Message From the Mayor
MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR FEBRUARY 2025
Don’t you hear my call though you’re many years away?
Don’t you hear me calling you?
Write your letters in the sand for the day I take your hand in the land that our grandchildren knew.
–Lyrics from “39” by Queen
Figure 1-Bay at Windward looking to Farmington
We experienced a crazy marine event in February–a huge “blow out” of the water in the bay which lasted two days.
While we have had “blow outs” in the past, longtime residents had never seen the water so low.
Seal Island returned from the deep and there were areas in the bay that you could walk from one side to the other.
Figure 2–Seal Island returns from the deep!
Figure 3–Little Assawoman Bay from South Schulz
…And then we had another snowstorm.
Figure 4-snow in Fenwick
The water in the bay has returned and we send another “THANK YOU” to our wonderful Public Works crew who got up early and cleared our roads.
We all need to be thinking about spring—we hear it is just a month away!
UPDATE ON FENWICK’S DREDGING PROJECT:
All dredging is complete. Navigation channel markers will be placed after we receive the permits needed from DNREC and secure the markers.
Below is the map which details where the dredging occurred:
Figure 5–Dredging Map
Even with the low water, our channels could be seen!
TREASURER’S REPORT:
The Town’s overall cash balance as of December 31 was slightly more than $4.3 million, which is a $1.7 million decrease since October 31. The primary cause of this decrease relates to significant payments for the dredging project. This spending was anticipated. Based on the first five months of results, there are no current concerns about the full year budgeted revenues or expenses. RTT revenues now total $418,000 for the first five months and have already exceeded the full year budget of $350,000.
FENWICK ISLAND BEACH PATROL UPDATES/OPPORTUNITY TO ADVERTISE ON LIFEGUARD STANDS:
The Fenwick Island Beach Patrol is actively engaged in recruiting for next year’s squad. If you know anyone who may be interested, please have them contact Town Hall.
Also, if you have a business you wish to advertise, please consider enrolling in the Lifeguard Stand Sponsorship program. You can purchase advertising space on our lifeguard stands and it is a terrific way of getting your business noticed. If interested, please call Town Hall or go to our website at: https://fenwickisland.delaware.gov/beach-patrol/:
CHARTER AND ORDINANCE UPDATES:
At the December Town Council meeting, four new ordinances were accepted for a first reading and on January 3rd a public hearing was held to hear comments. The ordinances that are being considered are the following: (1) amending Chapter 135—Signs (to exempt the Town from the electronic sign ordinance so that the Town sign and pedestrian safety devices can be utilized); (2) amending Chapter 61—Building and Utility Construction (to require all construction equipment including porta potties and dumpsters be removed from a construction site within 5 days of receiving the certificate of occupancy; (3) creating a new Chapter 75—Civil Offenses (to change violations from a criminal misdemeanor to civil fines); and (4) amending Chapter 107—Noise (to add decibel levels to create more objective standards and starting quiet hours at 10 p.m.). Copies of all the proposed ordinance changes are available at Town Hall or you can review them at: https://fenwickisland.delaware.gov/2024/12/18/public-hearing-1-3-25/ . The proposed changes to the Noise Ordinance was the only ordinance that received substantive comments at the hearing.
The request for a change to the existing Noise Ordinance originated in the Residential Concerns Committee in April 2022 (Minutes of Residential Concerns Committee of April 11, 2022 https://ecode360.com/FE1574/document/667183146.pdf).
On March 6, 2023, the Residential Concerns Committee voted to recommend that the Town Council refer the Noise Ordinance to the C&O Committee for modification and requested that the ordinance be modified to remove the time restraints on enforcement of quiet hours (currently quiet hours begin at midnight and go to 8 a.m.) so that quiet hours would be enforced 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. (Minutes of Residential Concerns Committee of March 6, 2023, https://ecode360.com/FE1574/document/727169530.pdf
At the March 24, 2023, Town Council meeting, Council Member Janice Bortner made a motion to refer the Noise Ordinance to the C&O to remove the time constraints on the quiet hours (midnight to 8 a.m.) for the stated reason that Fenwick should be the “quiet resort” at all times during the day and night. The rest of Town Council declined to second the initial motion made by Council Member Bortner, citing that 24-hour enforcement of quiet hours was not appropriate given the outdoor activities that families enjoyed in Fenwick. After Council Member Bortner amended her motion to delete the request regarding extending the quiet hours to 24/7, Town Council agreed to refer the noise ordinance to the C&O Committee for further study. Council Member Bortner asked that the C&O Committee’s main focus be on the hours of enforcement. (Minutes of Town Council Meeting of March 24, 2023, https://ecode360.com/FE1574/document/724508945.pdf See section 3.7).
