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.
Oct 26, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
I got one more for you. Over on Bradford Street, uh you're aware of the spotlight that was put up by the city. Uh, one of the residents has had a complaint that that glare goes into their window. The city's spotlights. So, how do we address that? Is that covered in this ordinance?
Play from 29:16Oct 26, 2026, Regular Council Meeting
All right. That's all I have. Thank you.
Play from 30:07Oct 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Can you guys hear me?
Play from 07:20Oct 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Okay. This is for district report, all right?
Play from 07:23Oct 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Attended the, uh, DSU event on Saturday, which was a ribbon cutting event. Um, even with that, I say the reopening of the new apparel store, which is now located at the Dover Center. Um, I have handled various constituent concerns and complaints in the past month. Make sure that their constituent concerns on are heard, and also, um, an ongoing issue on White Oak Road and uh complaint with uh hole or a manhole near what is uh, I guess, a manhole on Stony Creek Drive. Uh, so I addressed those issues, and it was addressed by the city, and that's pretty much it. Thank you.
Play from 07:29Oct 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Uh, yes, Inspector Kopp, is there anything on, uh, the state law, Delaware State Code in regards to this? Uh, because like you say, complaints coming in, and I know I go with under the impression that, um, something for instance, air space that would require a ordinance or a law. I like the concept, but like you've done, has anybody complained, I mean, a whole street lamp, for example, that shines on a neighbor's window? That's what I want to make sure. I want to make sure that's, what happens then?
Play from 16:37Oct 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
All right, so someone puts, for example, in the yard, a lantern, okay, that's shining on the neighbor's window, would that be acceptable? What's the criteria for that? What about someone wants to secure their property, they want to make sure that light, you know, they want to make sure that house, you know, be protected. How are you going to deal with that situation?
Play from 18:31Oct 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Thank you for your comments, sir. Uh, I'd like to... to rebut in the event that you will never get the prostitution off the street or the drugs off the street with the current Department of Justice in the regular court because they absolutely will not do it. And that is frankly why we need an alderman's court that will be able to do those particular referrals. Now, for that, that is precisely why we need an alderman's court to do those particular referrals because if... until there's a massive policy change, uh, which has been documented that won't happen...
Play from 1:00:36Oct 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Well, uh, thank you. Yes, ma'am.
Play from 1:01:24Oct 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Yes, uh, Council President Neil.
Play from 1:03:37Oct 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Thank you. Todd Fowler? Todd? Yeah. Councilwoman... it's good... Todd? Yeah, Councilwoman...
Play from 1:05:32Oct 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Uh, yeah. And, uh, point taken about, yeah, exploring, uh, the buildings and others. But right now we're doing the easy stuff, you know. And, uh, yes, Councilwoman.
Play from 1:08:59Oct 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
It depends, Tricia, on there's two factors when the ad hoc committee goes forward, and currently we're on the path of probably about three months more. It has been pretty aggressive and, uh, but, you know, if we need to take longer, we will take longer. Um, if, you know, the first step, uh, the first step, we had to decide if there was interest, and the consensus was that there was interest. So we had to decide, uh, we had to determine what other municipalities, uh, to bring people in, get people from other municipalities to find out, um, how happy they were with it, if they were having problems. Uh, that was, um, uh, we did all that, we brought people in and then, um, with that, uh, body, then we then we, uh, if we moved to the next step, uh, because then we needed people sitting on an ad hoc committee to do work, work on drafting, draft that legislation, put the package together, and then so forth. The second step is, uh, is figuring out, um, what the jurisdiction would look like, how it would benefit the people of the city as well as the city itself. And then, uh, after that, uh, comes, uh, other steps that involves the community. So that will be the third meeting, uh, like how, uh, like how you wanted to form, uh, focus group, or town hall meeting, uh, and, you know, listen to people. And then it will be prepared to be, um, uh, council can decide whether they either want to move forward with the structure, uh, they want to abandon the structure, whatever council's pleasure is. And then council could take nine, five months, a year, two years to be able to line everything up so that they could start. I mean, that, uh, you know, because then you've got to, you know, policy, you've got to determine what needs to be changed and you have to change legislation, that passes between what we want to accomplish. Otherwise, what's the point? If if you can't get the jurisdiction, if you can't get an ordinance to become civil, if you can't, if we're not able to, uh, if you don't set it up for probation before judgment, which proposed names to be, uh, so that you can get people, first-time offenders, into community service and so forth. That, and that's, you know, a little bit further down the road, and and also there's going to be certain recommendations about how to handle certain things, like, uh, with, uh, with the homeless, and curfew, and quality-of-life crimes, and civil ordinances and offenses, you know, being charged. But it's giving, giving an opportunity for citizens, some will be challenging, and some will be, you know, civil infractions and civil penalties, and some will be summonses and so forth. But you know, we want to hear, we want to listen to the public and get the public feedback as well. That's, so we're we're not talking about a building. We're not nowhere near a building. We're we're talking about a tool for, uh, helping with crime, for, uh, giving, giving people an opportunity, if we can, with certain circumstances.
Play from 1:10:30Oct 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
I'm sorry, did you have something?
Play from 1:15:12Oct 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
It would be because while you, uh, even once we get the charter changed, the implementation still will take a lot of public hearings before it can be finally implemented. Sir?
