Good morning everybody. It is Friday, August 24th, 2026. This is a regular
meeting of the commissioners of City Roa Beach. We're live in city hall
commissioners room, second floor of city hall. Like to call this meeting to order
at exactly 2 o'clock p.m. Would you please rise and join me in the pledge of
allegiance?
I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the
republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all.
Uh in l of roll call, we'll uh let the minutes reflect that all seven of the
mayor and commissioners are present. Therefore, we have a quorum and are able
to formally conduct business today. Uh uh the my u
folks aren't here from uh the ovarian uh society, so we're going to do them
later. Uh there is no correspondence uh relating to agenda items. Uh with that
we're moving on to approval of minutes. Uh we have listed in the agenda 11 sets
of minutes. However, we are uh just approving nine sets of minutes today. We
are omitting two sets of minutes. Those sets of minutes uh not being voted on
tonight are March 15, 2024 and August 16, 2024.
With that, there's a slate of nine uh remaining minutes uh for approval. Are
there any corrections to those nine sets of minutes? [snorts] Uh if not, I'll
take a motion to approve the nine sets of minutes uh that I identified.
» I would make a motion to approve the minutes as follows. The executive
sessions held on July 30th, 2026 and August 12th, 2026. Regular meetings held
on April 19th, 2022, February 16, 2024, April 19th, 2024, and July 17, 2026.
Special meetings held on July 30th, 2026, and August 12th, 2026.
Workshop meeting held on October 6th, 2025.
» Second. We have a motion and a second to approve nine sets of minutes uh noted on
the agenda and uh articulated by Commissioner Good.
» Oh, Mr. Mayor, a question because I have received all those minutes except I'm
worried I never received August 12th, 2026, that special meeting as that and
that was sent. I s >> Yes, it was.
» Okay. I've seen all the others. >> You can choose to vote or not. Well,
» with that, uh, we'll call the, uh, we'll just do a, a group call. Those in favor
of approving the nine sets of minutes identified tonight signify by saying I.
I. Those opposed >> abstain. I need to look for the August
12th minutes, which I haven't seen. >> So noted. Thank you very much. The, uh,
with that, the, uh, nine sets of minutes are approved. Uh, we move on to city
manager report. Taylor. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor and commissioners.
Good afternoon. And I want to provide a quick update on Grove Park. Yesterday,
Save a Tree came out and began pruning and they will be back next week to begin
removing the five trees that were identified for immediate removal.
Insecticide treatment will also be applied to try to kill and stop the
spread of the bacterial leaf scorch. We truly appreciate city arborist Mike Lily
and parks and recreation coordinator Tim Bamforth for their quick response and
ability to get the work underway so that we can reopen the park as soon as
possible. The situation may have thrown us all for a loop, but I do want to take
a moment to thank everyone involved in the relocation of the farmers market to
the convention center parking lot. Pat Kuzi first for her ability to quickly
organize the setup and configuration of the market in an entirely new space. And
also to our parking department, police officers, public works department for
coverage, signage, setup, and cleanup, and city hall staff for their
flexibility when it came to actually parking. It was a great event here on
Tuesday, and we look forward to having everyone back next week. and for the
foreseeable future until we have a better idea of uh what's happening with
Grove Park. Also, speaking of Tim Bamfor, while I was out walking the
other day, I was excited to see him watering the trees at Lake Gerard with
our newly repaired water tank and pump, uh which will make that job much easier
and more efficient. Quick reminder that due to Labor Day, our next mayor and
commissioners meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 8th at 9:00 a.m. And
finally, we are pleased to announce that earlier this week, the charter changes
were approved and signed by the governor. I'm here for any questions you
may have. >> Any questions of the city manager?
» Mr. Mayor, >> commissioner. Good.
» Two questions. Firstly, because um we have never been given a an accurate
figure for the Connelly Gallagher uh investigate investigative report that
was done on the takeover. You said to uh a reporter that it was more than 25,000,
but we never got any sort of real estimate. Um that's my first question.
Do you have one? >> Um I don't think we have the final bill
from that, but I will check and I'll send it out.
» Okay. My second question is one I've asked you by email repeatedly. There was
an unusual um 12.5% raise for one of the highest paid employees in city hall um
under a contract from May of 2025. I'd like to know the current how that was
handled because I've asked you repeatedly and you have refused to
answer as to whether that you know you at one point said well it would have to
go for a vote before the board and at that point it hadn't and it still
hasn't. But I'd like to know the status. >> Yeah, the status is that did not take
place. >> Okay. Thank you.
» All right. Thank you. Anybody else? Uh we're going to move right along. City uh
solicitors report. Lisa, >> no report, mayor.
» All righty. With that, we'll move on to the department report. Uh as you can see
uh there are uh support documents embedded electronically in the agenda
from the alderman's court bullying and licensing police department. Uh so we're
going to move right on to the uh [clears throat]
» uh yes >> excuse me if I may.
» Commissioner Gossip. >> Uh yes since we have the police chief
here I was just curious. We've had the installation of the new stop signs along
Colombia and State Road. Um could you have any comments on enforcement in that
area or what's been going on? I appreciate it.
[clears throat]
» Yes, since the um stop signs have gone in both locations, the additional um
there has been some enforcement. We've had officers sitting there um trying to
use a lot of discretion and given a lot of warnings. There was um there's been a
few citations um issued. Um, one was from a crash there at stayed in Mson and
person was at at fault and um didn't realize there was a stop sign there and
and went through it caused an accident and all. Um but so they seem to be going
well and um we are getting feedbacks from some um residents and all some
positive some negative but um that has to you know that happens and we have red
flashing lights for at night and all to make sure um people understand that it's
new fourways are always stop signs. So, I think it's going well, but yes, we're
we are monitoring that. And I know officers were out there on both streets
today, state and Colombia, just um watching the stop signs.
» I did notice uh that on the state road there are, as you'd mentioned, the red
red blinking [clears throat] lights at night, but I don't see those on
Colombia. Is there an opportunity to install those on Colombia or is there a
question about that? Uh that'd be up to city manager, but I we certainly can and
probably should get in a habit anytime we add something new for at least for
temporarily um you know 30 days, 60 days to um let people know that it's it's
kind of the trend now. I'm seeing that the municipalities in a state, but city
man. >> Yeah, we would have to order them, but
we certainly can. Yeah, thank you. Just for consistency sake. Thank you.
» Thank you. Uh with that, we'll move on to the departmental briefing of building
and licensing. uh it's going to focus on the CDP. Corey,
» thank you. Mayor and commissioners, uh I wanted to give more of a process
update today rather than a chapter to chapter update on the CDP. Uh the
five-year CDP work is ongoing and is moving forward. But a major part of that
work right now is making sure that it's coordinated with several other planning
efforts that are happening at the same time.
Uh currently we really have four interconnected work streams underway. Uh
we've got the 5-year CDP update. We have the do colon partners commercial zoning
update. We have the chapter 236 um uh subdivision of land site plan
review change of zoning uh rewrite. And we also have the new zoning map uh
parcelbased GIS work that we're that we're undertaking. Uh and those projects
can't be treated independently. So what that means is that a change in
one place can ripple through several others. Uh depending on the structure of
the new commercial zoning code changes, we could be changing entire zoning
districts or how those districts are regulated. That can affect our official
zoning map that can affect our future land use map portions of the CDP and
some of the site plan review triggers in chapter 236 among other things. So, the
goal uh right now is um to get not to get one document out in front of another
one uh and then have to go back and redo work. Um we're trying to get these
projects operating on the same rhythm so that as decisions are made, we can
identify all the places affected by that decision and then update them together.
In the meantime, there's plenty of work still to be done in the CDP and and
that's what we're working on. That's where our attention is right now. uh
reconciling and updating demographic and statistical information, gathering
current data, updating existing conditions, and continuing the
underlying parcel and GIS work that the later chapters and maps will rely on.
The next major coordination point will be the first overall and partner zoning
draft, which we're expecting around September 8th. Once we have that draft,
we will have a much better understanding of the form of the commercial zoning
regulations are taking and we can review that as not just the o ordinance but
against the CDP uh and the future land use map, the zoning map, chapter 236 and
any other code provisions that depend on existing commercial district structure.
We'll have to take a full look at everything that even references C1, C2,
C3 and take a holistic look at that. From there, the work should become much
more synchronized. Uh, instead of separately reviewing the
CDP, the zoning map, um, and development review procedures under 236, we can work
across the documents at the same time and make sure they're saying the same
thing. So, I would characterize where we're at right now as sequencing rather
than as pausing any work. Uh we're continuing the work that can be
responsibly done now uh while avoiding locking in portions of the plan that may
immediately need to change once the zoning draft arrives. Ultimately, the
objective is pretty simple. When the process is finished, the city's policy
document, zoning regulations, development procedures,
development review procedures, and maps should all work together as one coherent
system rather than having conf conflicts between them. Uh with that said, um uh
we will be having a brief update on the CDP at next Friday's planning commission
meeting. >> That's where we're at right now.
» Any questions by the commissioners? Thank you very much. Uh Commissioner
Stewart, >> um I just wanted to confirm. So after we
get the draft, can you talk about the where it goes then? Does it go to the
planning commission and then come back to us or how is that going to work?
» So, the uh anticipated sequence right now is we'll get the rough draft
September 8th. That gives the city uh city staff at least a few weeks to
review it and make internal comments on it. And then we plan on presenting the
draft along with our comments uh and sharing that draft as well ahead of time
with the members of the planning commission and the board of adjustment
to be placed on their agendas at the end of September. The hope is is is after
we've collected all of the relevant comments um at that point to give them
back to do colon partners as one consolidated set. They then per uh Joe's
um July 17th uh excuse me June 17th uh presentation here uh will take those
into consideration provide us a second draft which is the one that's
anticipated to come before the commissioners
» in November >> in if in in a perfect world it would be
in November uh with a possible consideration to set a resolution to
hold the public hearing in December which would still leave us with the
timeline of the end of 2026. 6
» Commissioner the >> Thank you. So just clarification for
public participation, public comments. So it sounds like just walk through that
again. Sounds like end of September you'll be presenting back to
commissioners. So that would be an opportunity for the public to comment
and then in November there would be another presentation
opportunity for the public to comment and then in December the official public
hearing is what I think I'm hearing. Correct. Okay. All right. Great. Thank
you. >> Anybody else? Thank you, Corey.
» Thank you. >> Appreciate it.
» Uh we have uh not not received any uh summaries of uh recent board and
commission reports. So, we'll move right on. Next item of business, committee
reports, including possible consideration of approving future
advisory committee agenda topics. Before we uh turn that over to uh uh city
streets and safety advisory committee chair Mark Saunders, I would like to say
that as we soon offer opportunities for public input, uh please wait to be
acknowledged by the chair and given the floor and when a member of the public is
recognized, then please come to the center microphone here. Uh state your
name and address or relationship to the city. Uh, and uh, please be mindful that
everyone gets three minutes so we can hear from as many voices as possible.
