New Castle DIGEST - June 1, 2024
Monthly 'News, Views & Stuff to Do' for the City of New Castle, Delaware
I. May News Round-Up 📰
City Faces Potential $.5M+ Budget Gap
City Council has been having several extra meetings over the last month or so. As members work on the city’s budget for the next Fiscal Year, which begins on July 1, one thing has become increasingly clear: growing expenses have outpaced city revenue and New Castle faces some difficult decisions, including whether to consider a modest increase to city tax rates.
By the Numbers… (all approx. and for FY25)
$5.6M - FY2025 Revenue (was $5.7M in 2024)
$6.25M - Potential Expenses ($5.7M budgeted in 2024)
$675K - Potential Shortfall
$205K - Increase in Inflexible Expenses such as employee healthcare & pensions, and various insurances.
$200K - Increase in Moderately Flexible Expenses including items Council has limited control over, such as new police vehicles, building maintenance, postage, code enforcement officer salaries, and contract costs for the city engineer and architect.
$91K - Increases to Flexible Expenses such as professional development, printing supplies, tree planting, administration expenses, professional dues and publications, and computer hardware and support, with the latter representing the biggest increase (+$60K over FY24).
$160K - One-Time Expenses including installation of a dog park and the purchase of a new ‘band shell’ for the city. These costs have not been finalized, and would likely be covered by grants, incl. ARPA, though they add to the shortfall “on paper.” (Updated 6/3, previous version erroneously mixed up bandshell and Battery Park playground projects. Funding for the playground has not been authorized and does not appear in the draft budget.)
*All FY2025 numbers prospective until the budget is passed, and all numbers are approximated - see links below for the underlying draft budget and other docs.
As indicated “by the numbers,” most of the ballooning costs are due to factors beyond the city’s control or at least partly so. Others represent evolving estimates for the cost of projects that many are already behind, such as the dog park and equipment improvements for the Battery Park playground.
City administrator Antonina Tantillo’s first draft budget is also attempting to restore funding to professional practices and departments that she believes have been under-resourced in past years. This includes paying for training so that more than a handful of Public Works employees have the CDLs needed to operate Pubic Works vehicles, updating the city’s woefully old computer systems, cross-training staff in several departments to improve efficiency and resilience, and more.
Indeed, Council discussions revealed several areas where the the previous administrator may have put things off in order to avoid tax increases, that will now force the city to play catch-up and leave those in charge today to make the difficult decisions. Doing more with less is admirable in principle, but leaving workers undertrained and unsupported and allowing hard assets and capacity to deteriorate can often lead to bigger problems.
While the city is applying for grants to help cover anticipated expenditures for the park, police department, and street repairs, it appears that a broader consideration of city revenue is unavoidable, even if all fully discretionary spending were kept at 2024 levels or lower.
On Monday, June 3 (incorrectly listed as Wednesday in the online agenda and The Weekly) Council will meet at 7pm to discuss the FY2025 budget again (in the Community Room at New Castle Police Department). The agenda for that meeting includes - for the first time among these budget meetings - a discussion of ‘City Taxes.’
The final vote on the FY2025 budget may come at Council’s regular meeting on June 10, following an opportunity for public comment, or at another Special budget meeting later in the month.
Further Information: Budget Workshop Agendas | 5/7 Mtg - Video | 5/15 Mtg - Video | Draft FY2025 Budget as of 5/15 | YTD FY2024 Budget (for comparison)
May Events Defy Expectations
For the second year in a row - and despite a persistent drizzle on its second day - Arasapha Garden Club’s May Market sold out of plants and raised thousands of dollars to support New Castle’s historic gardens and club programs.
Friday, May 3, made for a perfect first day of the event, with gorgeous weather and lots of smiles as shoppers from both in town and as far away as Dover and parts of New Jersey browsed on Market Square and in The Arsenal. Saturday was wetter, but spirits remained high and sales, obviously, remained steady.
While Arasapha does not release dollar totals, this year was another ‘record breaker.’ More important than the dollars and inventory numbers is the ongoing support and enjoyment of this community tradition by young and old, resident and visitor alike.
The Library Friends, who have taken over the Book Sale part of the tradition, also had a great day, breaking their previous May Market fundraising record set last year, sending lots of happy kids home with free books, and even making some new Friends.