Play from 1:15:30Oct 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Madam Chair.
Play from 1:24:55Oct 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Thank you, Madam Chairwoman. While I'm not at liberty to go into any great length of detail, myself and one of our local, two of our local representatives from the state legislature have been working in earnest with with the state of Delaware, and we will make a probably have a presentation to make in regard to the matter of the loss of housing for during the winter. So we are on this on this matter in earnest, and I want to thank the state legislators for facilitating a solution to this problem. I yield, Madam Chair.
Play from 1:25:00Oct 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Yes, sir, thank you. I'd like to ask Ms. Wallace to stay put. Ms. O'Brien, you are relatively new on the job, however, I'm going to ask you a hard question. You followed the instructions that you were trained to do and the instructions that were before you to provide for reimbursement for these grants?
Play from 2:02:20Oct 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
The second question: did any member of council or myself influence you anyway or the other in your presentation or your decision to bring this to council?
Play from 2:02:57Oct 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
I yield, Madam Chair.
Play from 2:03:09Oct 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Lewis second.
Play from 2:22:54Oct 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Yes.
Play from 2:23:40Oct 12, 2026, Regular City Council Meeting
Yes, sir. Um the only issue I have, uh so question I have is when you say 'addition', so if I put, someone puts an addition on their house, a new addition, they're going to be required to put those sprinklers in that new addition, like an added-on room?
Play from 12:15Oct 12, 2026, Regular City Council Meeting
So so even one room? If I add one room, what is at what time is 50%?
Play from 12:43Oct 12, 2026, Regular City Council Meeting
I got an issue with that. Can't support it. Um the other concern I have has to do with cost, because this is all going to trickle down on the buyer, because you're going to be requiring the builders now to put these sprinklers in the new homes. I understand it has to do with material, but, you know, why don't we enforce the uh the material, you know, and require the builders to have, you know, better fire material uh instead of like letting, you know, out cheap material and have these sprinklers now, uh because again, it's going to fall down on the buyer and it's going to increase the cost of the home. And I got a couple phone calls, you know, after this was first introduced, uh with people that are furious over that. So that's where I stand on the residential sprinkler part.
Play from 13:15Oct 12, 2026, Regular City Council Meeting
Thanks. That's all I have.
Play from 14:35Oct 12, 2026, Regular City Council Meeting
So, uh, permission to dialogue with Anderson. So are you insinuating that that it completely and totally waived where, um, it will not be required to put a sprinkler system in an addition, uh, to a new room or a renovation of a basement? Is that what you're insinuating?
Play from 19:46Oct 12, 2026, Regular City Council Meeting
I, I think personally, I, I don't think if you own a 20, 25-year-old house and you put an addition on, I don't think you should be required to put in a sprinkler system on your addition or renovation to your basement or attic, whatever it may be. But that's how I feel. That's why I'm not supporting it.
Play from 21:32Oct 12, 2026, Regular City Council Meeting
Opposed for reasons stated.
Play from 23:22Oct 12, 2026, Regular City Council Meeting
No. And I want to give a brief statement. I'm voting no because of the burdensome cost to homeowners in this town that will, in the long run, be forced, and uh it will be costly, so I think they're um, they are uh they deserve to be helped with this, and not be put with more costly improvements, so I'll leave it at that.
Play from 26:59Oct 12, 2026, Regular City Council Meeting
I don't have a question, I just have a statement. Uh, I'm going to support your moratorium as well as I indicated. But, um, let the record reflect that I do not support data centers coming into the city of Dover. Some may think that, oh, it'll be great because it'll bring in jobs and stuff, but, uh, I think otherwise. And the statistics and the facts are out there. Um, to me, uh, the environment, people's health, uh, our infrastructure is more important than jobs, say. Uh, and that's all I have to say. Thank you.
Play from 30:30Oct 12, 2026, Regular City Council Meeting
Yes.
Play from 32:04Sep 29, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Okay. Um, I was saying um, Mr. Wilson, I think your program is a uh honorable thing and uh in particular assisting the community I think is vital. But uh I have two questions. Uh my first question is uh the city just got out of, or actually squeaked by a major deficit, and funds are kind of tight. Have you reached out to the state and federal government uh to see if you get any assistance from them?
Play from 29:33Sep 29, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
All right. My my second question is uh, if in fact the city was able to provide you with funding, um what's going to happen when the funding runs out? Do you have a contingency plan?
Play from 31:10Sep 29, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
The money will not run out? Money always runs out.
Play from 31:28Sep 29, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Okay. So, you do have a contingency plan if in fact the city did approve your request?
Play from 31:33Sep 29, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
With that, I'm going to uh reserve my uh last comment when everybody else is done with their questions. Thank you.
Play from 31:55Sep 29, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
I've been raising my hand for the last 20 minutes. Um I don't know if Mr. Wilson was aware of that um, but um most of the money right now is allocated for the Garrison Oak entry project. And, as Ms. Duca had indicated, um the grant programs closed by motion back in June and voted by council in July. So,
Play from 48:36Sep 29, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
I think that we would um have to have a budget amended. This This isn't something that can be done overnight, and I'll defer to uh our finance director, Ms. Courtney, uh to elaborate. Ms. Courtney?
Play from 48:58Sep 29, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Thank you, Courtney.
Play from 49:52