The countdown clock's on the wall above the monitor. Uh, and we'll beep when uh,
time is up. Uh, thank you very much. And, uh, we'll turn it over to
Commissioner Chair Mark Saunders. >> Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um,
good afternoon everybody. We don't have any official business to present today,
but I did want to give everybody a brief update on where the advisory committee
is right now. Um in July we participated in the sharetses and we had a good
number of our members that actively participated and found them to be
beneficial and the some of the uh information that we gleaned from those
uh sharetses and the future information is going to be worked into our plans as
we go forward with things like the bike path and so forth. So uh just uh kudos
to to everybody for putting those together and I think they were
beneficial. uh what we're currently working on and we're in the middle of a
couple of these items. We of course were asked by the commissioners to look into
the uh possibility or the concerns that some folks had with the parking uh the
overnight parking being prohibited over on the east end southeast end of the
city Prospect Queen and parts of St. Lawrence. And we did have a really good
public meeting at our last meeting. We had uh I think we had somewhere around
eight or nine speakers. We had numerous letters. I I don't know to count them
all, but we had quite a few uh interested people on both sides of the
uh the aisle uh discussing that and what we could do to make it work for
everybody. And interestingly, right after the meeting, some of the pro
people and the con people got together right outside there. And I got some
emails from them all later saying that they'd like to come to a compromise that
they uh they realized each other's situations and that uh they would like
to come to a compromise. I'm going to meet with Mr. Miller before the next
meeting where we're going to continue those discussions and see if there might
be something in the future that we can look at as a compromise as we get into
the electronic hang tags and that might be a possible solution. So just to let
you know that the conversation went well. It's continuing and I think
everybody was was uh satisfied with with where we are on on stop signs. Patrick
talked about fourways. We also talked about some four-ways on First Avenue,
particularly first in Baltimore, first in Wilmington. You can picture those
corners and you know why we had those conversations. And again, we had uh
public comment both for and against. Um we had some good input from the chief.
Thank you, chief. that made us reconsider. And so rather than bring
them to you now as a uh possibility, we're looking at further discussions and
making sure that we don't have any consequences that we will regret later.
So that will be on a future topic, but it will be continued at the next
meeting. Several other minor items con uh involving oversized vehicles, we've
decided just to hand over to Mr. etc. And the the committee thought that was
the best thing to do is is do it inhouse and not uh not necessarily bring any
changes to the commission. And lastly today on the ballards um you know the
longer they last the better they look that's [laughter]
that's sort of what we're getting from people like all right we're used to them
now. So, I'm not sure we have asked uh the uh design committee at Main Street
to look at them for us, but um the interest in designing them has seemed to
wne as they have become more commonplace. So, more on that later
perhaps, but that's my report for today. >> Thank you, Commissioner. Any comments up
here? Uh with that, I'd like to go to the members of the public. This is your
opportunity to uh comment on this particular topic which would be uh uh
relating to topics uh brought up by the streets and safety
committee. Anybody? If not, good job. Thank you, Mark. Uh
with that, uh the next on the agenda is community partner reports. Uh they are
all embedded in the agenda, so we don't need to go over that. Mayor
[clears throat] >> may not to go over it but just a
question gossip. Yes, >> thank you on the uh uh chamber of
commerce report included in there. Thank you very much that it seems that we have
an increase in occupancy from last year to this year on the outlined dates but
also have you included the um beach band stand performance schedule change
survey. So I'm just curious is if that will be on a future agenda in the near
future so that can be discussed and reviewed so we can prepare for next
season. The
» answer is yes. Thank you. [laughter] >> Thank you. Thank you for bringing that
up because that uh took a lot of effort the survey and again it is embedded
electronically in the agenda and uh while Dan from Main Street's here and
Kate's from here I want to thank you all because I know it's time consuming to uh
put these reports together but uh we're uh we don't want you to think that we uh
just merely gloss over them. You know that they are there and available to the
public. So thank you very much. Uh with that,
the next item of business is uh actually uh new business. A discuss and possible
consideration awarding a contract to Mumford and Miller Concrete for the
annual street paving and water mane replacement project. Henry,
» uh, I was giving the people a little more
time to show up, so I'm gonna >> Okay,
» we'll do that by by here. >> No, it's not.
» Afternoon. Go ahead, Mayor and Mayor and commissioners. So, I'm here to present,
as you said, the FY27 annual street paving and water main replacement copy
uh project. Uh, have a copy of the bid evaluations. We'll go over the area, the
work to be done, answer any questions, and then request uh a motion for
approval.
[clears throat]
We we had 10 contractors asked for the bid package when it was advertised and
four uh chose to bid. We actually had the same four as last year. And
if you take a look at the engineering estimate, it's uh in between right in
the middle of the bids, which which is a good thing. Uh Mumford and Miller was
the lowest responsible and responsive bidder for the third year in a in a in a
row. Um so, you know, they've been great to work with the last two years. their
change orders have been minimal. They've been responsive with things. Uh,
example, Commissioner Gossa, I remember last year you asked me to get a sidewalk
taken care of quickly and um it put them out a bit. They obviously got paid for
it, but they did take care of that right away for us. So,
um,
here's the areas to be worked on. the it's the green shaded area. It's
[snorts] Kent Street between third and fourth. It's going to be water main
replacement. Um service lines as well as the paving
obviously. Kent uh Sussex between third and fourth, it's the same with the water
mane replacement. And Sussex between fourth and fifth, it's the service lines
and the and um the paving. And then if you see on the bottom across Silver
Lake, Silver Lane is on that that kind of came came as an afterthought where I
received a couple calls from residents about it. Went and took a look at it. It
was pretty the the the paving index score was actually pretty low on it.
Thought we'd be under budget on it. Uh which we were about $200,000 even with
that. So, we uh added that and that will just be uh paving and service lines.
So, here is the I'm not going to read all the numbers, but there's the
engineers estimate uh 922,000 and then uh the two highest bids were George and
Lynch and HC. Um Adel was just over 800,000 and
Mumford Miller at 724,000. Uh this is the second year in a row HC
has bid for this and I think for the past like five years prior four or five
years prior it was the three Adel George and Lynch and Mford and Miller.
Are there any questions? >> Any questions of Henry?
» Nope. >> Okay. Uh so what I'm uh request board
action to award the FY27 street paving and water main replacement project to
Mumford and Miller in the amount of $724,388.
» There is a proposed motion in the agenda item report if anybody wants to use that
as a template. >> Mr. Mayor,
» any >> Oh, I'm sorry. Commissioner Galante,
» I was just going to go ahead and make the motion, but I'm not sure if you
wanted to take it back and open up for comments.
» No. Do does anybody have any >> comments before a motion's made?
» Just um to confirm, in past years when we've been doing this, we've also
reached out to the homeowners along those streets for additional repair of
their uh laterals and what have you. That be the case again?
» Yes. Uh we have have letters ready to go. uh assuming he gets approved, I'll
send him out Monday. Um there aren't many there isn't any sidewalks in that
area. We will be doing some curb replacement u on that and there are
several laterals. We will be also about 10 or so suspect laterals on those three
uh three streets and we we will be sending letters to those homeowners.
Last year we actually had quite a few take advantage of that on Mson which was
great. Are there any other questions?
Commissioner Galante. >> Thank [clears throat] you, Mr. Mayor. I
make a motion to award the bid for fiscal year 2027 annual street paving
and water main replacement to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder,
Mumford and Miller, Inc. in the amount of $724,388.
» Second. Uh we have a motion and a second to award the bid for uh annual street
paving fiscal year 2027 to Mumford and Miller as noted. Is there any further
discussion?
Hold on. >> Public comment on new business.
» Oh, I'm sorry. I'm [clears throat] sorry. I'm sorry. Uh is there any
members of the public who would like to comment?
If not, we'll come back to the table. Uh, any further discussion? We have a
motion in a second. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. Those opposed.
And the motion carries unanimously. Thank you very much, Henry.
» Thank you. Uh, with that, we'll move into new business item B, discussing
possible consideration of an agreement between the city of Rhovitz Beach and IQ
Fiber for the installation of a fiber optic broadband network in the city.
» Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, good afternoon. So, I wanted to provide a
little bit of background about how um, IQ Fiber has uh, came to us. Um and then
Lisa will provide some information and then um the folks from IQ Fiber are here
and they'll give you a presentation. Uh so the governor's office uh reached out
to me um several months ago um because IQ Fiber was added to by Governor Meyers
um um jobs first permitting accelerator on June 11th, 2026. And so that was
established via executive order 18. And the permitting accelerator coordinates
and expedites state agency review of high priority housing, energy,
broadband, and water, sewer projects through a single point of contact and
parallel review. So they're part of that um program with Governor Meyer. Um and
ultimately they are looking to increase the high-speed and high reliability of
fiber in Sussex County, um including Rahobit Beach. Um, so I'll go ahead and
turn it over to Lisa. >> Thank you. Um, yes. Um, as Taylor points
out, um, IQ Fiber came to us through the governor's office and we've worked with
them to, um, negotiate the contract that you have in front of you. The way, um,
we have approached this is that, um, IQ Fiber is now working with about 15 to 20
different municipalities. And so um we took this contract and looked at it from
the perspective of what is uh rights away that are controlled by the city of
Rahobit versus those that are controlled by the state of Delaware. At present um
IQ Fiber has the authority to go into state rights away which includes roads
in in the city of Rahobit. And so we looked at it from the perspective of
protecting our rights of way and what we could do um to best make sure that we
were protecting what we could from the city. Um, this is a contract that has
been negotiated with both parties and we're presenting it to you today for
your consideration. >> Thank you very much.
» Mark, would you like to continue? >> I would. Hey,
» could you introduce yourself if you >> Thank Thank you. U, mayor, council, I'm
Mark Wagner. I'm vice president for new markets for IQ Fiber. I'm joined today
by our director of operations, David Enley. David Enley runs the entire co uh
construction operation for what we call the Chesapeake region, which includes
our Delaware project. So he's he's here to answer questions specifically towards
um construction and construction uh methodology. Uh again we're IQ Fiber. Um
we are a high-speed fiber optic broadband network. We build and operate
the network and we are currently located in five states um Georgia, South
Carolina, Florida, Maryland and Delaware.
We when we look for a new market, we look to be what we call first fiber,
which means we look for markets where there is not currently a fiber optic
provider in this area. Most of us would recognize for instance like a Verizon
FiOS uh maybe specifically to Lewis uh Glow Fiber. These are these are
companies that do something similar to what we do. We don't have any interest
in overbuilding them. What we look for and what is illustrated in this um image
above are cable areas that have predominantly cable infrastructure,
predominantly cable infrastructure that is fairly dated. And we see that through
the use of upload speeds because that's where cable traditionally
um shows a big difference in performance than with a a full fiber optic network
which gives the same speeds up and down. We call that symmetrical speed. So, what
that image is showing is upload speeds from um uh from Delaware, uh a lot of
Sussex County, and you can see the lower sort of the the greens and the blues,
and though that represents slower upload speeds. So, that's that's one of the
things that we look at when we target new markets and that and we definitely
see that here in Sussex County. So we're excited to um to help um you know give
these people an option and symmetrical speeds.
Uh so I think everybody understands it but fiber optics is speed fiber it is
broadband at the speed of light. We we operate on lasers. Um it does provide
symmetrical speeds. Symmetrical speeds have become very very important in our
lives that that those are the speeds that give us the right reliability when
we're doing things like teams meetings where we're working at home. 40% of us
now work full or part-time at home. These are your medical devices. These
are your connection from your your business or your premise to the
internet. Um so those upload speeds are very important. They're increasing at
least 18% last year and probably more this year. So our our network our fully
fiber network will will provide symmetrical speeds. We have our research
shows us that a fiber connection to a premise can have a positive um increase
in equity value maybe even up to 3.1%. The uh our our story here in Delaware is
uh is a good one. Um, as was mentioned, we were the the initial uh company that
uh made it through the priority um priority permitting system. Governor
Meyers uh executive order 18. We are the initial company. We had a kickoff with
the with the governor [snorts] two months ago and a round table and a press
event. And we are very committed to uh this process. We are very committed to
Delaware. Our investment in Delaware is between 150 and $160 million. We're
going to be building 4,000 miles of brand new fiber optic network, probably
twothirds of which here right here in Sussex County. If there is a community
of note in Sussex County, we're having a similar conversation with them at the
moment from Seafford all the way here all the way down to the Maryland border.
So, it's a it's a big comprehensive project. We're extremely excited to be
aligned with the governor and his priorities in terms of bringing this
type of infrastructure and all of the economic benefits that come with it.
