Sussex County Council Approves MOU with Beebe Healthcare & Discusses Ordinance Amendments for Use of Manufactured Homes
The Sussex County Council met this week after a week off. There were three public hearings during the morning session that deal with the issuing of up to $8.8-million in General obligation bonds for a spray irrigation system and land. Two other bond issues deal with sewer projects. The funds come through the state revolving fund. One is for $5.6-million in general obligation bonds for the Joy Beach Sewer annexation project – the other for $3.1-million in general obligation bonds for the Mulberry Knoll sewer project. All three were approved by the council.
Deputy Director of Administration for the County EMS, Robbie Murray came before the Council along with representatives from Beebe Healthcare to discuss a Mobile Integrated Healthcare MOU with Beebe. This would form a 1 year pilot program to look at increasing the quality of life for patients with COPD and reducing their readmission within 30 days of leaving the hospital. The program would put paramedics in people’s homes to help them with medication, nebulizers, smoking cessation and other issues rather than waiting for them to become ill and return to the hospital for care. The pilot program will be run in the 19966 zip code – the Millsboro/Long Neck area with up to 50 COPD patients beginning September 1st. The council approved the MOU with a 4 to 1 vote – Councilman Sam Wilson was the vote against.
County Engineer Hans Medlarz talked with the Council about the start of Phase 2 of the Outdoor Recreation Parks & Trail Program Master Plan at the James Farm Ecological Preserve. The council approved funding for partial implementation of Phase 1. The cost is $164,500 – it’s a matching program so the county and Center for Inland Bays covers 50% – the county’s portion was already part of the FY 2020 budget and the rest, $40,250, comes from the Center for Inland Bays. The Council approved the continued support of the James Farm and proceeding with the partial implementation of Phase 2 of the Master plan, which details site improvements to accompany the significant growth in the number of visitors at the preserve.
County Planning & Zoning Director Janelle Cornwell discussed two proposed ordinances dealing with manufactured homes. One deals with manufactured home type buildings that are used as construction trailers or model homes in construction applications. The other deals with manufactured home in the AR-1 zoning district. Currently you can have any type of home except a double-wide, and if there for the first time can be no older than 5 years. Change in the code would only deal with where the manufactured home – including a multi-sectional home – can go as a first time placement, how old it is – no older than 10 years and the size of the lot. The Council introduced both proposed ordinances – they will be brought for public hearing in the near future.
There were three public hearings during the afternoon session – all three were approved by the Council with unanimous votes.