Then, on the 18th, A Day in Old New Castle returned to town, bringing hundreds of families out to learn about the Great Fire of 1824, visit historic homes downtown and check out fascinating, antique fire fighting equipment and vehicles.
Another wet day, unfortunately, did its best to derail things... An ugly forecast throughout the weeks leading up to DIONC caused some revelers to wait until the day of the event to get tickets, and prompted a few vendors to pull out on the day. However, the damp weather could not dampen the bright mood.
Many with advance tickets showed up at the very start of the event to get to as many of its attractions as they could before the rain picked up. Then, after a bit of a lull, when the rain let up around 1pm, people came out again in great numbers and - with the Sun’s briefest blessing at the very end - had a wonderful time.
It’s tempting to gloss over the weather and the challenges, but doing so would minimize the incredible efforts of the organizers, volunteers, reenactors, vendors and participants. Despite the apparent potential for a wash-out, the community showed up and - as it does for DIONC - showed off.
For both events, Congratulations to the organizers and volunteers! For more photos from DIONC, check out our Facebook album or recent posts on Insta.
City Solicitor Addresses Legal Landscape & Challenges for Affordable Housing at Statewide Conference
The Delaware chapter of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (DE-NAHRO) held a day-long conference in Dover on May 17, focused on the biggest challenges and best ideas for addressing DE’s critical housing shortage. The gathering’s keynote speaker was New Castle’s city solicitor, Max Walton, who has represented and advised many other public bodies and private institutions.
Throughout the day’s sessions, speakers from housing agencies, non-profits and advisory firms spoke of skewed development incentives, restrictive zoning and building codes, and the practical limitations of only having so much land in a small state. Some discussed the challenges of the changing interest rate market.
Many pushed back on the idea of “Affordable Housing” itself, as most conceive it. The affordability issue doesn’t just affect ‘the unfortunate,’ after all. In Delaware, roughly 80% of the new homes built are affordable to only 20% of working families.
More than half of renters are ‘cost burdened,’ spending more than 30% of their income for housing, and many spend more than half of what they make to keep a roof over their families’ heads. There is a deficit of over nineteen thousand housing units that would be affordable to people making half of the state’s average monthly income.
There was one frequent challenge to increasing the housing supply that many touched on lightly or closely skirted: ‘NIMBYism.’
‘Not In My Back Yard,’ or NIMBY, refers to generally comfortable people complaining about other people having a chance to become comfortable too close to - and at some real or imagined expense or inconvenience to - them. There is also frequently an unfortunate undercurrent of ‘who is deserving’ in these arguments.
Having worked on land use issues for many years, and at every level, Walton addressed the NIMBY problem head-on, along with ways governments also get in the way.
Referring to how a couple of loud and persistent voices can derail projects that hundreds would benefit from, Walton said, “we all know ‘that guy.’ Well, ‘That Guy’ or ‘That Lady’ has a disproportionate impact on what gets built.”
The attorney listed the top complaints he hears in jurisdiction after jurisdiction: that “parking is insufficient;” that “traffic problems will occur;” that “it’s not in character with the surrounding area,” and others (all familiar in New Castle). He said some look at “Density” and even “Workforce Housing” as dirty words, and that these squeaky wheels frequently get their way.
On government’s role, Walton asked: given many locales’ eagerness to provide utility-connected, ‘shovel-ready’ business and industrial parks and pad sites for companies, why there are no ‘shovel ready’ housing lots to entice residential development? He also offered a wealth of context for how the law acts as a backdrop for much of this discussion, and how it favors “predictability and stability.”
When done, Mr. Walton received the group’s applause. His remarks offered a frank consideration and technical approach to the issues that contributed well to the conference’s later discussions of how governments, non-profits and others are seeking to ease the housing crisis in Delaware.
To be clear, Walton was not at the conference representing New Castle, but speaking as a private attorney with vast experience on the issues at hand.
Most of this story was written on 5/20. As if to punctuate the depth of the housing crisis, the day before this Digest’s publication, Johnny Perez-Gonzalez of WHYY’s ‘Delaware Desk’ shared the story below. (Click the image to read or listen to it on WHYY.org.)