Um I'm going to Dave I think this is this is I I'll just start that this is
uh cabinet this is an active cabinet when we build our network fiber optics
is a pass is mostly a passive medium for transporting internet but there is some
electric in it. So this is a big difference with cable which is a which
is largely a giant metal antenna with um a lot of electric and repeaters
everywhere in it which is means when you have a power failure anywhere in your
cable system you have a power failure and everything's down. Uh in our system,
we have a a cabinet like that that we're showing right there. That'll uh service
approximately 5,000 customers. And that is you can see that that is powered.
That will have a generator and battery backup. That feeds passive cabinets,
meaning no power. And those can handle two to 500 customers. And then the
equipment in the home needs to be plugged in. Um but so from that cabinet
to your home um it's it's a passive network.
And Dave, do you want to talk a bit about
Yeah. Hello everybody. Um so our construction process typically begins
with obtaining all the necessary uh permits from the uh controlling
municipality whether it's TEDOT or in this case uh the city of Rhobith. Um
once we obtain those permits, our pre-construction process will begin with
um our crews will uh deploy pre-construction door hangers to uh
notify the uh the residents that we're passing of the construction process. It
also um supplies a direct link to us for um for direct communication for any
questions or concerns um you know before the construction process or during the
construction process as well. So they can reach us directly. We have um a
dedicated uh construction coordinator on site that will meet with uh anybody that
has any questions or concerns, address their concerns uh directly during the
process or or in front of the process as well. Um also a part of that pre
pre-construction process is we will enter all uh miss utility notifications.
Um once those uh those tickets are complete, we'll review them uh make sure
that everything's set and ready for our crews to to deploy at that point. Uh the
next step would be the actual construction process. So first step in
the construction process will be uh test pitting. Oh, I'm sorry. Here's a
screenshot of the pre-construction door hangers. As I just described, you can
see it has a um Q QR code that would uh provide that direct communication back
to us. Um I think a lot of instances goes straight to our construction
coordinator that's local to the location and then come right out and meet with
the uh the resident in that regard. Uh
here's u more information on the actual construction process as I described
pre-construction process um door hangers, mis utility call outs. Once
those are complete, our um crews will begin the process with performing test
fitting on the existing utilities so that they're protected during our
installation methods. Um we try to be um underground as much as possible because
it protects our infrastructure um much better than being on the on aerial pole
lines. Um so before we can do that we need to test pit protect the existing
utilities. Um that way when we uh install our conduit system which our our
installation method is with a directional bore or pneumatic missile
that'll be subgrade. Um we don't open cut we don't open trench. So the uh the
impact to the soft surface is is minimized as much as possible. Um
there are certainly a lot of areas within the city that there is no soft
space. where we have to utilize aerial infrastructure where where those
locations are are necessary. Um
so during during that process with the crew placing uh the conduit underground
we move it approximately a pace of a couple hundred feet to even a couple
thousand feet per day. Kind of depends on uh the cleared miss utility tickets
and the amount of utilities that are underground that we need to protect from
the process. Uh during that process we'll um we'll install our conduits and
our flush grade vaults. Uh Mark described one uh above grade uh cabinet
that will service pretty much this entire area. So as far as uh any above
ground infrastructure, you really won't see that. Everything's essentially flush
to the ground. You'll see um a very small, we call them handholds, but
they're um a small lid for us to access to be able to terminate and provide
service to uh any customer that that requests service at that time. Um, and
you'll see those approximately like every other house in the in the areas
where we can perform uh soft space installation. Um, so within those a
couple thousand feet a day, the crew moves pretty fast. We'll install the
conduit, install the the handholds, we'll move on. So the impact from on a
daily perspective is is moving very quickly from street to street very
quickly. So you won't see um you shouldn't see repeated u disturbance on
a specific street or specific area in multiple days. Usually one day move on
in in a very successive manner. Um once that underground infrastructure is in
place, the conduit handle instructions in place, the next step is to pull the
the fiber cable through those conduit systems. Um that usually takes about a
day or so. Um then once the cable is in place, we test it, verify it's
sufficient for uh for service deployment and then we'll be able to uh release
that for for order taking and uh and service installation for uh subscribers
at that point. >> Um is that it? I'll take
» um so a couple things that distinguishes IQ Viiber and one in particular we know
that we're the only company in our industry at our size and scale that runs
our very own customer contact center that means that when you call IQ Fiber
with an issue with construction or question about your service um you're
experiencing any kind of issue a human being will answer the phone and that
human being it exists today in our uh headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida.
Um and our average call to answer time is 19 seconds. You can also um contact
by text, but same thing. It's not going to you're not having an AI experience
anywhere in the mix. It's your it's a real honest to god human being. We do
embed AI in the mix, but that only gets involved because it'll allow the person
that you're talking to know who they're talking to, where you're located, and if
our equipment has noticed any issues, all of that will be on their pane of
glass. So, we and we do know that's that is an expensive way to do business um to
run a call center. But the the thing that we have decided from day one where
and yesterday was our 5-year anniversary uh was that we were going to be um the
anti-cable company and from day one till day now that is uh that commitment is
held and and obviously we have proven that with and by doing that we now have
one of the highest uh customer service ratings in the industry. that's done by
um there's a net promoter score which in our industry we have about an 80 which
is that's very very good and for Google we mostly we ask for reviews on Google
and they're 4.8 to 5.0 you know, so we're very proud of that. We work for
that every single day. Um, again, this is, um, back to Dave, you know, and and
and this is the I'll just emphasize that, um, as Dave said, uh, we're in and
out as quickly as possible. What we disturbed, we will fix. It will be as
good as before we came. Um, if it isn't, then, uh, we invite you to call us and
we will fix it. And it's an opportunity for us again to prove that we um uh will
listen that we do communicate. We listen we need to earn every bit of business
that we have. It starts with the construction progress process. If we
make emmonities we're not going to make customers, right? So um we uh you have
my commitment here. You have Dave's commitment that this will we will work
with the community to make sure that we leave things as good as we found them.
Um I I think I went through all of this. The you know I started with the contact
center. The last thing I'd like you guys to know about what makes us different.
Um we don't have any contracts. Um we have transparent pricing. So what you
see is what you get. It will be one price. It does include everything. And
that includes the Wi-Fi equipment. There is no rental. And the Wi-Fi equipment
that we use is state-of-the-art Wi-Fi 7. It does match with our five speeds. what
we will build day one to the the residents in Rahobitth will be up to 10
gig capacity. We only have a package up to five gigs. That's because we can't
Wi-Fi doesn't support anything more than 5 gigs, but when it does, we'll offer a
10 gig pro um package as well to our customers. So, it's it's it's um
contract free um and you just pay for it monthto month. If you don't like us, if
we haven't earned your business, then that's it.
Um, these are our prices today. Um, from $65 to $125 for 5 gigs of bandwidth,
which is an enormous amount of bandwidth, but it's it's real. That is
the capacity that you'll have in your house. Um,
we do businesses. Um, these are what we call our small business prices. These
would be, you know, sort of your um, what you see along here on the your mom
and pop businesses. We also do and we we support a much much larger businesses
and have various products for those DIA and others. But for purposes of your um
typical business here in Rahobitth, that's that's what we would we would
charge. Um we're uh we we've talked about the
Delaware story. Our backing, our main backer is SEC Capital. They are a a a an
infrastructure fund, one of the largest in the country. All they all they fund
is infrastructure and um we're one of I think three platforms and we're one of
their largest platforms. Our banking partners JP Morgan Chase, all of the
money for this project and all of Delaware has already been booked
and that's it. Any questions? >> Um
I believe I heard you indicate that some of the uh lines might be aerial and some
underground. Is that is that what you said?
» Yeah, that'd be accurate. Where where there's not sufficient uh soft surface
space for us to install within the uh the approved rightway. Uh we may need to
utilize aerial infrastructure to uh to service those customers along the
» I I just want to share I guess with the city manager primarily uh that uh that
my my ideal would be that there is no aerial uh lines that are all put
underground. Uh and uh also my ideal would be anou or
some kind of clause that indicates that if in the future
uh we do underground any utilities uh part particularly in the commercial area
or something uh that they need to relocate uh um put them underground at
their own expense. So, I don't know if that fits in there, but I'm trying to be
anticipatory into the future uh and u make sure that uh we accommodate
ourselves in first place. Uh is there anybody else? Commissioner Stewart,
» I have a couple questions and a comment and I have a question for the solicitor,
but um thank you and you seem like nice gentlemen. You know, we had a little
hiccup where your crew started on a city street. It happens to be my street and
and a a a woman found her right ofway being dug up. So I guess that was a
little bit of a you know it was something we didn't ask for we were
getting and um >> uh is it correct that the only digging
will be on in the right of way? >> Yeah, that's correct. Unless we obtain a
road of entry from that specific property owner. Yeah, we would only stay
within the the permissible right ofway >> and the handheld is only when they
subscribe to the service. >> Uh the the the handholds are a part of
the the permanent infrastructure >> in the right of way.
» Within the rightway, correct? Um they're set in a way that uh any specific
resident who subscribes, >> we would not need to traverse another uh
neighbor's property to to access them. >> Okay. And then um I guess lastly just
for context, we we as a city don't have a right to say we don't want this. Is
that correct? >> That is correct.
» Thank you. >> The only thing we can do is govern how
it is they exist.
» Chris, Commissioner Galani, and then Commissioner Saunders.
» Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um a couple of questions for you guys. Um, first of
all, um, can you tell us where the hub cabinet location will be?
» I I have to look at the engineering to to pinpoint that exactly for it, but I
can get you that information. Um, >> it looks like it's a relatively
large structure. >> It's approximately Yeah,
» like like a bit of a smaller mediumiz. >> I'm sure most of our city residents
wouldn't be too happy if it appeared in front of their house. Yeah, it would be
it would likely be within a delta out right away location um outside of the
the residential area. Certainly >> that that's my point and my hope is that
it would be in a commercial district and somewhere that it's not going to be a
nuisance for for neighbors. >> Yeah, we typically place it more in like
a hightra area. Um >> Okay.
» But we'll we can get that specific information for you if you like. Uh
» thank you. I I would like that. Um absolutely and appreciate that. Um and
then the second question that I have is um how many passive cabinets are there
going to be and what are the locations of those?
» Uh same thing like one passive cabinet typically uh services approximately 7 to
800 homes. Um I think Mark was a little bit short on on the number there. So
once again um that's a pretty pretty dense area. Um so you won't see them a
lot of places and those are much smaller. They're they're kind of like uh
I think they're about maybe three foot high by like two foot wide,
» but those will be in the residential district.
» They they would probably be somewhere located within those more centralized to
to those areas within the the 700 home groupings. Correct.
» I'd appreciate getting the locations of those as well.
» Yep. We'll get you those. >> Um great. Next question is what is the
trench depth for the for the uh wire? >> We we typically go between two to three
foot deep. Um, usually it's dictated by the uh the pering mun uh the peritting
entity whether it's Dell DOT or um or the city itself. A lot of public works
uh teams like us to be just above the uh the water and sewer infrastructure. So
they like us to live somewhere between that two foot range give or take
depending on how the services are are run to the houses at that point. So we
recently went through um experience with um power line cutting by uh the power
company and the a lot of our tree canopy was um negatively impacted. So I'm just
concerned about the the roots in the trees and
» um it would be you know who who do you contract the work out or is it is it IQ
Fiber that's actually doing the installation? you know, we we have
contractors that do the work for us under our direct supervision.
» Yeah, it would be helpful for us to be able to have an opportunity to
communicate with them to make sure that the impact to our trees as well as um
things that are in the public right of way. We have um you know neighbors in
this community particularly in North Rhobit where they've probably done quite
a bit of landscaping that is in the public right of way. So my point is I
would like to minimize the impact. >> Absolutely. Yes.
