Statements by Brian E. Lewis
596 statements from meeting recordings, newest meeting first.
Machine transcript. Statements are matched to this official by machine and can be wrong. Check the recording.
Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Uh Miss uh Poole, I have a quick question for you for clarification. Uh when we talk about um uh following uh the correct policy and bringing it to a grade 129, are we still following the guidelines of the 2023 wage equity study that you had mentioned a couple of minutes ago?
Play from 3:33:22Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Okay, understood. I I just needed clarification on that. Uh that's all I have. Uh no questions.
Play from 3:34:02Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Um my question is uh would we still be voting on the a original proposal?
Play from 3:48:55Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Okay.
Play from 3:49:03Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Okay. All right, thank you.
Play from 3:49:09Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
As the, uh, seconder of the motion, uh, I withdraw also.
Play from 3:51:00Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Mr. Mr. Chair, point of order. Point of order.
Play from 3:56:39Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
I would like to hear from the city clerk.
Play from 3:56:44Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
On the question that Councilman Sudler asked.
Play from 3:56:53Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Let's do things the legal way.
Play from 3:56:59Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Are you sure about that?
Play from 3:57:02Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
I've been asked uh by uh some of my constituents in the Second District to bring this up this evening. Um some of them have concerns uh with regard to the uh issuing of tickets uh to individuals uh standing in the median, uh whatever they may be doing. And uh one of the things they wanted me to bring up, and I don't know if it could be maybe uh uh implemented um in the ordinance or such, but uh they had asked me to uh question the Chief on what his position would be on having warning signs there instead of issuing tickets. For instance, uh a sign in the median uh saying no panhandling. Uh could you give me uh your opinion on that? Because my constituents have contacted me, many of them, and uh wanted me to ask that question this evening.
Play from 4:07:51Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Let me interrupt you for a minute there. Let me correct that. Instead of panhandling, no standing. No standing on the median. Let me let me correct that, and withdraw the word panhandling, my mistake.
Play from 4:09:12Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
So you-
Play from 4:09:37Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Well, the question that they wanted me to ask was, uh, what would your opinion be on putting a no standing, um no stopping on the median right there in the center where some have been accused of of standing and such, opposed to issuing them tickets?
Play from 4:09:40Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Well, what makes you think that's not going to happen now if this uh so-called proposed ordinance is passed? Uh you're going to issue a $10 ticket, but uh it's not an arrestable offense. So are the police going to be physically able to remove that person on a city ordinance from the median?
Play from 4:11:40Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
But technically, don't your officers currently have that power under Title 21?
Play from 4:12:45Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
No, I I read all that, and I'm aware of it, but your officers do have that authority right now under Title 21 to do that if they wanted to, correct?
Play from 4:13:49Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Okay. So, what makes you think, in your personal opinion, that this ordinance is going to have an impact or make a difference?
Play from 4:14:25Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
But you are aware, as we previously discussed, that it's worth a traffic ticket. It's a $10 fine, and if they don't pay it, you can accumulate 50 of them and nothing's going to happen. The person can go out there everyday for 50, 30, 60 days, whatever the case may be, and the police officers can issue a ticket everyday,
Play from 4:14:42Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
but nothing's going to happen of it because you can't issue a capias, it's not a criminal offense, and uh the worst uh you can hand it over to the finance department, and they could give it to collections, which is going to cost us money. So,
Play from 4:14:57Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Okay. I have no further questions at this time. I may resurface back to you, uh, but eventually I'd like to hear from the people out in the public.
Play from 4:16:31Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
happen anyway. I mean, if there was a green light or whatever, I don't think anybody's going to like stop in the turning lane or whatever to try to you know. I I've never seen that.
Play from 4:25:25Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
All right. Uh, okay, those are my questions. Thanks, Chief. I I yield.
Play from 4:25:44Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
No.
Play from 5:37:24Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
No.
Play from 5:39:25Nov 25, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
No.
Play from 5:39:56Nov 24, 2025, Regular Council Meeting
Lewis moves we accept the consent agenda as read.
Play from 00:49Nov 24, 2025, Regular Council Meeting
Yes.
Play from 01:16Nov 24, 2025, Regular Council Meeting
Yes.
Play from 09:08Nov 24, 2025, Regular Council Meeting
Uh, no. You didn't recognize me while I had my hand up.
Play from 10:52Nov 24, 2025, Regular Council Meeting
All right. I I have several questions pertaining to this ordinance.
Play from 10:58Nov 24, 2025, Regular Council Meeting
Okay. Thank you. Um, my question, uh, and this is for the Chief, um, at the October 28th Committee of the Whole meeting, uh, I'm reading the minutes here,
Play from 11:05Nov 24, 2025, Regular Council Meeting
As long as we're all clarified now. Um,
Play from 11:36Nov 24, 2025, Regular Council Meeting
again, uh I reiterate, at the uh October 28th Committee of the Whole meeting, um Chief Johnson uh was uh asked several questions, and I have a copy of the minutes that I reviewed, and uh he had indicated uh that he may need to have a conversation with Judge Wilson to get his opinion on what would happen if a few local ordinance citations were challenged.
Play from 11:41Nov 24, 2025, Regular Council Meeting
as they will require extra paperwork to get on the court docket, which would be Justices of the Peace Court number seven. Um, you also noted uh that he would like to see what the judges do to provide a better answer as to what strictly enforce means because it is a subjective message in signage. Um, Chief Johnson were you able to get an answer? Did you have a conversation with Judge Wilson as of this date?
Play from 13:06Nov 24, 2025, Regular Council Meeting
Uh thank you. I uh wish you had that answer tonight because uh to to further ask you, uh if this uh ordinance is in fact uh appealable, which is a a $10 ticket, uh how much is it going to cost
Play from 16:08Nov 24, 2025, Regular Council Meeting
cost the the city in resources, police officer overtime and such, to appear in court for a $10 ticket?
Play from 16:22Nov 24, 2025, Regular Council Meeting
Okay. My next question is, and this again is from the minutes from the uh October 20th Committee of the Whole meeting. Uh you had uh indicated in response to Mr. Garfinkel's question, it states Chief Johnson stated that in the real world he does not envision his officers giving a citation for 26 mph in a 25 mph zone. He explained that due to legal standards and case law, officers typically do not pursue speed enforcement for violations under 5 mph over the limit, as such cases rarely hold up in court. So, I guess my question is going to be very frank: so what good would this ordinance be if it will not be enforced by the police based on your statement?
Play from 18:48Nov 24, 2025, Regular Council Meeting
So currently, would you say, uh, as of this date, that, um, you have a sufficient amount of officers to enforce Title 21 speeding, which would be Chapter, uh, 8 4168 speed restrictions under, uh, Delaware State Code?
Play from 24:38