Sussex Green

Chip Guy
Chief of Public Information
Sussex County government
2 The Circle
Georgetown, DE 19947
(302) 854-5000
pio@sussexcountyde.gov

Sussex County continues to feel effects of major winter storm

Nearly 39,000 homes, businesses now without power; emergency managers ask public to contact storm-only hotline

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 0800 Hours, Saturday Feb. 6, 2010

Sussex County residents are awaking this Saturday morning to significant snow accumulation and widespread power outages, with as many as 39,000 homes and businesses left in the dark as a result of the major coastal winter storm that continues to lash the mid-Atlantic region.

Since the storm began Friday afternoon, a range of 6 to 12 inches of snow has fallen across the county, according to weather station observations. More snow is expected throughout the day, and total snow accumulations could range from one to two feet by the time the storm ends later tonight.

The National Weather Service’s blizzard warning remains in effect for all of Sussex County until 7 p.m. today. Snow and gusty winds could cause visibilities to drop below one-quarter mile at times, resulting in whiteout conditions. Tidal flooding also is possible with this dangerous coastal storm.

As is expected with a storm of this magnitude, numerous, widespread power outages have occurred. The Delaware Electric Cooperative reports nearly 22,000 outages in the county, while Delmarva Power reports approximately 17,000 customers without power. Crews are trying, where and when possible, to assess outages and restore service to customers.

All of Delaware remains under a state of emergency until further notice. The emergency declaration prohibits non-essential travel during that time.

The Sussex County Emergency Operations Center asks that members of the public with storm-related questions or non-emergency concerns call the dedicated storm information line, at (302) 856-7366. PLEASE DO NOT call other EOC telephone numbers, as those lines are necessary for emergency planners to coordinate services during the storm event.

The Sussex County EOC reminds the public to only call 9-1-1 in an emergency.

DNREC announced today that they are negotiating the permanent shutdown of an additional coal unit at Indian River Power Plant. Read the details of their negotiations here.

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is used around the world as a vehicle to finance redevelopment and community improvement projects by enacting ordinances that define TIF districts and then issuing TIF bonds.

TIF is a tool to use future gains in taxes to finance current improvements (which theoretically will create the conditions for those future gains). When a public project such as a road, school, or hazardous waste cleanup is carried out, there is often an increase in the value of surrounding real estate, and perhaps new investment (new or rehabilitated buildings, for example). This increased site value and investment sometimes generates increased tax revenues. The increased tax revenues are the “tax increment.”¹

TIF is designed to fund improvements in underdeveloped or distressed areas. TIF creates funding for “public” projects that may otherwise be unaffordable to localities, by borrowing against future property tax revenues. ²

Since the 1970s many municipalities have employed TIF because of the reduction of federal funding for redevelopment activities, restrictions on municipal bonds and an administrative transference of urban policy to local governments. ³ However, TIF has many critics. Here are some of their concerns:

• Although generally sold to legislatures as a tool to redevelop blighted areas, some districts are drawn up where development would happen anyway such as prime areas at the edges of cities. California has had to pass legislation designed to curb this abuse.⁴
• The designation as blighted can allow governmental condemnation of property through eminent domain.
• The process leads to favoritism for politically connected developers, lawyers, economic development directors and other implementers.
• Funding often goes towards what has been traditionally private improvements from which developers profit. When the public “invests” in these improvements it is the developers that still receive the return.⁵

Sussex County Council is supporting legislation that would create the Sussex County Tax Increment Financing Act (SC TIF Act). It is not known who is sponsoring this legislation in the 145th House of Representatives but it was previously passed (41 votes) in the 144th House of Representatives as House Bill #451. The sponsors in the 144th were Senator Venables and co-sponsors Representatives Lee, Carey, Hastings, D. Short, and Schwartzkopf. It failed to make it through the Senate due to time constraints.

TIF in Delaware is not without precedent. There is one TIF enacted into law as the New Castle County Tax Increment Financing Act (NCC TIF act). It is defined in Title 9 Chapter 32 and 33 of the Delaware Code.

Sussex Green compared the NCC TIF Act to the proposed SC TIF Act and found several major differences that, with respect to Sussex County’s reputation as a developer friendly environment, should raise red flags with anyone that supports proper land use planning.

1. The NCC TIF Act allows for the designation of TIF districts in the Clayton Hometown Overlay District, an area of approximately 790 acres. The proposed SC TIF Act allows for the designation of TIF districts anywhere in Sussex County.
2. The NCC TIF Act defines “development” as redevelopment, revitalization or renovation; what TIF has historically been used for across the country, for redevelopment and community improvement projects. The proposed SC TIF Act defines “development” as development, redevelopment, revitalization or renovation.
3. The proposed SC TIF Act adds a provision, not found in the NCC TIF Act, that prevents any ordinance authorizing a TIF district or any TIF bond from being the subject of a referendum.

Sussex Green believes that this proposed legislation, if enacted, could be used to designate new subdivisions in level 4 areas as TIF districts enabling Sussex County to bill taxpayers for the construction of adequate public facilities instead of the State or developers.

You can read the proposed Sussex County Tax Increment Financing Act here.

The following summary comes from a January 22nd DNREC press release highlighting the Delaware Wetlands Conference.

On January 20th in Dover more than 175 scientists, conservation organizations, land use planners and decision makers attended the Delaware Wetland Conference. The purpose of the conference was to review the status of Delaware’s wetlands and discuss strategies for slowing their loss and keeping them productive.

In his opening remarks to the conference, DNREC Secretary O’Mara called for a more comprehensive and integrated approach to wetland protection and policy.

The severe flooding challenges that we face in this state demand new and creative solutions based upon the best science available. While we will work hard to be more efficient in our permitting and drainage efforts, there are no quick fixes. We need to address the many factors that contribute to local flooding, including the loss of wetlands that have the capacity to hold hundreds of thousands of gallons of water per acre, while also improving our water quality and providing critical habitat for fisheries. Now we must translate our scientific analyses into concrete actions that will protect the health and safety of residents and measurably improve the quality of life in our state. ¹

In presenting preliminary findings from the Delaware Wetland Status and Trends report, Mark Biddle, scientist with DNREC’s Watershed Assessment Section, reported the following:

Our study found that a total of 2,647 acres of wetlands were lost in Sussex County over the past 15 years. This is significant considering that in the 10-year period ending in 1992, the total statewide wetland loss was 1,990 acres,” said Biddle. “We used past data and compared it to current aerial photos and wetland maps and found that wetland loss has accelerated – primarily due to increases in residential and commercial development and agriculture activities. Our report found that most of the loss has occurred in headwater forests and in and around our resort areas where large amounts of new development have taken place in recent years. ²

Indeed a significant loss of wetlands and something the Sussex County Council has failed to address seriously.

The full text of the press release is available here.

Congratulations to Mike Tyler and The Citizens Coalition, John Mateyko and Managing Growth Around Lewes, Lewes town officials, and all the residents who fought the Lingo Townsend rezoning effort.

By a vote of 3 to 2 the Sussex County Council has voted to deny the Lingo Townsend Village Centre rezoning request. The deciding vote was Councilman Vincent.

Sussex Green hopes this will be the start of a new era in Sussex County where land owners, developers, residents, Sussex County Council and Planning and Zoning work together, as stakeholders, to move land use planning to a new level.