» Um the next question that I have is about the and this is maybe more for the
city manager and for the city on the communication that we are I saw the door
door hangers part part of your presentation but I I feel like we need
to do something ourselves um either in lines of the sand or something to give
neighbors a heads up. I I'm just trying to be proactive here because it's going
to come back to us, right? We're going to have to be triaging a lot of
commentary and feedback. And if we're proactive in making sure that our
residents know that this is coming and not just waiting for a door hanger, you
know, that they may or may not see because we have a lot of part-time
residents. Um, I really encourage us to be smart with our communications
department and forwardleaning so that people know. Yeah, I'm sure our
communications division can definitely um work with IQ Fibers communications
team and get information out as you know they're working on certain streets. For
sure. >> Thank you.
» Um can I so just um because this has come up before um and I should have
probably mentioned that we do have a community relations team whose job is
specifically that um and so we we would love to be proactive. Here's some things
we've done in the past. We've done kickoff events. We've hosted town halls.
» Um we enjoy those. We we'll fund them. We'll we'll make them an event that
hopefully people want to come to. >> Um all in the um with the goal of making
sure that these inquiries come to us um because ultimately that's where they're
going to need to be addressed. So we do want to have as many relationships at
that people level. And so yes um we will work with with this team to make sure
that we're doing that. We will work with a communications cadence um that makes
sense. Dave and his team have weekly meetings with various communities today
to talk about this thing either at the department uh transportation level or
public works level or town manager level. Whatever whatever you guys would
prefer, we would prefer as well that we have very open, very robust
communication from here until whenever. >> It's good to hear that. um you know,
knowing our residents, I'm sure they're going to be reaching out directly to our
city government. So, having that cadence of uh communication set up between our
two teams and the coordination, I think, is critical. And I'm seeing heads
nodding. So, thank you for that, >> Commissioner Saunders. And then,
Commissioner, >> to be clear, there will be no new polls.
Is that correct? You'll use existing polls in every case.
» Yeah. Yeah. We we're not um we we would only utilize existing pole
line infrastructure if need be. We we certainly prefer to be underground. Like
I said, it's much more protected. >> Well, that's we're aiming to going
underground completely at some time in the future. So,
» yeah, you would >> if if that happens, especially the pole
owners, be it um I'm not sure if it's >> Can explain to me please, and I I'm
ignorant on this. Can you tell me how you get from your wire in the street to
my house? you go. >> It would be depending on if it's
underground or or aerial, we would um install an underground a direct buried
fiber optic drop cable from our termination point, which should be in
front of your house or between you and your neighbor directly to the
termination point on the side of your house. They would place that either
utilizing um a vibratory plow, which is kind of like a more of a heavier unit,
or um they would actually use a um a spade shovel, as we kind of call it, to
to knife it in at about 10 inches deep. And then do I need to buy any special
equipment for it to work inside my house?
» You know, we supply everything. >> Okay. Thank you.
» Yes, sir. >> Commissioner, good.
» Uh, thank you for the presentation. I I need to understand your business model a
little better. Just because I'm I'm looking I'll just be honest. We we have
been Comcast customers here for many many years and we're long-term customers
and um with the exception of the snow storm of well several snowstorms and and
then one instance when a FedEx box truck hit a Comcast I believe aerial cable
which knocked out internet for about five hours. It's it's generally been
reliable, but I'm uh we [clears throat] are paying well our our sort of rack
rate is $59.99 a month for extremely uh you know fairly fast internet and we put
a lot of demands on the internet. You know, we work from home. Um anyway, that
but we because we're we agreed to autodebit some years ago, we actually
are paying $49.99 a month. And I'm just wondering, you you show rates beginning
at $65 a month for a residential customer. Um Oh, in addition, I know you
supply all equipment, but we purchased equipment for about $30 full stop, I
think, five or more years ago. So, I don't I'm I'm curious as to whether
those, you know, launch rates um are working for you in other markets because
of what I see. you know, Comcast and Verizon tends to match Comcast in areas
where you have both Comcast and Verizon as you've probably noticed, but you have
a little duopoly going on there. And I believe there's a third player, Cox
Communication. I have friends to the west in Millsboro who also have the
option. So if you if you'd kindly explain
how this pricing structure is going to appeal to enough residents in this city
or do you have some possibility of lowering your rates to more like $50 a
month for you know for the starting um you know the the uh initial or the sort
of basic package. >> Yeah. So, um, so I'll start with this.
The our our business, we have shown in every single market we've ever been to,
we have the situation where there's always an incumbent cable company. Um,
and there's always competitive pricing. What we have found that um, within about
24 months, we'll end up with 40% of the customers. Here's why. Um again we we
provide a different type of service um symmetrical bandwidth and and what we
provide is it's it's priced differently because it is different um fundamentally
to people realize that there when you take out all the hidden fees the things
that um you don't have to pay for with us for instance um your equipment
experience 5 years ago is is I think commissioner good you would find is much
different if you go to Best Buy day and look at, for instance, the Wi-Fi unit
that we'll put into your home, it's north of $800. So, it's a it's a big
uplift in equipment because we're doing much more horsepower. You know, 5 gigs
through the air. Um, and if we need a repeater, for instance, if you have a
larger house with many walls, we're going to walk around our our technician
before they leave and they're going to make sure that that throughput is seen
throughout your residence. And if we need to, we'll put a repeater again at
our expense. So we do those sorts of things that earn us customers. We're not
we're not looking to be the lowest cost. I think the ultimate for your community
and all communities really is choice because at the end of the day um that's
going to you know if if at the end of the day in order to get the numbers that
we need I we I guess we will lower our prices. We haven't had to yet um but
maybe we will but that will be because of competition. That's because there'll
be uh you know us giving it our best effort, Comcast. And so yeah, [snorts]
that's I mean that's our business plan. It's it's been working. Um it's you know
our funders like it. Our success has been decent um to to really good and um
we we we fully expect to do very well in Rahobit as a potential alternative. So
just to follow up, so your market penetration in places like South
Carolina, what percentage of the market um have you captured within like five
years? >> We well within 24 months were expected
to capture between 35 and 40% and we've been tracking to that. Some of our
initial cabinets that have been in longer are approaching 60% penetration
and more. >> And you haven't been in any markets for
24 continuous months. >> Oh yeah, we have. All of those um
markets are in Florida. Those were our initial markets. We haven't been in
South Car South Carolina is um less than two years old, right?
» Oh, let's worry about let's focus on Florida then. Like what's your market
share in Florida after say okay 24 months?
» We we we just I was just on a board meeting two days ago and um the average
penetration is around 50%. So, >> thank you Suzanne.
» Yeah, Commissioner Stewart, >> uh I have one quick question because
because our street was all marked up for this. The lines that go on my lawn, the
big red line that's been painted on my lawn is not in the right of way. Is that
just telling somebody something? It's You're not intending. You told me you're
not going to dig on my lawn. >> Yeah.
» But [clears throat] I I think this would help because people haven't had the
experience. We We've got green lines. We got yellow lines. We got red lines. I've
got a manhole cover in my rightway that you've now painted bright blue. Thank
you. Um so to that probably saves some time if you tell us how this what these
all mean to us. >> Yeah. So so if you're seeing color lines
out there after the M those are the existing infrastructure lines. So red
being power. Okay. >> Um and a lot of those uh infrastructures
were put in place like like uh you know your power and your Verizon typically
usually those are the two big things that were installed probably when your
development was was done many many years ago. So, they required put in in a
public utility rightaway, which is kind which a lot of times falls outside of
the the municipal rightway. So, they might be a little bit further in the
yard at that point. Um, we'll be installing within the the permissible
right away at that point. Um, but if you're seeing
» the what I think of as the rightway, not the utility rightway that's in my yard.
Is that what you're saying? Okay. >> Yeah.
» Um, like I said, if if you're seeing color lines, that's existing
infrastructure. Okay. Um when we do our preconstruction uh preparations, you
might see us all we call it white lining. So white paint is proposed, but
if it's colored, that's that's existing. So you know, your blue is your water,
» yellow is going to be your your gas. Uh the two big ones that we try to really
protect obviously is the power and the gas.
» That' be good because those are the dangerous ones, but you know, everything
we we will protect and and test pit and make sure that they don't get damaged
during our installation process. >> Okay. Thank you,
» Commissioner Gossip. Yes, [clears throat] thank you. Uh, are you
currently operating in any other Delaware municipalities?
» Yes. Uh, so we are in U Millsboro, right? We've we've begun in Mills.
» Well, we're we're beginning construction in Milsboro.
» Any any active where you have customers online?
» Yes. So, we started in um South Do um those are I mean they're not towns like
Rahobitis, but they're communities like Magnolia and Highland Acres. And so yes,
we and we've been we've had lit customers there since what April.
» Yes, since April. I think we're up to 400 customers. [clears throat]
» Less less than a year. >> Yeah. Months. Months. And we're up to
400. >> And you mentioned also that installation
will be done by subcontractors. >> Yes. That we directly supervise.
» Okay. Um and [clears throat] building, you know, prices look
interesting, whatever. But with like Comcast, which I'm used to, there's
additional for telephone and TV and streaming and that. Are these all add-on
aspects to these baseline prices? >> We do we we only provide internet. So if
you're going to have >> No, there's no TV. No
» no no. If you're gonna um if if you choose to go with us and you have an
existing over-the-top streaming process, our technicians will go through before
they leave. They'll make sure that that's all working on the new system.
But no, we do not have we don't have any television projects. We don't have any
like typical cable products. Uh we don't do telephone. um we all we do is what we
do. And why we do that is because um [snorts]
we don't want to partner with a company that maybe doesn't have the um the
commitment to the customer service that we do and and if we did that and and in
there it was suboptimal then it's going to affect all of us. So we stick to what
we do and what we know what we build and what we operate.
And I guess [clears throat] question is this for solicitor city manager is this
an exclusive agreement that we're signing?
» No. If you look at the contract it says that um we have the right to contract
with anyone else as well. >> I but also [clears throat] I just
question how we came to the terms um uh under 2.2. That's a 15-year contract and
then an automatic renewal of 15 years. And is that typical for what you're
negotiating with the rest of the Delaware or do we know or how did we
arrive at those 15 and 15? >> It's my understanding that it is we are
atypical. Um they had requested 30 years and we felt that that was far too long.
So we only great agreed to 15 years. >> And commissioner just one thing on the
phone and TV aspect. So I know a lot of people like landlines and TV. So, there
are products out there that residents could get if they did decide to do this,
like a a VIP phone. Um, and then there are cable. Um,
» so they would be adding add-on costs. >> They would just have to do that
themselves. Yeah. >> As we are all technically acknowledged
of how to do that. Um with that [laughter]
» and I'm just curious also in our code um we have a fee for utility poles and
cables of $5 and I know we're [clears throat] um going to update fees
and uh codes in the in the future but just curious is that defined as $5 one
time over or $5 for every cable or do we know any details on that? Now, we
haven't done this in many, many years, but if it's five bucks total, I think we
need to reinvestigate that. That's the fee charged to the supplier.
So, >> fair enough.
» All right. Uh if we go back to the agenda item report,
uh the action that they're trying to uh get out of us today is uh the proposed
motion is to approve agreement for the installation of a fiber optic broadband
network between the city of Rahovit Beach and IQ Fiber. Uh let's take a
quick break and go to the members of the public. Does anybody have any comments
they'd like to say? Nancy and then Deb.
And we'll come back to this table before we vote.
» Thank you, Chief. Um, two things just both on aesthetics. That bigger box that
serves seven or 800 people, I wonder if it has a geological
radius because we're we're diffused. We're spread out. We're not a dense
population. So, if you see seven or 800, you think, well, most we'd have two of
those in town. But, can we check on that? is it um I if if if they have to
be within a certain radius, we might need more of those boxes and we wouldn't
want a bunch of them there because we really care about aesthetics. So that
would be my first point and my second point is I do understand that the
handhole would be flush to the ground. For those of us who have little strips
of land between the sidewalk and the street that we're required to mow but
still may be with the city, could the handhold go there or where would the
handhold go? Does anyone know? >> Thank you, Nancy.