As requested, since April 2023, the C&O Committee met publicly to review and analyze Fenwick’s existing noise ordinance as well as noise ordinances from other communities before recommending modifications. Our police department also requested a better way of determining what noise level was unreasonable—not only to enforce against violations but also to be able to respond to complaints by people who may have had a lower threshold for noise than what was reasonable under the circumstances.
After over a year of study and drafts, the C&O Committee voted in November to recommend changes in the current ordinance including that quiet hours should begin at 10 p.m. (as opposed to midnight currently) and certain decibel levels (65 during the day and 55 during quiet hours at night) were identified as being presumptively in violation of the noise ordinance when measured by a police officer on two successive occasions with a downloaded phone decibel application at the property line. For contextual reference, a decibel level of 55 is consistent with normal conversation and 65 is consistent with a busy office/group conversation with laughter.
The recommendations made by the C&O Committee were unanimously accepted by Town Council for first reading during the December 6, 2024, meeting and were posted for public comment and notice. A public hearing was also scheduled to receive verbal comments.
The comments received at the hearing on January 3rd expressed support for the decibel levels selected but there was debate as to whether a 10 p.m. start time was appropriate. Some residents thought midnight was appropriate, some thought 11 p.m. would be fair and others were supportive of the 10 p.m. start time.
At the Town Council vote scheduled for February 28, 2025, Town Council can adopt the ordinances as proposed, make modifications to the proposed ordinances (including the timing of the quiet hours in the noise ordinance) or reject the ordinances completely.
If you have an opinion about the proposed ordinances, particularly the time that quiet hours start, please feel free to call a Council Member or send us a letter/email. While the process of studying and discussing publicly the proposed changes has been ongoing for almost two years, we still want to hear from you so we can make the right decision for our Town.
INFRASTRUCTURE /FLOODING UPDATE:
We are STILL waiting to hear whether we have been awarded the FEMA BRIC grant we filed in February 2024. FEMA has indicated that our request passed all the final checks and review processes by FEMA; however, we are awaiting final approval so we can get started. When FEMA approves the grant, we will be able to move forward with securing engineering recommendations for upgrades and infrastructure improvements to further respond to the sea level rise/flooding that we have been experiencing. The projected cost of this design project is between $250,000 and $500,000 and the FEMA grant would pay 80% of the cost with the Town being responsible for 20%. We also learned that our volunteer hours may be used to pay the “in kind” fee of the Town.
The Town hired Straughan Environmental to perform the Resiliency Planning Prep project. This project is complete and entails collecting an accurate mapping of GIS data relating to our stormwater management and flood protection infrastructure. These materials will be needed for our engineering design project.
The street maintenance contract request for street repaving and crack sealing scheduled for the Spring will be issued shortly. South Shultz Street from Dagsboro Street to the south end is scheduled for repaving and Wright Street, W. Essex Street, Ebb Tide, and W. Houston Street are scheduled for crack sealing as our budget will allow (ala carte, based on pricing).
RESIDENTIAL CONCERNS UPDATE:
The RCC held a program in November 2024, to discuss innovative techniques like Pocket Forests and Living Shorelines to tackle water management issues. If you have problem areas in your yard and want to explore nature-based solutions, you may want to review the recording of the event which is available on the Town’s website: https://us06web.zoom.us/signin?_x_zm_rtaid=r7kHtEB7RsePYOROnWdcrg.1740375243626.15aeced7167688218201665efb65356d&_x_zm_rhtaid=372#/login
Passcode: JF8?ep7?
