Sussex County Council Approves Removal Process for Members of Appointed Boards, Commissions and Advisory Committees
The Sussex County Council met Tuesday in Georgetown. The Council was to have a discussion related to Tributes, Resolutions and Proclamations, but Council President Mike Vincent opted to defer the discussion until the full council is seated. Councilman Mark Schaeffer was absent from this week’s meeting.
A public hearing was held Tuesday morning for an ordinance to add a new chapter to the County Code for ‘removal procedures for members of appointed boards, commissions and advisory committees.’ County Attorney Everett Moore told the Council that this has actually been around since Sam Wilson was on the Council, however no process has been laid out. This ordinance would give the Council the authority with a majority vote the right to remove someone appointed by the Council. There was no comment made on the ordinance either for or against, however Councilwoman Cindy Green offered two amendments. One to include the words ājust causeā into the phrasing and the other to require a super majority vote of 4. Both motions died for lack of a second. The Council approved the ordinance with a 3 to 1 vote with Green voting against the ordinance.
The Council did discuss the disposition of County property. Specifically property that the County bought last year ā the Conaway Road parcel and rear parcel which were to be purchased as a partnership between the County and State and eventually the farmland and woodlands turned over to the State for conservation. However the County purchased the property, sold a farmhouse on the property to the highest bidder and the remaining property has been farmed. The State will reimburse the County for half the cost – $325,000, which will go into the County’s Open Space fund. The property will become part of the Woodlands Preserve area in the State’s portfolio.
The County Council approved the preparation and posting of notices for the Suncrest Annexation to the County Unified Sanitary Sewer District in the Angola Neck area.
And an agreement for the demolition of a building on the Dawson Tract on Route 24 west of Oak Orchard was approved by the Council.
One public hearing from the afternoon session was removed and will be scheduled at a later date. The Council approved an ordinance to add provisions for special requirements for solar farm conditional uses. Then approved Conditional Use No. 2346 for a solar farm to be located between Laurel and Delmar near the intersection of Route 13 and Dorothy Road. However a vote on Conditional Use No. 2347 for a solar farm in the Lincoln area was deferred. The Council also deferred a vote on an Ordinance amendment of the County Sewer Tier Map until a response is received from the State Planning Commission.
The Sussex County Council will hold a budget workshop on Tuesday, May 2. The next regular meeting of the Council is scheduled for Tuesday, May 9.