» Yeah, once again, I mean, I'd have to check the specific engineering for uh
the location you're describing. Like said, we have to install within the
permissible rightway. If that's our location within there, then yeah, it
would go within I always call that the beauty strip, which is definitely
between the curb and the sidewalk. If uh if that's not a sufficient spacing and
there's right away on the back side of the sidewalk, that's where we would
install the uh the flush grade handhole. And as far as for the um your your first
uh inquiry about the uh the large uh cabinet that was in the picture, that
that services 5,000 customers. So there's only one with in all of Hobbit
that would be that the the smaller ones that would that would service
approximately 700 plus houses. They're like I said about 2 by3 and they located
usually put them like maybe like um a corner and infrastructure somewhere
that's as inconspicuous as possible. Um but you would see them like I said
geolog like you said um within a radius of that those those customers there
disperses accurately. >> Thank you Deb.
Identify yourself. Thank you. [laughter]
» My name is Deb Ward. I'm resident at 339 Hickman Street. I am also a former
Verizon FiOS employee. Um, so couple questions because I'm familiar with
that. Um, one thing that we always talked about at
least at Verizon is the benefit that we were providing with the FiOS um, fiber
cable is that it's fiber to the home versus sharing bandwidth. And I can
speak glad you get great con Comcast service because I can tell you I've had
that's why I'm gray pretty much. Um, I notice I notice a change in service as
our city um, uh, population expands during the summer. Um, because
now you got more people that are using that service and now you're you don't
have as much bandwidth. So, just to confirm, we would have fiber to the home
and it's not shared bandwidth. Correct. >> Yeah, confirming that. Um, yeah, thank
you for that. So yeah, what your experience is in an overloaded cable
node. As you know from your experience at FiOS, yes, it is fiber to the home.
We we build right now our minimum backbone speed is 100 gigabits and
that's drilled two different directions to Equinex and then a data center in
Baltimore and then it's TIG gig capacity to the home but 100 gig, you know, right
on on the laterals. So yeah, we we build and then we monitor that very quickly in
the industry usually like you know they they act as you know like if it gets
over 60% utilization we're way below that. So we will just add capacity to
make sure that we always want to be able to brag about the capacity that we're
able to give our customers. And then if I may follow up. So again back in those
days when Verizon was looking to expand FiOS this was not seen as a desirable
area because of the influx of population. So I just want to confirm
but because of what the governor is initiating that's what's really kind of
bringing you to us to say as all of Delaware we want to we want to make this
available and Rahobit is just one area that we
also think is going to benefit. >> Yeah. in part. Um, yes, the governor, so
Delaware, I will say, um, in all honesty, has been extremely good to work
with and was a a factor in okaying this, um, immense amount of money that we're
spending. Yes. Um, been in the industry long enough to know, I remember those
days. Yes. When you were looking for contracts and you were doing different
things. Um it's even, you know, um our ROI is is uh dependent on our customer
service. We don't even have contracts. So, yeah, we're making a big commitment
to >> to to Delaware. Um we understand that
some of the the um >> you know, the cost of doing business
here are there are a lot of HOA communities, there are a lot of um
smaller communities, there are a lot of these conversations that need to be
have. So we had to in terms of not only just the money but the resources to
commit to the entire project because that's really what it's going to take.
» Yeah. Don't underestimate the impact of the cost of what building this
infrastructure is. Um two maybe two more questions. So for the equipment um I
know there's we had a box on the outside of the house kind of similar a little
bit bigger than what you may have now with a Comcast box. Is there something
on the outside of the house as well as on the inside?
» Yeah, we we'll typ typically place a net on the exterior of the home. Um I think
Verizon Fires a lot of times used an active box on the exterior that they
transition to Ethernet into the home. >> We don't we just use a very small
passive demark uh nid on the outside. So it transitions from our exterior drop
cable to the in interior uh drop line that goes into your home to your uh to
your router and switch >> and then
» but it's it's very small. It's like a probably like that big. Like it's
extremely small and inconspicuous. >> And then again with the technology, you
know, the router as as time goes on, the technology in improves. You're you're
offering this equipment as part of the contract price. Correct.
» Does that also include down the road upgrades to equipment if necessary?
» Yeah, it is. And there there's no contract that just um we we own and
maintain that. We do the firmware upgrades remotely and then we're always
looking for opportunities to upgrade the speed. As I said, we want to match as
soon as possible >> um from 5 to 10 and and and get into
that. So, yeah, we will we we we will monitor that and upgrade that would we
would just send it. That's a plug-and-play that the customer can do
» and and does does that equipment box that's in the home have a battery
backup? >> It doesn't. It doesn't. But um it can
live on your really your less expensive battery backup um because it's it
doesn't draw that much electricity. So even a smaller battery backup would run
at probably 24 hours, >> right?
» Yeah. Okay. >> Thank you, Dev.
» Will we get an idea of timing of when this is happening?
» Of course. Yes. >> Yes. But we can't do anything until the
contract is approved, which is why we're waiting to see.
» Anybody else? >> We'll bring it back up here. Uh Taylor,
do you want to or Lisa, do you want to uh
» say anything further? >> No.
» No. >> Okay. So, uh again, the uh the motion
the the agreement is a support document. Uh, Commissioner Stewart, you had uh
» I was going to move >> else you wanted to say
» I had another question, >> Mr. Mayor.
» Uh, Commissioner Good. >> So, I'm worried about jumping into this
until we have a better better idea of comparable um options. My my issue is
that, you know, I'm I'm I'm looking at your pricing and it seems to be the
older business model of Comcast and Verizon where people would rent
equipment through Comcast and Verizon each month and everyone wanted to get
away from that because the the net cost the monthly cost kept rising because the
rental and then you know the federal taxes. So whereas you know you are
giving this all-inclusive price that includes the equipment and includes you
know eventually you're saying you'll state-of-the-art equipment upgrades. I'm
nervous about that pricing model because it's it's a little bit outdated now in
in terms of what the you know the big players in this market Verizon and
Comcast are um are have been using for probably almost a decade now. So I I
just I I'm not you know I I think rushing into this today [snorts] would
be premature but you know others obviously have you know different
opinions. >> Thank you Suzanne. Susan
» mayor I'd like to make a motion to approve the agreement for the
installation of a fiber optic broadband network between the city of Rahobath and
IQ Fiber um LLC.
» Second it. Uh we have a motion and a second to approve the agreement uh here
in for the installation of a fiber optic broadband network between city ro beach
and IQ Fiber LLC. Um uh all those in favor signify by saying I
» I >> I those opposed.
» Mayor I abstain. I don't feel as if we have enough information to make an
informed decision on this. Thank you. >> Okay.
» I'll I'll abstain as well. But we uh and the record will show that uh all the
commissioners voted yes uh but for Commissioner Gossit and Commissioner
[snorts] Good who abstained. >> Very good. Gentlemen, thank you for
coming here today. >> Uh no, I'm going to do the proclamation
now.
» Well, let's
do this.
» [clears throat]
» You're not going to come. You're good. >> Up here. Okay. Uh my uh
my group was supposed to come here to represent the uh ovarian cancer
survivors and I don't know where they are. They're stuck on Highway Route One.
So uh I've asked the uh mayor elect Susan Stewart to to join me today. This
is a proclamation for ovarian cancer awareness month September 20 26. Whereas
ovarian cancer is the deadliest of all female reproductive system cancers.
And whereas the American Cancer Society estimates that in 2026
over 21,10 women will be newly diagnosed with
ovarian cancer. And whereas in 2025 it is estimated that approximately 12,450
women will die in the United States from ovarian cancer.
Many women are not diagnosed until the disease has begun to spread. But if the
disease is detected at its earliest state, stage one, the 5year survival
rate is more than 92%. Symptoms of ovarian cancer are often
subtle and easily confused with other ailments. And whereas one in 91 women
will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer during their lifetime.
Whereas during ovarian cancer awareness month, we honor the loved ones we have
lost to this disease and all those who battle it today. And we continue our
work to improve care and raise awareness about ovarian cancer. And whereas that
is why it is important for all women to pay attention to their bodies and know
what is normal for them. Women who experience unexplained changes including
abdominal pain, pressure and swelling should talk with their health care
providers. And whereas ovarian cancer and the hardship it brings have affected
too many lives. This September we stand with everyone who has been touched by
this disease and we recognize all those committed to advancing the fight against
the cancer through research, advocacy and quality care. And now therefore we
mayor Mills board vice president Patrick >> Gosset and President-elect
» mayor
[laughter] >> mayor
Stewart hereby proclaim September 2026 as
ovarian cancer awareness month. Together let us renew our commitment to reducing
the impact of ovarian cancer and to a future free from cancer in all form
proclaimed as 21st day of August 2026. Stan Mills and Patrick Gosset. So, thank
you. >> Thank you, Mayor.
[applause]
» Thank you. Thank you for joining me up here.
Who knows the presiding officer? >> I think you're in charge for the
» president can do it. [laughter]
» All right, Mr. Tedar, if you'd like to begin your report.
Thank you. This item is the uh review and discuss
the request for information submissions received for our potential master
planning initiative. As you know, earlier this year, the city released a
request for information um looking for master planning services.
And so the RFI really is a information gathering session. So, for those of you
that have looked at the packet, um I included the actual RFI itself that the
city um authored and sent out to over two dozen uh planning firms. And then we
received four responses uh one from Dover Colon Partners, one from Rossi
Group, Tool Design, and Wallace Montgomery. Um, and then I also included
the uh zoning code update presentation that Dover Cole did for the city um not
too long ago. So ultimately really what we're looking for is to try to come up
with a scope of work and after the sharet week and the work that Do Cole
has done so far, um staff's recommendation is to move forward with
Dover Cole. What I'd like to do is have the board of commissioners um authorize
me to go back to do coal and try to come up with a scope of work um for us uh
with a specific price because the the pricing really can vary depending on
what components are in the actual master planning efforts. Um the city's never
had an economic development um analysis performed on our commercial corridor.
Um, but we've had a lot of other studies done such as parking and transportation
and those are already being they've already been reviewed and used by Dover
Cole. So those are things that we wouldn't need um to do again. Um, so
ultimately, um, in speaking with Joe Cole, it does sound like we could land
in the 2 to 300 range, under 300,000, um, which we did budget for planning
services, um, in the budget. But, um, ultimately, if you do authorize me to go
back to do Cole and ask for a formalized scope of work to really show all of the
pieces of what this would entail, I would bring that back to you for your
approval. Mr. Tedar, am I correct that
Commissioner Saunders, >> I'm sorry. Am I correct that that would
dovetail with what do Cole is currently doing for us?
» Yes. So, it would build upon that for a greater vision of what our what our
downtown. >> You would not be paying twice for the
same product. >> Correct.
» Very good. >> Because right now they're only focused
on our commercial zoning code. >> Thank you,
» Mr. Mayor. >> Commissioner Good.
So, um, those of you, uh, I think all of us here did see the July 17th
presentation which culminated over Kohl's, uh, spending, I think, four
working days in the city with the Cherrettes. And that 150,000 in the end,
well, it brought four consultants up from Florida, you know, that we had to
fund. Um, had exactly two recommendations. One of which seemed um
which was one was to obviate the two parking space requirement for mix for
new mixeduse um properties which seemed odd because those properties typically
do do need off- streetet parking. And the other one was to tweak the 42
foot height maximum if if they if the um renovation or the new construction
had a more aesthetically aesthetically superior way to maybe sort of have part
of the roof be a little above 42 feet, but most of it comply with the 42 feet,
which seemed like a maybe a reasonable thing to consider. I I felt city staff
and and citizens would be able to make that decision without a a consultant.
