The Journal
HARRINGTON — Harrington City Council held a public hearing to request money from the Community Development Block Grant program during its regular meeting Monday night.
Albert Biddle of Kent County Levy Court explained the grant program.
The program funds projects that improve the quality of living in an area or town.
In the past, money provided by the grant has been used to fix streets or repair water mains, Mr. Biddle said. This year the grant is focusing on helping low-income homeowners.
The block grant program has about $2 million available all municipalities in Kent and Sussex County other than Dover. Historically, Harrington has qualified for $85-100,000 in aid. The amount awarded to any community will be determined after the application process. Harrington did not receive any CDBG money this year.
The current application will cover the 2009 fiscal year.
The funds would go to homeowners in Harrington that meet a certain criteria. The residents that qualify can use the money to repair their homes.
"All funds have to benefit low-to-moderate income persons," Mr. Biddle said.
To qualify for CDBG assistance a one-person household’s income could not be more than $32,850; a two-person household’s income could not exceed $37,550; and a four-person household’s income could not be more than $46,950.
For the city to get in the running for CDBG funds they must have at least four households that meet the criteria Mr. Biddle described.
City Manager John Schatzschneider said the city has identified five to seven homes that could qualify for the aid.
If Harrington receives the money, interested parties would contact the city to learn the process to acquire personal aid.
CIn other business, council scheduled two public hearings to hear comments related to two new ordinances and a resolution.
The first ordinance scheduled for a public hearing provides city officials the right of legal representation and indemnification.
The ordinance would provide the mayor, city council and its employees legal representation or protection from indemnification if any of them are held liable for the payment of any claims arising from a civil action or settlements, judgments, expenses, costs and awards of attorney’s fees, etc. The protection applies only if the city’s solicitor determines that the legal action taken resulted from the person completing his or her duties in good faith, were done with the belief that their actions were done with the best interests of the city in mind or occurred while the official was following city policy or were not done willingly or maliciously.
The next ordinance dealt with signage in commercial districts, primarily for tenants of the city’s three shopping centers.
The ordinance would allow each tenant’s sign be up to 16 square feet – but all of the signs in the shopping center could not be more than 150 square feet.
City Planner Debbie Pfeil said the ordinance would replace the city’s current sign ordinance.
She said the current law does not provide details for signage for a shopping center’s tenants and that some of the current signs in shopping centers may have been approved illegally.
Following the current law, each tenant would have to appeal to the city’s Board of Adjustments. Ms. Pfeil said the board is scheduled to hear a few requests for signs.
"When a city receives multiple requests for the same thing, that is when an ordinance needs to be created," Ms. Pfeil said.
If the ordinance passes, those businesses waiting for city approval could move forward.
The two ordinances will be heard again during a public hearing on Dec. 15.
The final city matter that moved on to the public hearing phase was a resolution for the city to access funds to pay for repairs and improvements throughout the city.
The money would be provided by the United States Department of Agriculture in the form of a bond and would pay for recent repairs to the city’s water system including repairs and upgrades to two of the city’s wells and the new water main on Reese Avenue.
The water main was installed during construction of the city’s truck route.
The bond would also pay for grounding and surge protection to the city’s water tower and repayment of a $100,000 short-term loan. The loan funded an extensive aerial survey of the city and the surrounding areas.
The resolution will come before the public during a hearing on Jan. 5, 2009.
