weren't home. I left my card in the door. Oh, I'm sorry. But they are collector items. Count yourself lucky to I'd like to thank you very much. Appreciate you stepping up and uh I apologize for the fact that they're being compensated for this, right? I know most people don't want to be.

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