What concerns me is that a lot of this master planning, it's it's government
spending. government spending, which means the taxpayers and the rateayers
here are funding this, which normally the board of commissioners were tasked
with police, fire, and infrastructure. And the all these consultancies end up
being a lot of sessions with getting feedback from mostly amateurs in my
view. And it seems redundant with the CDP, which were mandated to do every 10
years. So, I'm very concerned that someone for some reason is enamored of
Dover Cole in spite of very minimal, underwhelming
uh output from their $150,000 consultancy, which we saw, if you watch
the July 17th 2M meeting, see for yourself if that is how we should be
spending the public's money. I think not. So I will obviously be voting
against uh the STRA staff recommendation. No surprise of the four
contractors is continue with do coal. Yeah, maybe it segways better than the
other three being, you know, newbies on the block for us. But um I'm very
concerned about this. I don't know why we need more guidance than, you know,
than other 1.2 two uh square mile towns in Delaware which you know rely on the
CDP for for most of this work. >> Thank you Suzanne. Uh
did Commissioner Stewart? >> Thank you mayor. Um I think we have a
very distinct and and narrow question here and that is do we authorize the
city manager to go back and get no do called to narrow their scope. Number
one, we have not seen the output yet from the zoning code rewrite. Number
two. Number three, we derived 63% of our revenue from tourism
related activity, 10.9 from property taxes and yet 100% of our quality of
life issues are this disharmony between the commercial existence and our
existence. We have to plan for the future if we want to preserve what we
like about the past. And then lastly, um I've learned this past summer in the
last month that the words reimagine Rahobitth are triggering for some
people. So, can we never say it again and call this something else?
» That's why I called it master planning services.
» Okay, cool. Thanks. It's and it's off the website. That little
» We'll be changing. >> Okay. Thank you, Mayor.
Commissioner Saunders, >> I just want to respond to uh
Commissioner Good. If you had been there to the Cherrettes, I think you would
have found that we that that we got a lot more than just two suggestions for
the $157,000. First of all, the $157,000
is for the next two years that they will be working on our updates with us.
» Mark, address Address us. >> Oh, I'm sorry. So, at any rate, I don't
want the public to be misled into Commissioner Good's comments because
they were false. >> Mr. Mayor, no,
» I'm aware that not all the work has been affected by Dover Cole under the 100%.
» You do not have I would like the floor, please.
» Do not have the floor. Chris, did you have something?
» Uh, sure. So, a a couple of things. Thanks, Mr. Mayor. Um, first of all, I
uh thank you for putting this um report together. Um, I really enjoyed the
sharetses and um I thought the RFI responses were really helpful to to
have. Um, to me the um breadth of experience um that is outlined in the
Dover Cole response is is notable. um it far surpasses the um input from the
others. There there were interesting ideas in in the other responses and I'm
grateful that those companies took the time to to put those um responses
together. Um you know, a point that I made when we had our meeting in July
after the Cherrettes was that I think doing nothing is a dereliction of duty
and I stand by that comment. Um, I think we have to be intentional in planning
for the future and I think that that's what this work does. So, I am um excited
about it and I'm supportive. >> Mr. Mayor, can clarify just
» Taylor, can you uh uh uh reiterate what you're hoping to get out of this
conversation? >> Mr. Mayor, can I just clarify? I No, you
can't. I think I wasn't there. I was in Montana until
Thursday night the 16th on a vacation that had been qualifies as not there.
» Yeah, but I mean you act as though somehow I deliberately wasn't there. I
had a planned vacation in April and the cheret dates were announced in May. So I
had no ability to be present. I was here for the 2:00 meeting on July 17th though
which had was on the calendar. There's a proposed motion question right on the
last page of the agenda item report um >> directing the city manager to negotiate
a scope of work and fee proposal with Dover Cole and partners for downtown
master planning services structured as the next phase of the city's existing
engagement with the firm on the zoning code update
» and and if we do that and there's a favorable outcome what is our commitment
to them are we >> there is no commitment until I bring
that proposal back to you for approval So, I think we can get it done fairly
quickly. Um, perhaps as soon as the next meeting. Um, but that's where you would
commit. Right now, you're not committing to anything. Just directing me to go
back to them and get a scope of work. >> Okay. So, what it is, what our motion
today would be >> directing directing you, but but to do
Cole and and excluding the other three. >> Yes, sir. And I don't know if you want
to do public comment. >> That's next. Yes,
» Mr. What is the rush to do the second
contract? Mr. >> You do not have the floor. Contract has
» My name is Nancy Doyle and I live at 202 Country Club Drive. Um, I uh like the
comments of uh Mark Saunders and also Commissioner Glante and uh
[clears throat] Commissioner Mark Saunders and Commissioner Glanti and
having attended a lot of the week of shits because it happened to be
convenient for my schedule. I know it wasn't for others. There was such broad
community support. We really needed to do this. The citizens the business
people came in skeptical. It's the singular. It's popular thing. I can only
think of one person I've ever met who's trying to throw water on this. So, it's,
you know, we really shouldn't because I saw a lot of deep community consensus on
this and I was impressed with them and I was willing not to be, but it's exactly
what Chris says. They know a lot. So, I I'm strongly in favor of this and I like
the idea of saying um change not chance. It's not that we're doing social
engineering or autocratically telling people what to do. It's that we're
listening to our businesses and residents who are all saying, "Yes, we
need this." And and and I I am certain there is a huge amount of community
support behind this project and I I I I've been in touch with people. I live
through that week. I know it's there. So, it's just I stand on that certainty
and I convey it to you. >> Thank you, Nancy. Susan Gay.
» Thanks, Susan Gay, Country Club Drive. Um, my comments actually go back a
little bit in time. Um, when I was a newly appointed planning commissioner
almost 10 years ago, um, I remember the then chairman David Melon talking
frequently about the need for a master plan. In fact, I realize now that there
are two others were with me in that time. Joyce Lucer Barry were on the
planning commission then as well. And when we started working on the 2020 CDP,
we had agenda items on mixed use and um and some new projects were starting to
come in then. Some of the big new development projects came to us then.
And of course, that process got a little changed by the by the pandemic. This was
pre- pandemic. But nevertheless, I want to just make quote a couple of things
that Chairman Melon said at the time because uh they resonate very much
today. He said, 'We don't have mixeduse housing in the commercial district
conceptually in the way most people would think of mixeduse housing. If the
city were to decide that's where we want to go, it will result in a different
looking downtown ultimately. Rather than let that happen haphazardly on a one-off
basis, there should be a master plan. Then when asked what's a master plan, he
said, this is again chairman Mill, not me. You take a look at the whole
downtown area. You take a look at it holistically. What do we want the town
to look like in the future? Then you develop a master plan with a concept of
how people will use it and where you want to go in the future. We have not
done that as a city unfortunately and it penalizes each group that comes before
us. So I could not be happier given given my
experience over the years with planning commission. I could not be happier that
we're at that point today and I feel very positive about it and I certainly
hope we move ahead with it. The other thing I would say just as a comment
about because I read the do coal uh and I expected it to be good because I had
been very impressed with the sheretses um and every how all that transpired.
But one of the things that impressed me the most about that was the way they
took out the architectural review guide which had not been looked at in a very
long time and they used that as a to to inform some of the recommendations they
were making and some of the questions they asked. And I would hope there there
are other reports, there are parking reports, there are transportation
reports, there's some good stuff there. And I have this feeling that Do Cole
will be the one group that will be able to take all of that information and use
it for good going forward. And it will not have been a waste. So, thank you.
» Thank you, Susan. Anybody else? Michael,
» Mike Vanzy, Above the Dunes. Uh I would just like to say as a business owner for
many many years here in this community um that is one of the first times in the
shs and I'm obviously very busy in July and August. Um still made time to be I
think at five sessions. Um the first time I've noticed the business community
and the residential community coming together and having discussions about
one topic. Uh, I think it was incredibly beneficial and I think it's something we
need to continue to do because planning based on just the business needs or
planning just on the residents needs really misses the boat as to what we
have to do to grow and move forward. So, it's my thought. [applause and cheering]
Uh, if there's nobody else, I'm going to bring it back to the table here. Does
anybody have further discussion or want to make a motion?
Mayor, if I make a motion to direct [clears throat] the city manager to
negotiate a scope of work and fee proposal with Dover Cole and Partners
for downtown master planning services structured as the next phase of the
city's existing engagement with the firm on the zoning code update.
» Second. >> Uh we have a motion and a second to
direct city manager to negotiate a scope of work and fee proposal with Dover Cole
Partners for downtown master planning services. Uh, as noted, uh, all those in
favor signify by saying I. I. >> I.
» Those opposed? >> No. Especially because we're already in
the in the middle of their first contract. This seems premature to me.
» We have your uh the record will show that six commissioners voted yes and one
voted no. >> Uh, thank you very much.
With that, give us a minute.
Is this going to set up here? Okay. [cough and clears throat]
[snorts]
Thank you.
I don't know what I did, but you're going to look at cheats or whatever.
whatever it is. [laughter]
Uh the next item on our agenda is discuss and possible consideration of
action on confidential report regarding commissioner conduct. Uh joining us for
this agenda topic is attorney Lisa Hatfield of Connelly Gallagher LLP.
Welcome. Thank you for coming today. By way of background, the city through our
director of human resources received several complaints concerning the
conduct of a commissioner directed towards city staff.
These complaints were exacerbated during the month of June
and the city retained an independent attorney, Miss Molly Debianca,
to investigate the matter. Miss Debianca and her firm DBianca Law
conducted an independent investigation and prepared a confidential report
containing her findings and recommendations.
The personnel committee composed of commissioners uh Gosset who is the chair
and commissioners the Galante received and reviewed the report and thereafter
forwarded the matter for consideration by the mayor and commissioners.
Before we proceed, I want to explain the process the board will follow.
The independent investigative report concerns the conduct of Commissioner
Suzanne Good. Because Commissioner Good is the subject of the report, she did
not participate in the personnel committee's consideration of this
matter. Commissioner Good, like other
commissioners, however, was provided a copy of the report before this meeting,
and the report was provided to her on the same confidential basis applicable
to the other members of the board of commissioners
and remains confidential pending action by the board. Thus, if she or any
commissioner were to have shared the report with anyone, they would be in
violation of breach of confidentiality.
I want to be clear about the nature of today's proceeding. This is not a
hearing. The board is not sitting as an
adjudicatory body taking testimony, receiving evidence, determining the
admissibility of evidence, or conducting a trial concerning the matters addressed
in the report.
As Commissioner Good is the subject of the report, she will be afforded an
opportunity to make a statement. This will recur after
the public comment period and following commissioner discussion of the report
and its recommendations. That opportunity is not a reopening of
the investigation and is not an evidentiary rebuttal of
the investigator's findings. There will be no presentation of witnesses,
cross-examination, questioning of the investigator, or pointby-point
adjudication of the report.
Now, the first order of business is that the board must first determine whether
to wave any applicable privilege and then to authorize public release of the
report. Because the report remains confidential
until and unless the board acts, the public cannot presently be provided the
report or its confidential comment contents. Uh I would now entertain a
motion to wave the attorney client privilege to the extent applicable with
respect to the independent investigative report and authorize the report to be
released publicly without exhibits. Do I have a motion?
» I I need to speak. >> Do I have a motion?
» No. Foyer, >> you do not have You do not have the
floor. >> You can't make a motion to release a
report before I've had a chance to defend myself.