New Green Infrastructure Park–Deb Cowell is working on plans for the new park that has been donated to the Town from the Oakie family at East Bayard Street and Ocean Highway. The Town will be creating a natural tree canopy preserve in the park and plans to add green infrastructure projects to highlight the techniques available to be used. Volunteers for this project will be needed and appreciated. If you are interested, please attend one of the meetings (Green Infrastructure Working Group) and/or call Town Hall to get your name on the list of volunteers. The next meeting of the Green Infrastructure Group is scheduled for March 6, 2025, at 9 a.m. and you may attend via Zoom. https://fenwickisland.delaware.gov/events/green-infrastructure-working-group-5/
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE UPDATE:
The Environmental Committee continues to work opposing the Maryland Offshore Wind Project. They are also planning events for Earth Day and Dune planting.
Earth Day is scheduled for April 26, 2025.
Dune Planting is scheduled for March 15, 2025.
Please consider coming out to help with these events to benefit Fenwick!
NEW DARKSKY COMMITTEE:
Residents, Rose Mary Hoy and George Stone, are spearheading our new DarkSky Committee. The DarkSky movement is geared to curbing unnecessary light pollution after dark to preserve the night sky because light pollution at night can have harmful effects on wildlife, the ecosystem and human health. For more information about DarkSky, go to: www.DarkSky.org.
The five principles of DarkSky Responsible Outdoor Lighting are:
If you are interested in creating educational and community outreach opportunities related to DarkSky as well as analyzing the Fenwick Island lighting code to recommend modifications in keeping with DarkSky initiatives, please contact Town Hall and ask to serve on the new DarkSky Committee or simply drop into one of the meetings and participate.
BUSINESS CONCERNS UPDATE:
The Business Concerns Committee is planning the “Cruzin’ Together in Fenwick” event which will involve a bicycle “crawl” around Town with the opportunity to celebrate our wonderful Town, support our businesses, greet our neighbors, learn what is going on around Town, and biking with the safety of the FIPD leading the way. Scheduled for May 31, 2025, between 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., the participants will start and finish at Town Hall. The Town will provide tables for any businesses interested in promoting themselves as well as flyers and visuals to promote/communicate events that will take place during the summer season in Fenwick Island such as the Annual Town Bonfire, movie nights and Pollinator Park. Stay tuned for more information about this event and mark your calendars.
The Business Committee has also asked the Town to assist businesses with identifying lower cost alternatives for their overflow parking needs for staff. Town Council is working on identifying areas in Town that may be used to address this need.
FENWICK ISLAND POLICE UPDATE:
Congratulations to Cpl. Chris Story who was honored as the Fenwick Island Police Officer of the Year at the Freeman First Responder’s Awards ceremony. Cpl. Story oversaw an investigation involving a stalking of a Fenwick Island resident. During the investigation, Cpl. Story oversaw the execution of a search warrant in which our officers discovered numerous assault weapons with ammunition at windows and doors at the house. The arrest made by Cpl. Story resulted in a felony conviction of the perpetrator, jail time and an extended period of monitoring after release from prison.
Figure 6–Cpl. Story, wife, Chief Morrissey and Mayor Magdeburger
The FIPD also participated in collecting donations for the Pyle Center and Clothes to Child, Inc.
On February 28, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. please consider joining our officers at Surf Bagel to have “Coffee with a Cop.”
COLLEEN WILSON SWORN IN AS NEW FENWICK ISLAND TOWN COUNCIL MEMBER
Colleen Wilson was sworn in as a member of the Fenwick Island Town Council to fill the term left by the passing of our dear friend and colleague, Richard Benn.
Figure 7–Colleen Wilson taking the oath of office
Colleen has been actively involved in benefitting the Town of Fenwick Island for years, serving as the Chair of Fenwick Island’s Environmental Committee and as Chair of the Board of Elections. Colleen was instrumental in putting on the first symposium about the Wind Farms as well as creating our Pollinator Garden and arranging Earth Day and Dune Planting in Fenwick. Colleen is also involved in other community activities such as serving as President of the Barefoot Gardner’s and on the Library Cottage Tour.
