2023 OFFICIAL Town of Fenwick Island Election Results
Please see the OFFICIAL Town of Fenwick Island Election Results linked below.
2023 FIBP Awards Banquet
Left to Right: Lifeguard of the Year- Will Douds, Rookie of the Year- Kaelan Wright, Captain’s Award- Will Dubecq
Left to Right: First Lieutenant Josh Strine, Lifeguard of the Year Will Douds, Rookie of the Year Kaelan Wright, Captain’s Award Will Dubecq, Captain John Rykaczewski
Press Release-Michael Morrissey, New Police Chief
TOWN OF FENWICK ISLAND PRESS RELEASE:
The Town of Fenwick Island is pleased to announce that Michael Morrissey has accepted the offer to become Fenwick Island’s next Police Chief, effective September 1, 2023.
Morrissey brings to Fenwick Island more than thirty-three years of policing experience at both the community and national levels.
Morrissey began his police career in 1989 with the City of Wilmington Police Department. (WPD). During his early career he earned numerous commendations, including the Kiwanis Club Officer of the Year in 1991. During his tenure, he served in the Patrol, Internal Affairs and Community Policing Divisions. Morrissey also served as the department’s liaison with the Delaware Office of Highway Safety, writing grants and managing traffic safety programs, which included Click It or Ticket, Check Point Strike Force, and child safety seat and aggressive driving enforcement.
While working as a supervisor in the Community Policing Unit, Morrissey managed the federal Weed and Seed Program, obtaining grant funding to modernize the WPD bicycle unit. He also served on the Fugitive Safe Surrender Program led by the US Marshall Service and US and Delaware Attorney Generals’ Office.
Upon retirement in November 2009 from the Wilmington Police Department, Morrissey began his career with the Amtrak Police Department (APD) which is a federal-level policing organization. During his tenure with APD, he has served in supervisory and management roles in the Patrol and Criminal Investigations Divisions, serving in Wilmington DE, Philadelphia PA, and Washington DC. Morrissey has extensive experience in interagency partnership, traffic safety and grant management.
Morrissey earned his B.S in Criminal Justice and a master’s degree in justice administration from Wilmington University. Morrissey is a graduate of Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command Class #479 and has completed several supervisory training programs at the Southern Police Institute at the University of Louisville.
Morrissey and his family have been part-time residents in the Fenwick Island area for the past 20 years and recently became full-time residents of Dagsboro, Delaware. Morrissey has been married to his wife Kelly – a nurse, for 26 years. The Morrisseys have two children who are attending college in southern California and Alabama.
So that Morrissey’s transition to Police Chief will be seamless, after wrapping up his duties for Amtrak, Morrissey will begin serving Fenwick Island as a public safety liaison to the Town Council in advance of taking the position as Police Chief on September 1, 2023.
The Town Council believes Mr. Morrissey’s extensive background and experience in Wilmington and a nation-wide organization will be instrumental in addressing all aspects of our town’s policing priorities including Route 1 safety concerns regarding speed enforcement and crosswalk safety. During his interview, Morrissey offered a 90-day plan for addressing those issues and we are looking forward to seeing his plan put into action to benefit the Fenwick Island community.
Please join us in welcoming Mr. Morrissey to the Town of Fenwick Island’s family.
Public Workshop- Bridge 3-437 on Lighthouse Rd over Assawoman Bay
Tuesday, August 15, 2023 from 4:00-7:00pm
Roxana Volunteer Fire Company
35943 Zion Church Rd, Frankford, DE 19945
The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) would like to invite residents and all other interested
parties to a public workshop regarding the replacement of Bridge 3-437 on Lighthouse Road. The primary
purpose of the meeting is to gain feedback from the public on architectural enhancements being considered for
the bridge replacement project.
The workshop will also include a brief presentation providing updates on the planned construction method for
the bridge replacement project. Presentations will begin at 4:15pm and 5:45pm and will be followed by an open
forum allowing the public to ask questions and provide feedback on the project.
This workshop location is accessible to persons having disabilities. Persons who require auxiliary aids
and services such as qualified interpreters are requested to contact DelDOT by phone or mail one week
in advance.
For further information contact DelDOT Community Relations at 1-800-652-5600 (in DE) or 302-760-
2080, or write to DelDOT Community Relations P.O. Box 778, Dover, DE 19903, or via email to
dotpr@delaware.gov.
BR 3-437 Workshop Notice_8.15.23
PUBLIC NOTICE
Sussex County Reassessment Update
Over 113,000 parcels have been visited by Tyler’s data collectors for the countywide reassessment. This represents 64 percent of the overall parcel count for the county of Sussex. Data collection is on track to be completed in the spring of 2024. Crews are actively working in the Seaford area and will be moving into tax districts 131, 430 and 530.