» You do not have the floor was written by an attorney who insulted me. I wasn't
given the report until yesterday. >> All the all the We have a motion.
government going >> Evan
» I wasn't even informed about the existence of the court
days ago >> I can't Are you silencing her phone her
microphone >> it is muted [laughter]
» mayor just to be clear the motion is to wave confidentiality that's that's all
we're talking about right now is that correct
» well the specifics yes wave attorney client privilege to the extent
applicable with respect to the independent investigative report that
were referred to and authorize the report to be released publicly without
exhibits. We have a motion and a second in in that vein. Uh and uh we'll just do
a group vote. All those in favor signify by saying I
» I >> I those opposed
» nay. And we have one nay from commissioner good and the rest remainder
of the commissioners have voted in favor of releasing it. Uh so the board with a
favorable vote just now has waved privilege to the extent applicable and
authorized public release of the report without its exhibits by way of embedment
of the report into this meeting agenda following adjournment of the meeting.
Again, after this meeting, the report will be embedded into the agenda. Uh, I
will now recognize Commissioner Gossit, chair of the personnel committee, to
provide an overview of the investigation,
the report, its findings, and its recommendations.
» Thank you, mayor. [clears throat] Um, if I may, the report begins with a scope of
investigation. On or about June 29th, 2026, Debianca Law LLC was retained by
the city of Verhobit Beach to investigate allegations of harassment
and abusive behavior by Commissioner Suzanne Good targeting two city
employees. The evidence considered by the investigator includes one,
approximately 90 emails sent by Commissioner Good in June 2026 to
certain employees and elected officials. [clears throat]
Two, certain emails sent by Commissioner Good to employee number two during the
month of July 2026. [clears throat] July emails targeted
with the June emails with reviewed emails. three, interviews of the
targeted employees, and four, correspondence relating to prior efforts
of the city to deter abusive behavior by Commissioner Good. It is the
understanding of the investigator that Commissioner Good sent nearly 2,000
emails to the targeted employees since 2024 and continues to send more on a
daily near daily basis. However, this report is limited to to the reviewed
emails as a representative and current sample of the communications.
The report in summary states the questions presented to the investigator
include one, whether there are reasonable grounds to conclude that
Commissioner Good engaged in harassment and or abuse in violation of any city
policy, rule, or ordinance? and two, if yes, what steps are available to remedy,
stop, and/or prevent future violations from occurring.
The investigator determines that there are reasonable grounds to conclude that
Commissioner Good engaged in conduct that violates the city civil civil
civility code and recommends that the city take immediate action to stop the
conduct and ensure it does not happen in the future as outlined in the
recommendations. >> [clears throat]
» Legal background outlined in the report. There are several laws to the present
analysis. They [clears throat] are described below. Anti-harassment and
anti-retaliation laws, the civility code, and the ethics code.
The nature of the abusive behavior is persistent despite repeated
interventions and continued escalations and is calculated circumvention of
directives established conduct so far outside the norms of acceptable
professional behavior and the obligations set forth in the civility
code as to warrant serious and immediate remedial action by the city to prevent
legal liability under state and federal employment and workplace safety laws.
cause and to avoid the high cost and associated negative impacts that prolong
abusive behavior that have an an on employee morale, workplace productivity,
and the city's ability to operate efficiently of the city.
The report makes the following recommendations.
The [clears throat] city board of commissioners is recommended to consider
the following remedial steps to address the ongoing abuse of city employees by
Commissioner Good. One, prohibit Commissioner Good from communicating
directly or indirectly with the city employees electronically, in person, via
phone, or other channel or method. To effectuate this, the city should create
and apply a system by which all emails received from accounts associated with
Commissioner Good are automatically redelected to a special purpose and
sequestered email account, which should be checked at regular intervals by the
mayor or their design. Additionally, city employees should be permitted to
block Commissioner Good's associated phone numbers from their personal and
city phones to prevent them from receiving further text messages and
phone calls from Commissioner Good. Two, prohibit Commissioner Good from
accessing the city's administrative offices and deactivate her key cards,
fobs, andor keys to ensure compliance. Three, formerly request that
Commissioner Good produce to the city all communications involving city
business sent and/or received via a personal platform, including but not
limited to via Gmail, text messages, and Facebook and other social media. four
formally requests that Commissioner Good issue unqualified [laughter] written
apologies to employee number one and employee number two within two weeks in
a form and which substantiates approved by the board and that such apologies, if
any, be made public. Five, formally request that Commissioner Good promptly
complete city approved training on the subject of respectful workplace and
civility and FOYA and public records laws and obligations.
Six, review compliance with a remedial measures on a date certain between 60
and 90 days. Additionally, the board is recommended to consider issuing a formal
censure for the conduct that has occurred and/or if the conduct continues
following the adoption of some or all of the above remedial measures.
Respectfully submitted, Margaret Dybanka Esquire, Dybanka Law LLC.
Thank you. >> Thank you, Commissioner. Uh next,
the members of the board who participated in consideration of this
matter will make comments or have the opportunity to make comments they wish
just concerning the report and the actions to be taken. Commissioner Good,
you will be granted an opportunity to speak following public comment on this
matter. Uh Commissioner Stewart, you wanted to
» That's not the usual order. >> Thank you, Mayor.
» Public comment comes back. You don't have the floor.
» Today's report documents repeated violations of federal and state
workplace safety laws as well as the city charter. We take no satisfaction in
this. We want nothing more than to move on, but we have no choice. Re releasing
this report and implementing its recommendation, however inadequate to
the harm caused, is necessary. In most workplaces, the documented conduct would
warrant ter termination. Our laws provide no such path for an elected
official. To simply move on would mean keeping this conduct secret, leaving the
victims to shoulder the burdens themselves without institutional
support. That is unacceptable. This report focuses on two victims,
employee one and employee number two, and just two months of emails. But the
record is larger than that. There are many more months of abusive emails and
social media posts that violates these very same laws. And the commissioner
targeted other city employees as well. That is why this report and its release
is necessary. These are real people with real professional reputations and real
careers. And the city needed to use what limited power it has to say, "We hear
you. We see you. We wish we could do more." Does the city want to move on?
Absolutely. Does it have the power to? It does not. The power lies squarely
with the commissioner. This behavior must stop now.
» Thank you, Mayor. >> Any other commissioners?
» Yes. Thank you, >> Commissioner Gossip.
» Yes, Commissioner [clears throat] Good. Your words and actions have brought us
to this moment. You have never denied that you have said or done these things.
Words and actions have consequences. The gridlock you have created with your
pattern of conduct designated to intimidate, demean, and harass rather
than to advance legitimate city business is unacceptable, inconsistent with the
standard expected of an elected official, and disruptive to the
effective operation of city government. The city as an employer has an
obligation to maintain a safe workplace free from harassment and abuse. The
pattern of overt aggression targeting employees represents a serious breach of
the most basic professional standards expected in any work environment and has
rendered this workplace inhospitable and potentially unsafe for all city staff.
It is my expectation that the city and commissioner good will implement the
recommendations in the report and that the result will be more effective and
civil operation of civ civic government. Thank you. Anybody else? Any
commissioners? Uh I'll reserve my statement uh to a
later time.
So as the board has now acted to wave privilege,
the report has been authorized for public release and the personnel
committee has explained its findings and recommendations of the report and will
provide an uh we will now provide an opportunity for public comment.
Now that the substance of the matter has been publicly presented,
uh, is there anybody that would like to comment on the substance
of the report? Nancy Doyle.
My name is Nancy Doyle and I live at 202 Country Club Drive and I am a resident
and I was well met as a federal prosecutor because I'm from New England
and people from where I am in Vermont, New England are pretty moralistic, often
annoyingly so and I I was built that way. So I could speak with real
credibility to juries. But one of my great honors as a
prosecutor was dealing with the victims of crime
as a part I hadn't really experienced in my childhood in New England was bonding
with them sort of really being their helper and their theorist therapist when
I look back in those years be standing tough with those victims of crime and
standing with them and saying this isn't right and this has to stop to bullies
bullies of all sorts serial rapists double homicides
and simple misdemeanors that could cause life-changing emotional harm to victims.
To be there with them was in the moment, not afterwards, not after a lawsuit, but
in the moment was so important to them. And it made me so useful. It was as
important as anything I did in my in the courtroom. And though I went on to do
international financial policy and derivatives and other things, if you ask
me the most useful I ever was in my career, it was how I took care of those
victims in the moment. Bullying has no place in the workforce is not a little
civil thing. I have been present in this room and I have seen the bullying. It
has to be it has to be dealt with. Being quiet
doesn't work with bullies. And I'm not saying anyone person is just a bully or
that's just one thing. People are complex, but bullying
behavior, I should be saying, not bullies. Bullying behavior has to be
confronted. And you guys are doing the right thing. And I know it's hard, but
what has been happening and what I've heard is very wrong. I can't help but
judge it morally, but I'm happy my tax dollars are being spent to try to stop
it. and to protect these city employees. >> Thank you, Nancy. Is there any other
member of the public that would like to comment on the substance of the report
as uh articulated by uh Commissioner Gossip?
Mr. Perry,
uh Richard Perry, resident of the city. Uh, I can't say how
much I agree with what Nancy said. It all it almost doesn't need anyone else
to comment, but I do want to say that having been an owner of many
businesses over the years in my career, nothing was more disturbing as as a
senior executive, as a general counsel, as chief operating officer, than to
learn that an employee was being harassed by anyone within the
organization. That is totally inappropriate.
As as you have said, it damages the efficiency of of the business and the
city is a business and it is not immune from uh having to abide by the statutes
that apply to harassment in the workplace. And so I commend you for what
you have done. And although the public hasn't yet seen the report based on what
we heard here today, I believe that you are doing exactly the right thing to
correct this situation. >> Thank you, Mr. Perry. Anybody else?
Members of the public commenting on substance of the report.
Uh if not,
uh I'm going to close public comment right now, right at this moment. Uh and
Commissioner Good, you will now be given the opportunity to speak to be followed
by a vote to by these commissioners uh by all commissioners to uh vote to
accept the findings of the report and adopt and implement the recommendations
contained therein. That vote would follow your thing. You are now
recognized to speak. You do not have an infinite amount of time. Uh I do uh have
the power to uh uh stop you at certain point. Go ahead.
» Okay. Well, as per usual, I've been blindsided by a number of things. I was
not informed in in late June that this had gone under contract. Normally, that
would have should have gone to a vote of the board of commissioners whether to
investigate one commissioner. I only learned of the existence of this report
when the agenda for today's meeting was published a week ago on August 14th.
Maybe one of the reasons I've sent multiple emails is when I asked I said
you're not going to pub this is this report may I may I see it? Well, I got
no response. And [clears throat] then once I finally was told on Wednesday
afternoon, August 19th, that I could pick up my co copy on Thursday morning
the 20th um at that point when I once I saw it
because it's riddled with inaccuracies, misrepresentations, and everything else.
Um I never got a response as to whether it I said this can't release this to the
public. Well, lo and behold, behind closed doors, they had made arrangements
already to do that. The overarching problem here, and these two employees
are the top two administrators in the city. Uh the there's sort of this this
implication that I somehow was abusing other employees. But first of all, I
wasn't abusing those two employees. I never I didn't get answers. I had one
refusing to reveal settlement terms. terms of what I was trying to bring a an
end to the to to bring or get negotiations going for the city manager
report. And then weeks later, she finally relented when she realized it
was illegal to withhold those terms from from the entire board. They just those
terms had only been shared with a select number of commissioners. Foyer was meant
to protect citizens from government overreach and to assure transparency.
FOYA which has been you weaponized here against me was not designed to to to use
information against elected officials and yet that is what the Rahobath beach
government has done with Foya. They have weaponized it. Um selected officials
went ahead and contracted for this investigation in June of 2026. I had no
idea because apparently they they decided we're allowed to just use this.