Trustee Election Runoff & Other News from the Common
The run-off between Laura Fontana and Regina Marini for a seat on the Trustees of the New Castle Common (TNCC) is coming up on June 1. It is needed because, in the three-way race concluded on April 13, neither gained a clear majority as the rules require.
Voting will once again be at Good Will Fire Co. on South Street, from 10am to 4pm, with early voting and absentee ballots available through the office at Penn Farm up until election day (see the Trustee website for hours and info).
If you've missed the election so far, check out the candidates' Q&A here.
In News from the Trustees’ May board meeting, as reported in The Weekly, the only independent source for info from non-public Trustee meetings…
The School Lane Bike trail construction began (or was scheduled to) on May 20. This will create a paved connection between the Rt. 273 Trail (roughly) across from NC Little League the far side of the Farmer’s Market complex (by Planet Fitness).
The Trustees have been in discussions with the State of Delaware’s Department of Historical and Cultural Affairs about possibly transferring ownership of The Old Library on 3rd Street and Old Town Hall.
Meetings have been held between the Trustees and the City regarding the bathrooms in Battery Park. While discussions around security continue, portable toilets will remain for use in the park. Trustee Marsha Corcoran apparently tabled a motion on this topic (not described in the paper) for further discussion at a “Special Board Meeting to be held on June 10.”
Tommy Wilson and other members are working on plans for a ‘Fort Casimir Site Park’ to be established around the recently-corrected location of the marker commemorating the fort. All members voted to approve the name and, implicitly, its creation. Several foreign dignitaries have been invited for the monument’s rededication ceremony in June.
Several bylaws changes were discussed or passed:
A change to how members are elected was tabled.
A change to disciplinary policy explicitly allowing the board to expel a member was approved with minor linguistic changes.
Several other changes were proposed for discussion at future meetings.
Pete Toner recognized Mr. Wilson for having served thirty years on the board of the Trustees of the New Castle Common.
Further Info: 2024 TNCC Meeting Minutes (one-month lag due to approval process)
(Non-Budget) Updates from City Council
Council met on May 14 at the Senior Center for the regular monthly meeting with all members present, along with the mayor and members of city staff.
After months of consideration, technical rewrites, and a technical delay, Council passed Ordinance 554, requiring that new multi-family buildings in the Downtown Gateway Zone (not to be confused with the Downtown Development District, which overlaps it) have two parking spaces per dwelling unit.
This makes the two-per-unit rule applicable throughout the city (the Gateway had been an exception). Ms. Souder cast the only ‘Nay’ vote, citing concerns about ceding more land area to the use of cars and how the requirement might make it harder to build affordable housing. Brian Mattaway, while voting yes, noted that builders can still request a variance for specific projects.
Other highlights of Council’s regular May meeting included:
City admin Antonina Tantillo noted that residents are getting letters about the upcoming, county-wide property tax reassessment from Tyler Technologies, and that more info about that is available on the city website.
Ms. Tantillo, council members Suzanne Souder and Nermin Zubaca, and Planning Commission chair Margo Reign had a preliminary meeting with state Senator Nicole Poore and representatives of DelDOT about the possibility of New Castle being designated a ‘Traffic Impact District.’
Plans for Separation Day are being handled once again by Event Allies, and include a Vintage Market with twenty vendors, twenty other varied vendors, thirty groups marching in the parade, kids’ rides and, of course, fireworks. Chief McCabe noted that there will be no parking on Delaware Street on Sat., 6/8.
Ms. Souder reported on behalf of the Flood Resiliency Committee that a cutback in federal funding to the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Watershed Program means its ability to pay for, first, studies, and then actual mitigation measures for New Castle, has likely been slowed. While the program administrator still thinks the city will be included, the committee has begun exploring alternate programs and grant options, just in case, and contacting our congressional delegation to solicit support.
At NCPD Chief McCabe’s request, members discussed the details of how much warning to give before they start ticketing vehicles for parking on the side of a street on a day it is getting swept, and how to give such warnings. Mr. Day noted that regular street sweeping is required by the state. Ms. Souder stated she would look into further details, such as whether handicap spaces are exempt, what the fine would be and whether the warning tickets will state that, and others.