To meet Colleen is to love her. To work with Colleen is to respect her skill sets. Colleen is a born leader and although she certainly did not actively seek this position, she is the best person to take on this role and, luckily, agreed to do so. Thank you Colleen!
Figure 8–Colleen Wilson and family at Fenwick Freeze
NEW POWER OF ATTORNEY FORMS NEEDED FOR TRUSTS OR LLC’S TO VOTE IN TOWN ELECTIONS:
New Special Powers of Attorney forms need to be signed for artificial entities (Trusts and LLC’s) to vote in our Town elections. We needed to update our forms as they were written in a manner to be only effective for a year. The new forms allow individuals to vote on behalf of Trusts or LLC’s until a new one is presented, thereby ending the need to sign a new one each election year. You may download the form on the Town’s website or call Town Hall and we will mail one to you. If you need a notary, we can provide one at Town Hall. The Power of Attorney form can be accessed at: https://fenwickisland.delaware.gov/election/
NEW START TIME FOR TOWN COUNCIL MEETINGS:
We are going to start our Town Council meetings at 1:00 p.m. to ensure that staff can leave work at their normal scheduled time. The next Town Council meeting is scheduled for February 28, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. Please check the town’s website for future meetings (most occur on the fourth Friday of each month) and feel free to jump on the meeting via Zoom.
UPDATED ELECTRONIC PLATFORM COMING TO FENWICK:
The Town recently approved the purchase of a document management system, Quick Base, and will be integrating the system into our day-to-day electronic platform in the coming months. This will allow for easier production, processing and follow-up on Town forms such as building permit requests, voting documents and bonfire permits as well as creating a system internally that will allow for electronic sharing of files among staff members. Our staff is currently building the program with the provider and is undergoing training.
In addition, the Town is currently making digital copies of all paper documents so that our records can be safe, secure and accessible when needed. The project is nearing completion and the digital records will be integrated into the Quick Base platform, making it easier for residents to access their records.
The purchase and integration of the document management system finalizes the Town Council’s three-year effort to modernize the technology available in Town Hall which included the purchase and installation of equipment/systems to make Zoom technology more accessible and efficient, upgrading the Town’s website with focus on introducing user-friendly features and digitizing the paper records that the Town maintains and utilizes.
DSWA COLLECTION EVENT FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE, ELECTRONICS AND SHREDDING:
DSWA has scheduled a collection event for hazardous waste, electronics and shredding on March 22, 2025, between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Fenwick Island State Park. They will accept:
BEACH END AND STREET HANG TAGS:
Town Council had a discussion during the January Town Council meeting, without seeking any formal action, regarding the Street parking hang tags now being issued in lieu of Street parking vehicle stickers. Given that the new street parking hang tags are interchangeable between vehicles (as opposed to the old stickers that were affixed to vehicles), the question was raised whether it would be sufficient to issue a hang tag for Beach End parking (can be used for both Street and Beach End) and a hang tag for Street parking. The Town could save costs by doing so. However, before making any decision, Town Council members wanted to hear from residents and learn how you feel about the number of passes being issued. Since that meeting and request for input from the community, we have heard from many of you asking that the Town continue to issue two Street parking passes in addition to the Beach End hang tag. We thank you for reaching out to us as all comments received to date are helpful and will be valuable in guiding our decision.
SENATOR HOCKER ANNOUNCES EFFORTS HE IS SPEARHEADING TO REDUCE ELECTRIC RATES:
Our State Senator Gerald Hocker made the following announcement:
“For the past two years, [Delmarva Power] DPL has not been able to buy enough RECs to meet our annual obligation for a price lower than the Alternative Compliance Price (ACP). The ACP payment is part of the “Wind & Solar” component of the bill. The monetary total of $26M went to the Green Energy Fund (GEF), which is controlled by DNREC.
As a result, Delmarva Power ratepayers have paid ~$26 million in fines, $13 million each of the past two years, via the “Wind & Solar” line item on their bills. This money is then funneled into DNREC’s Green Energy Fund.
