Why Should Delaware Care?
Government works best when its citizens are knowledgeable and engaged. Delaware’s government has scores of commissions, working groups, agencies and legislative committees. All must hold meetings that are open to the public. Below we highlight a few of those minutes that are happening this week.
Here is a look at some of the most important or interesting public meetings happening around the state this week.
- New Castle County data center ordinance (New Castle County)
- Levy Court wastewater discussion (Kent County)
- State employee prescription costs (Statewide)
- Smyrna teacher contract fight (Smyrna Board of Education)
New Castle County aims to address data centers
New Castle County planners on Tuesday will discuss legislation designed to mitigate potential energy and environmental impacts of a massive data center planned near Delaware City.
With an electricity appetite initially estimated at nearly twice that of all Delaware homes, many feared the data center would increase resident energy bills and harm the local environment.
In response, New Castle County Councilman Dave Carter introduced legislation to regulate data centers’ approval process and operations in several ways.
Under Carter’s rules, data centers would need to be located at least 1,000 feet away from residential zones. They would also need energy efficiency certifications for generators used for emergency power supply. Finally, the proposed rules would ban cooling processes that use large amounts of water, among other regulations.
Developer Starwood Capital Group submitted exploratory plans for the first part of the project in August. Normally, projects already in the pipeline don’t have to follow new laws that are passed.
But New Castle County Councilman David Carter, who wrote the legislation, wants to make an exception for this case.
Carter recently proposed additions to the legislation, including a clause that would allow it to apply to any projects submitted after the date it was proposed, not adopted. He pointed to a 2022 Delaware Supreme Court case that upheld Rehoboth Beach’s right to do just that.
This addition will likely be a focal point in the debate over the legislation, as it already led County Councilman Penrose Hollins to pull his support.
“I don’t think rules should be retroactive. Period,” Hollins said.
📍 The New Castle County Planning Board is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday to consider whether it will recommend Carter’s legislation to the county council. The Tuesday meeting will take place at the Gilliam Building within the New Castle County Government Center located at 67 Reads Way in New Castle. For additional information including on how to attend the meeting virtually click here.
Kent discusses wastewater issues
Also in county meeting news, the Kent County Levy Court will hold what it’s calling a workshop to discuss several matters, including an update on a conciliation agreement with the state, according to the meeting agenda.
In August, Kent County signed a conciliation agreement with Delaware environmental regulators to settle previous violations from the county wastewater treatment plant in Milford.
The agreement requires the county to spend money “to enhance wastewater infrastructure, improve operational reliability and safeguard Delaware’s waterways,” according to a press release from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
📍 The Kent County workshop is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Kent County Administrative Complex, located at 555 Bay Road in Dover. For additional details, including the live stream link, click here.
How much will state employees pay for health care?
The amount of money that Delaware government workers pay for prescription drugs could change as the state searches for a new pharmacy benefits manager.
Also called a PBM, a pharmacy benefits manager acts as a middleman between pharmaceutical companies and health plans, and is key to negotiating prices.
On Friday, the State Employee Benefits Committee will meet to discuss its solicitation to contractors to run the program.
📍 The State Employee Benefits Committee is scheduled for 12 p.m. Friday at the Delaware Department of Human Resources building, located at 841 Silver Lake Blvd. Suite 100, in Dover. For additional details, including the live stream link, click here.
An ongoing teacher pay battle
Finally, the Smyrna Board of Education will hold a public meeting this week, just as its teachers continue to lobby for a pay raise.
Last month, WMDT reported that Smyrna educators were growing frustrated after they said they hadn’t received a pay raise. In response, the district issued a statement saying its employees received raises during the school years that started in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Discussion during this week’s meeting will include a human resources report, which includes a reference to union mediation scheduled for Nov. 3.
📍 The Smyrna school board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Smyrna School District Central Office , located at 82 Monrovia Ave. in Smyrna. For additional details, including the virtual link, click here.
