Council Workshop

1. Welcome, Purpose, Budget Schedule, Demographic Data, and Powers of the City

City Manager David Hugg introduced the FY 2027 budget schedule and workshop purpose, presenting demographic data, revenue breakdowns, enterprise fund reliance, and the statutory powers and unfunded mandates affecting Dover.

2. Department Overviews: Support Services, Utilities, and Operations (Part 1)

Department heads presented operational challenges and budget priorities, including Central Services (vehicle maintenance and HVAC technician recruiting), Customer Services (cross-training and billing empathy), Electric Department (PJM market capacity costs, AMI metering, and data center regulations), Emergency Management (EMS call surges and emergency sheltering realities), Finance (audit readiness and recruitment), Human Resources (HRIS software permissions and hiring backlogs), Information Technology (cybersecurity, server infrastructure, and internship pipelines), Library (county funding disparities), and Parks and Recreation (aging playgrounds and ADA compliance).

3. Department Overview: Planning, Inspections, and Community Development

Assistant City Manager and Acting Planning Director Sharon Duca detailed staffing challenges in code enforcement, plan reviews, and building inspections, alongside competition from the private consulting sector and software modernization.

4. Discussion with State Senator Trey Paradee: State Concerns, Funding, and Public Safety

State Senator Trey Paradee reviewed the Governor's recommended state budget, the $1.6M college campus safety allocation for Dover, court caseload constraints affecting prosecution in Kent County, and state plans for a potential Hope Center in Kent County to address homelessness and substance abuse. Council also discussed exploring an alderman's court for Dover.

5. Department Overviews: Public Works, Water/Wastewater, Police, and Fire (Part 2)

Department heads presented updates: Public Works on sanitation driver recruiting, concrete shaving, and street sweeping; Water and Wastewater on lead/copper/PFAS mandates, discolored water, and water main replacement; Dover Police on the municipal police academy; and Dover Fire Department on volunteer stipend funding, turnout gear cancer screenings, security at the firehouse, and replacement of Ladder 1.

6. Budget Realities, Revenue Opportunities, and Council Strategic Discussion

Council and staff discussed strategic budget considerations, including long-term revenue shortfalls, potential property tax rate increases, the revival of an updated stormwater utility model, debt service restructuring, adherence to the 8% budget reserve policy, defining city responsibilities versus state roles regarding homelessness and social services, and improving public communication.