It seems like a misuse of taxpayer money not to have sought the approval of
people to conduct an investigation. And when an investigation is an attorney up
in Wilmington looking at emails who never dains to contact me, who never
contacts me, obviously it's a one-sided investigation. Let me give you one
example. You're going to read this salacious report tonight. Maybe one of
them, Mr. Tedar talks about a December 2024 phone conversation he and I had. I
happened to be in San Francisco. He I believe was was here in Rahobit. And he
alleges that I said a number of things, but he omits the fact that I said that
someone on next door said these things. That is not equivalent. My words have
been twisted. That's just one example. Um and so there was no due diligence to
a report. This seems like the investigating attorney never never got
my side of anything. I was never given the opportunity to defend myself. I'm
just sort of gobsmacked by this whole thing. Some commissioners had access to
this report before I did. I was not allowed. I was told on late Wednesday
afternoon I could pick it up Thursday morning. So the um I can't the the the
the in that case the city manager claims in the report that he's paraphrasing my
words but he does so so inaccurately that he imputes uh ill intentions to me
or that he imputes that I'm t talking about
» that's so good. Would you listen for a minute? Would you just listen for a
minute? uh gave an introduction at the beginning of this meeting that we're not
relitigating this. Uh we're not reoping the best.
» This is my opportunity to defend myself because you have done this behind closed
doors. I you hire an attorney who never speaks to me when I can you imagine if
an investigator was investigating something and never spoke to the person
whom they were investigating. That is a complete
» You have two two more minutes. So use wisely.
» Words have been attributed to me which aren't mine. Emails are taken out of
context completely. And there's uh Mr. Teder uses one particular email from
February 2025 repeatedly in which I wrote to a constituent and and said in
the subjunctive tense that some people would say that and he needs they need to
rely on one email from February 2025 as somehow proof that I that I would speak
using that language and I rarely curse or or use any vulgar words in emails.
So, it's sort of they're building a narrative that is inconsistent with how
I behaved. Let me give you an example of my attempts to move the news stands and
then just a couple days ago asking why the pagod on the boardwalk we where
we were supposed to put the news stands hasn't been returned but instead rocks
are being placed by the ballards and I get no response. That was 48 or 72 hours
ago. So obviously my job has gotten gotten very frustrating and when I
received no answers from either Mr. Tedar or the city solicitor, I have had
to email them repeatedly. For them to say that's abuse is a stretch. I'm not
done. >> Um more generally by by any questions of
accountability >> Commissioner Good, the mayor has called
time. Um I I'm I'm left uh you know shocked and obviously um the way this
has been handled is commissioners feel that I'm being forced
to I have spoken to a lawyer or I spoke commissioner good
» the city is bringing along onto itself by their please discontin
» thank you commissioner good >> I will now entertain a motion
» mayor I'd like to accept the to accept the findings of the report and adopt and
implement the recommendations contained therein with a date to review compliance
at the board of commissioners meeting on October 16th.
» So moved. >> No. Do we have a second?
» Second. Uh we have a motion and a second to uh uh accept the accept the findings
of the report and adopt and implement the recommendations contained therein
with a date to review compliance at the board of commissioners uh meeting on
October 16th >> uh
no who who said that
» 20 October 23rd at a at a future meeting date to be determined.
Is it the 23rd? >> I believe it's the 16th. Let's see here.
» 16th.
» It's the third Friday is the 16th of October.
» October. >> October. The original motion stands. Uh
all those in favor signify by saying I. I.
» I. Those opposed, we'll let the record show that uh that Commissioner Good left
the room at uh 4:04
p.m. uh and did not vote. Uh with that, the results of the vote were uh six
present commissioners voting yes in favor uh and one absent.
» Uh state may I make a statement? >> Yes. Thank you. May I
» Yeah. Are you >> point of order, mayor? Um I we voted to
release this without the exhibits and the exhibits are all redacted. I don't
understand since um Commissioner Good has raised an issue that she wasn't
interviewed, but these are all her own words. Why wouldn't we be releasing this
with a report? I'm confused.
I I know that was discussion between them. That's why I'm looking at Lisa.
Are you okay with Okay. >> So, I would enterain May I make make a
motion that we release the report. >> We have a motion on the floor first.
Sorry. >> Don't we need to do procedure? Let's
Let's do this. >> Actually, we've already voted.
[laughter] >> I thought we voted.
» We already voted. Now,
» may I make a motion to release along with the report the exhibits that came
with the report? >> Seconded.
» We have a motion in a second to uh to release the uh exhibits as part of the
uh public uh release. What? Help me with wording.
[laughter] >> Take a vote to be able to to release
with the exhibits. You've already motioned to release the report. So, it's
a motion to include the exhibits with the prior approved release of the
report. >> You got that. Can you restate that?
» You [clears throat] do it. >> I think m point of order. I think that
the original uh motion was, if I may repeat it, I would like to make a motion
to accept the findings of the report and adopt and implement the recommendations
contained therein. The new added aspects of uh to be reflected or reviewed on
October 16th. So the findings of the report generally include the exhibits.
So I don't think that the motion excluded the exhibits. It spoke of
finding of the report. >> The original did
» motion to wave attorney client privilege.
» Correct. >> Excluded the exhibits. So now we're
undoing that. >> Just adding the exhibits.
» You don't need to undo it. Just a motion to
» I think just call the question. So we have a motion and a second to release
the exhibits as part of the waved attorney client privilege.
» So moved. >> Seconded again.
» It's all [laughter] >> okay.
» Okay. All those in favor uh signify by saying I
» I. Those opposed. And uh the motion carries uh unanimously. 6 to zero.
» Um [clears throat] make a statement
» with that. Uh I'd like to >> Can I make a statement real quick? Yes.
Just just for the public, I I wanted to make a statement. The the exhibits in
the report are redacted. Um the information here today is employee one
and employee 2. I just want to be clear that any statements made by uh
Commissioner Good or her assumptions as to who they are. That may be able to be
figured out at your own. Um but uh that was not uh anything that the
commissioners here included in their report and the copies that you received
will be redacted. Um and so I just want to make that announcement. I also wanted
to encourage everybody to look at the civility code. Um it does say that these
proceedings will be public. Um and in addition, the commissioners uh looked
into the foyer rules regarding this um that mandate this sort of situation be
in public. Um so I just want to make that clear for the public as to why that
was done here today in this manner. Thank you all.
» Uh thank you. Now, I'd like to make uh make my statement and hi Suzanne who
will be watching this at some point, I hope. Uh uh I have been caught up in all
this nastiness for almost two years dating back to the election of Suzanne
Good to a commissioner seat. I am wrapped up in this disturbance likely
more than the other commissioners because of my role as mayor and because
I too have been the recipient of commissioner goods univil behaviors
both direct and by being copied on emails or texts or voicemails sent to
the city manager or sent to the city solicitor
or sent to staff commissioners even other constituents.
I've been the author of multiple cease and assist directives directed to
Commissioner Good which have attempted to abate her univil uh abate her univil
behaviors and to suggest she seek self's restraint and remediation but to no
avail. In fact, her intensity of belligerance
only escalated and is at an unacceptable level which can no longer be tolerated
and should never have been tolerated from the beginning.
And so I believe we have come to the point where we must take the most severe
action we can take at this time to end Commissioner Good's intentional lies
in harassment with the facts and recommendations
contained in this report before us. What we are doing is putting up barriers to
protect our employees from continuing harassment. almost two years worth of
verifiable, documentable, and hurtful incivility
generated by Commissioner Good. Her vitriolic actions have been directed at
city staff, including the multiple people in building and licensing,
our HR director, our communications specialist,
our city manager, our city solicitor, our interim city solicitor, our
commissioners, and our mayor. All the while, she knows her actions are
wrongful. multiple adminitions and cease and
desist directives authored not just by me as mayor but also by the city manager
and by the city solicitor have not gotten through to her.
If we were an HOA board, there would likely be a bylaw establishing commiss
conditions for expelling a board member. Unfortunately for us, removal of an
elected official is not that easy. And so we have to resort to hiring an
outside lawyer at additional expense to examine the behaviors of commissioner
good and then to provide recommendations for how to remediate such uncivil
behaviors. I want to note that this has never been
about differences of opinion on issue, but rather it is solely about univil
behaviors with much of the time can be characterized as mean-spirited and nasty
and which again in the case of Commissioner Good are well documented in
emails, next door postings, videos, texts,
voicemails as the reference report attests. to
all municipal elected officials in Delaware take the same oath.
It is so important that it is embedded in the Delaware Constitution.
Article 14 section one. When elected, she stated, "I,
Suzanne Good, do proudly swear or affirm to carry out the responsibilities of the
office of commissioner of the city of Rahit Beach to the best of my ability,
freely acknowledging that the powers of this office flow from the people I am
privileged to represent. I further swear or affirm always to place the public
interests above any special or personal interests and to respect the right of
future generations to share the rich historic and natural heritage of
Delaware. Continuing in doing so, I will always
uphold and defend the constitutions of my country and my state. So help me God.
This oath is the basis upon which we carry out our duties. Serving is a
privilege. The public interests are paramount.
But most importantly, the responsibilities of a commissioner
require fidelity to our own municipal code
which mandates civility and courteous behavior and prohibits harassment.
The perspective of the I'm sorry, the peververate
univil, discourteous, and harassing behavior must cease. By code, the city
mandates that applicants for business licenses
have a reputation for operating their business in an honest manner.
City code section 125A, 120-5A.
How can we demand businesses act honestly yet tolerate mistruths
from a sitting commissioner through her lies and ill treatment of
city staff and well most everyone that who contradicts her.
Commissioner Good has violated her oath of office and has disgraced the position
of commissioner and she should resign. But as we the board of commissioners
lack the power to force resignation, I support the recommendations of the
report in front of us. I have supported it
and believe the public should witness the report content and judge for
themselves. And so I voted in favor of waving
attorney client privilege, releasing the report to the public with exhibits, and
adopting and implementing the report recommendations.
Frankly, I think tonight's behavior should be a good demonstration to
everybody of what we've had to go through and deal
with for the past two years. So to conclude,
the board has retained an independent investigator to review the complaints
that were presented to the city. The investigation has been completed.
Personnel committee has reviewed the resulting report and the mayor and
commissioners have now acted upon it. the city manager will ensure that the
report without uh without exhibits now with exhibits is made available to the
public consistent with the action taken by the board. So again uh by
the next hour or so uh the now public report will be uh embedded
into the agenda.
Um, did you have
I don't read lips from 20 ft. [laughter]
» Um,
thank you all. Thank members of the for of the public. Uh we
we conclude that uh section of the agenda. We move on to future agenda
topics. Uh if anybody uh you know they're embedded in the agenda if
anybody has any questions or wants to uh uh add something to the agenda certainly
see Taylor Tedar. Uh with that uh review future meeting dates. uh Taylor uh
indicated at the beginning of the meeting uh that because of Labor Day on
a Monday uh our meeting will be switched to Tuesday, September 8th. That's a
commissioner's m meeting. That's at 9:00 a.m. Subsequent to that, uh please note
that uh Friday, September 18th is our regular meeting and that's our
installation of our newly elected uh uh commissioners and mayor. Uh and that
meeting begins at uh two o'clock. With that uh is there any additional citizen
comment uh that anybody would like to make.
[laughter] >> Nancy Doyle 202 Country Club Drive. This
is a yellow and chocolate cake from Pascalini Bakery. It's not a celebratory
cake. I saw the agenda in advance, but I think like food is a important bonding
experience. And yes, I should be bringing vegetables, too. I'm working on
it. But this is a great piece of cake, and I was hoping every commissioner
could be here to have a piece of it, but it's I would have shared it with all of
them. Um, so a little bit of a sad day that this had to happen, but a good
cake. So, a healing cake I present to you.
» Thank you, Nancy. Anybody else members of the public comment? Uh if not, uh are
there any commissioner announcements? Uh very good. Uh with that, there being
no further business, I adjourn this meeting at 4:17 p.m. Thank you
everybody.