Council gave a ‘First Reading’ to Ordinance 547, introduced by Ms. Souder to change the Board of Health’s requirement that at least one member be a practicing physician to state that at least one member must be a practicing medical professional (to include nurses, technicians, etc.).
The city treasurer, Jim Whisman, rated the city’s financial health as good and thanked members for their work on the budget. He reported a total of $11.5M in the city’s accounts.
Further Info: Meeting Agenda | Meeting Video | Council Packet (Incl. reports from Police, Fire, Code Enforcement & Treasurer, plus previous minutes)
II. ICYMI: Local Media Spotlight 📸
In case you missed it... May has been Marvelous!
Please enjoy some of the fascinating stories and beautiful photos of life in New Castle that caught our eye this month.
The posts above come from:
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The posts above come from:
and New Castle City Topics.
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What caught your eye around town this month? Let us know in the comments below or on social media!
III. NEW: Reader Poll… ❓
We’re excited that Substack.com, which hosts New Castle City Topics, has recently added the ability to include reader polls in newsletters and posts… So welcome to the Digest’s newest regular (if not every-month) feature, which is all about you!
The first topic is the Digest itself! Please take a moment to let us know what works, what doesn’t, what you might like to see, etc. With your input, City Topics can continue to evolve as a positive, non-profit, all-local resource for the community.
Please Note: Interacting with a poll will take you to the website version of the Digest.
Thanks for taking a moment to let us know what you think! If you have other ideas for features or deeper thoughts to share, please get in touch by email.
IV. Community Event Calendar 📅
For a farther view of the local event scene and to catch more events as they are added during the month, check out and bookmark our website’s Community Calendar, where you’ll also find monthly/ongoing events.
Coming Up in JUNE 2024
6/1 - City of New Castle Blood Drive at Good Will Fire Co., 8am-1pm.
Visit the Blood Bank of Delmarva Donation Bus at GWFC in this collaboration between BBD, GWFC and the City of New Castle.6/1 - New Castle Common Run-off Election at Good Will, 10am-4pm.
More info on voting on the Home page and Elections page at the Trustees’ website.
6/1 - Free Photo Tour of New Castle, starting from The Window, 1pm.
Free walking tour for the visually inclined. Bring your camera or just your sense of beauty and proportion. Opportunity to explore great vistas, hidden paths and alleyways, fascinating details. Organized by the city’s Outreach Team. (222 Delaware Street)6/2 - Free Tennis Clinic for Ages 5+ at the South Street Courts, 10am-2pm.
Sponsored by the City and Rodney Street Tennis, this free clinic is open to all experience levels and will support Opioid Awareness.6/3 - City Council Special Budget Meeting, NCPD Community Room, 7pm.
Agenda posted on the city website.6/4 - Quarterly Open Meeting of the Trustees, at Penn Farm House, 7pm.
The Trustees of the New Castle Common meet monthly as a full board. Meetings in March, June, September and December are open to residents.6/5 - Annual NCHS Garden Party at the Amstel House, 6-8:30pm.
Celebrating New Castle Historical Society's 90th birthday this year … with music, light summer fare, an open bar and good company in the beautiful Colonial Revival garden at the Amstel House. Details here.6/7 - Separation Eve Block Party at the Wharf, 6-9pm.
Join neighbors for live music and dancing, food trucks and drink tents down at the Wharf.
6/8-9 - Separation Day Book Sale at New Castle Public Library.
From 9am-2pm on Saturday, 6/8, and from 10am-2pm on Sunday, 6/9. Event Listing.6/8 - Separation Day At the Court House, NC Court House Museum, 10am-4pm.
Celebrate DE separating from Great Britain and PA with activities at the place where it happened. There will be a mock vote about separation and the events leading up to it, plus visitors’ final chance to vote on Delaware and Pennsylvania's State Symbols.6/8 - Separation Day Parade & Festival, on Delaware Street and in Battery Park.
Noon parade down Delaware Street, followed by a day-long Festival in the park with live bands, vendors, food, games and amusements for kids, and - at 9:30pm - fireworks!6/9 - 100th Annual St. Anthony’s Procession, starting at St. Peter’s, 12:30pm.
See a write-up about the event in local Catholic journal The Dialog, here.6/11 - City Council Regular Meeting at the NC Senior Center, 7pm.