However, as we continue to work our way west and north, you may still see our data collectors in areas that were previously collected. Revisits take place to add new construction from permits, confirm or correct property data during quality control checks, or to follow up on requests from property owners to revisit and update their data. In any case, our process is always the same, and our data collectors can be identified by their bright yellow vest, county issued photo ID, contractor magnets on their vehicles, and can also be confirmed by viewing their photos on our project website, under the section for Project Documents, Data Collectors.
It is also important to note that Tyler data collectors do all of their work Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8 AM and 4:30 PM, and we never ask to go inside of anyone’s home or auxiliary buildings. All measurements of buildings are done on the exterior of a structure. If an adult is available at the property to answer questions, data collectors may ask a series of questions pertaining to the dwelling, such as:
- Number of bedrooms and bathrooms
- Types of heating and cooling systems
- Year house was built
- General construction, materials, and physical condition of the interior and exterior
- Level of finish to attics and/or basements
The data collector will also take photos of any buildings on the property using an iPad or camera to assist in identifying the property and to support valuation of its improvements for reassessment purposes.
For additional information on the reassessment process, please visit the project website: https://empower.tylertech.com/Sussex-County-Delaware.html
Hands Across the Beaches
Fenwick Island’s Little Library
Check out our Little Library right next to the Fenwick Island Community Park, built by our own Josh Stuhler from our Public Works Dept. The bottom is designated for children’s books. Take a book or leave a book.
6/27 DNREC MOSQUITO CONTROL
Weather permitting; the Delaware Mosquito Control Section plans the following insecticide application(s) during the evening hours on Tuesday, June 27, 2023:
Application of Anvil 10+10 (Sumithrin/PBO) with a truck-mounted sprayer to control adult mosquitoes in the following areas:
In and near Fenwick Island, Selbyville, Laurel, and Milford.
Town’s 70th Birthday Celebration
This Saturday, July 1st at 4:00. Click here for more info.
Notice of Election
Town of Fenwick Island
Notice of Election
August 5, 2023
1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Town Hall
800 Coastal Highway, Fenwick Island, DE 19944
There are four (4) Council seats available. Each seat is for a 2-year term. The candidates are:
Janice Bortner
John Gary Burch
Kristina Clark
Natalie Carmean Magdeburger
Bernie Merritt
Jacqueline Napolitano
James C. Simpson III
Kurt Zanelotti
Absentee ballots are available for any registered voter who is not able to vote on election day at Town Hall. Any Town of Fenwick Island eligible registered voter who needs to obtain an absentee ballot by mail should call the Town Hall at 302-539-3011, ext. 1, and a form will be mailed to you. The request form to receive the absentee ballot must be filed with the Town no later than 12:00 p.m. on August 4, 2023. Absentee ballots must be received prior to the close of the election, 5:00 p.m., on August 5, 2023.
To vote in Fenwick Island election, you must be qualified either as a “resident” or as a “non-resident”.
Resident: Every natural person, who is a citizen of the State of Delaware and the United States, age 18 on or before the date of the election, a bona fide resident of the Town prior to the annual municipal election, and registered to vote thirty (30) or more days prior to the annual municipal election, if provided by ordinance, shall have one vote. A bona fide resident means a permanent, full-time resident of the Town.
Non-resident: Every property owner as of March 1 prior to the annual municipal election, whether a natural person or artificial entity, including but not limited to corporations, partnerships, trusts, and limited liability companies, and who is registered to vote, if provided by ordinance, shall have one vote. A natural person shall be a citizen of the United States and age 18 on or before the date of the election. An artificial entity shall be a domestic entity in the State of Delaware.
The above voter qualification provisions shall be construed in accordance with the principle of “one-person/entity, one vote.” Where a voter is entitled to vote by virtue of being both a resident and as an owner of real property, that voter shall be entitled to only one vote; where a voter is entitled to vote by ownership of two or more parcels of real property, that voter shall be entitled to only one vote.
Any legal entity, other than a natural person entitled to vote, must cast its vote by a duly executed and notarized power of attorney from the legal entity granting the authority to cast its vote to its designated attorney-in-fact. Such power of attorney shall be surrendered to the election officials who shall file the same in the office of the Town. Such power of attorney so filed shall constitute conclusive evidence of the right of said person to vote in the election on behalf of the legal entity granting the power. The person casting the ballot for such entity shall be age 18 on or before the date of the election and a citizen of the United States.
For more information on election procedures, or to download the request form for the absentee ballot, please visit www.fenwickisland.delaware.gov/election.