You will hear Democrat elected officials and hardline green energy advocates say the charge is minimal. To the 85 year old widower on a fixed income or a single mom of 3 struggling to afford rent, daycare, and groceries to feed her family, that “minimal” amount is quite a lot.
Make no mistake, Democrats in the General Assembly have forced unattainable goals on the largest utility company in Delaware and you’re paying the price.
Delawareans are facing an unsustainable rise in electricity rates, placing an undue financial burden on families and businesses. We and our colleagues have heard from countless constituents pleading for relief, and we are committed to taking action.
After meeting with stakeholders in the energy sector, it has become clear that Delaware’s green energy mandates, including its participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), are a significant factor driving up costs. These policies, while well-intended, are having unintended consequences, forcing Delaware to import electricity at higher costs while discouraging traditional energy investments within our state.
New Hampshire recognized this burden and took decisive action by redirecting RGGI revenues back to ratepayers. We are introducing legislation (Senate Bill 64) to do the same in Delaware. Rather than funneling millions of dollars into government-controlled programs, we should return these funds to the people who paid them, providing much-needed relief to families and businesses struggling with high energy bills.
If this measure fails, we will introduce legislation to withdraw Delaware from RGGI altogether (Senate Bill 65). While reducing emissions is a shared goal, it should not come at the expense of affordability and reliability. Delawareans should not be forced to shoulder ever-increasing costs while our state government continues imposing mandates that make energy more expensive.
Additionally, we will revisit Senate Bill 33 from the 151st General Assembly, which significantly increased Delaware’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards (RPS). The current mandates require increasing percentages of Delaware’s electricity to come from renewable sources through 2035, while eliminating the previous cost cap protections that prevented excessive rate hikes. We will push to extend the compliance deadlines and lower the required percentages, allowing more time for Delaware to invest in the necessary energy infrastructure without overburdening ratepayers.
As we move forward, we encourage our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to put Delawareans first. Energy policy must balance environmental responsibility with economic reality, and right now, that balance has been lost. It’s time to correct course and bring relief to our constituents.”
Senator Hocker and Representative Ron Gray will be hosting a morning coffee on Wednesday, March 12th from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Country Side Café.
UPDATE ON WINDFARM PROJECTS:
Orsted, who announced a pause on their Skipjack windfarm project that would extend from Rehoboth to Bethany, recently finalized the purchase of 64 acres of land near a substation in Harbeson for $5.2 million dollars. Orsted withdrew their involvement with the Maryland Public Service Commission in January 2024 to seek better terms. There is no word whether Orsted is renegotiating terms with Maryland or any other State. However, the land that was purchased by Orsted was identified by BOEM as a potential land route to connect to the power grid through the substation at Harbeson with onshore cable access from either 3 R’s Beach or Tower Hill. Given that NJ and Ocean City, MD have effectively denied cable access but Delaware has granted access at 3 R’s, Orsted’s purchase of the Harbeson property is an ominous sign that Orsted is still interested in developing their leases off our coast. As information becomes available, we will update you.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
- “Coffee with a Cop” February 28, 2025 at 10 a.m. at Surf Bagel
- Dune Planting March 15, 2025 from 9 a.m. to noon–check Town’s website for registration. https://fenwickisland.delaware.gov/events/35th-annual-beach-grass-planting/
- Earth Day April 26, 2025—check Town’s website for start time.
- “Cruzin’ Together in Fenwick” bike crawl around Town May 31, 2025, between 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. beginning at Town Hall.
- Fenwick Flicks June 20, 2025 at 8 p.m. at Bayard Street (“Monsters, Inc.”).
- Annual Town Bonfire to Support FIBP on July 5, 2025 at Bayard Street.
- Fenwick Flicks July 18, 2025 at 8 p.m. at Bayard Street (“Moana 2”).
- Fenwick Flicks August 15, 2025 at 8 p.m. at Bayard Street (“Up”)
Please feel free to reach out to any Town Council member if you have any questions or concerns about things happening around Town.
The summer season is just four months away and there is NO SNOW in the forecast FOR Memorial Day!
Regards,
Natalie Magdeburger
Mayor/President of Fenwick Island Town Council
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