Agenda to be posted.6/15 - Delaware Freedom Ride, starting at NC Court House Museum, 10am.
The annual Juneteenth Celebration invites riders along for a 15 mile journey to Wilmington and back, full of historical details from the lives of those who had to fight for their freedom in the First State. Sponsored by Urban Bike Project & DE Greenways.6/15 - Library on the Loose in Buttonwood (11am) and Dobbinsville (2pm).
New Castle Public Library will be giving away books, handing out ice cream coupons, giving out other info, and playing outside with music and bubbles. All children will also have the opportunity to meet a police officer and city councilperson. Details here.6/16 - Open Mic Night at the ‘Second St. Coffeehouse,’ NC Presbyterian, 6pm.
6/17-18 - Free Kids’ Vision Clinic at New Castle Public Library, 10am-5pm.
Provided by Vision to Learn. Appointments are required and include a free eye exam and glasses, if needed. All children in grades K-12 are eligible. Call NCPL at 302-328-1995 during regular business hours to schedule.6/19 - Jimmy Pritchard & The New Turks concert in Battery Park, 6:30pm.
Part of the Wednesday Night Summer Concert Series presented by NC Community Partnership and the NC Jaycees. Blankets/lawn chairs recommended!6/20 - Re-Dedication of the Fort Casimir Monument, Chestnut St. Lot, 3:30pm.
The Society of Colonial Dames will hold a short ceremony, to be followed by a reception at the Old Library on Third Street.6/22 - Candle Making on The Green starting at NC Court House Museum, 12pm.
Join local business woman Diante Simmons of Cabernet Candles on the Green for Candle Making. Advanced Registration is required; cost is $20.6/22 - Community Chalk the Walk (family program) at NC Public Library, 2pm.
Families will receive chalk kits to chalk up Delaware Street with images and ideas that tie in the theme of "Adventure Begins at your Library." Stop and draw at a few select locations en route to Battery Park, the day ends with a picnic. Light refreshments provided, but families are welcome to bring food and snacks. Registration required.6/23 - Art in the Garden in the Amstel House Garden, 3-6pm.
Hosted by Cabernet Candles and NCHS with an outdoor art exhibition, live music and poetry, mini-exhibits, wine and hors d'oeuvres. Tickets $25.6/26 - NYC Burn 2.0 concert in Battery Park, 6:30pm.
Part of the Wednesday Night Summer Concert Series presented by NC Community Partnership and the NC Jaycees. Blankets/lawn chairs recommended!6/28 - Well-Seasoned Heirlooms, Online from NC Court House, 12pm.
Shining a spotlight on the practices, recipes and women throughout Delaware history as they speak to us through their food. Streamed on the museum’s Facebook page.6/28 - Dog Days of Summer pet-friendly film screening on The Green, 8pm.
Bring your favorite (leashed and friendly) furry friend to watch 1776 on the Green, on the day the final draft of the Declaration of Independence was presented to the Continental Congress. There will be "Doggy bags" for pups & owners, and a brief presentation on the Declaration and Delaware's part in it. Bring your own lawn chair and blanket. Presented by New Castle Court House Museum.
MONTHLY & ONGOING EVENTS
Fort Casimir & the Struggle for the Delaware Valley history exhibition at the Old Library Museum on 4th Street, open weekends from Noon to 4, through December.
Fourth Friday Art Loop at participating shops and galleries around downtown, including the Opera House, Mo’zArt Gallery, The Window on Delaware Street, the Mercury Cafe’s in-house gallery, and more!
Bellanca Airfield Museum Open Houses are 2nd & 4th Saturdays through October, from 11am-3pm. Regular admission is $5.
‘Third Thursday Trivia’ at the Mercury, 6:30pm (on third Thursdays).
Regular Historic Tours at:
New Castle Historical Society (Thursday-Sunday)
Walking tours and tours of the historic house museums start from the Arsenal.New Castle Court House Museum (Wednesday-Sunday)
Read House & Garden (Wednesday-Saturday, resuming)
City Board and Commission Meetings are posted on the City Website, here.
Click here for the many events happening each week at New Castle Public Library.
And click here for New Castle Historical Society’s full event calendar.
Thank you for reading!
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