Developer survives legal snarl
2 a.m. accord keeps Greenville plans on track
By CHAD LIVENGOOD, The News Journal

Posted Wednesday, June 30, 2010

A Pennsylvania-based developer's path to approval for two large commercial properties in New Castle County was nearly derailed last week during a middle-of-the-night hearing in Legislative Hall.

Two lawmakers had proposed stricter requirements before the state could sign off on traffic-impact studies, potentially adding millions to the developer's plans at Greenville Center and Barley Mill Plaza, a prime piece of former DuPont property.

Alerted to the legislative maneuver, the Delaware Department of Transportation forged a compromise about 2 a.m. Friday, when most political observers were sound asleep.

DelDOT convinced lawmakers to agree to language in the agency's funding bill that's less restrictive from their original proposal, but may give a citizens group in New Castle County's chateau country a legal foothold to challenge the projects in court.

"Why should the taxpayers have to subsidize this out-of-state real-estate development trust in putting in its project?" said Richard Beck, a land-use attorney with Citizens for Responsible Growth, a civic group fighting both developments.

SEE LINK BELOW FOR FULL STORY AND VIDEO ON WDEL
JUNE 25, 2010

http://www.wdel.com/story.php?id=83792776515

A measure that would have ditched the "double state share" health insurance policy for future state workers is defeated in the Senate.

11 Senators chose not to vote on the measure, citing an ongoing discussion of the issue with Governor Markell.

Sponsoring State Senator Michael Katz says he's disappointed.

Katz says if he doesn't see improvements in the benefits' structure, he will bring this bill back in January.

Under the current benefits structure, if two state employees are married, they have zero dollars deducted from their paychecks for health insurance

States team up to fix Beaver Dam Road
Legislative prodding leads to PennDOT-DelDOT Pact

For Immediate Release: June 14
Contact Patrick Jackson at 744-4046

A longtime highway headache for drivers along the Delaware-Pennsylvania state line is getting fixed thanks to a joint agreement between the Delaware and Pennsylvania Transportation departments.

Under the deal, PennDOT is taking title to Beaver Dam Road and will reconstruct a badly deteriorated section of the road in Pennsylvania while DelDOT has agreed to assume maintenance responsibility for the road.

“This has been a real headache for motorists up here for a long time,” said Sen. Michael Katz, D-Centerville, who has been working on getting the road fixed since he took office last year. “This has been a complicated issue because there were questions about ownership and responsibility for the road, but I’m grateful to the cooperation of our highway departments, my legislative colleagues in Pennsylvania, Rep. Dennis E. Williams here in Delaware and governors Jack Markell and Ed Rendell in helping me get this problem resolved.”

Because of bureaucratic confusion over who was responsible for the road, no serious work had been done to it for years, Katz and Williams said, and it had become a deeply potholed hazard to motorists.

Graffiti-marred rail bridge slated for painting

By IRA PORTER • The News Journal • April 6, 2010

Volunteer painters all will be working professionals directed by Mike Ansul, of Ansul Construction, who is a Captain with the Citizens Anti-Graffiti Brigade organized by Councilman Bob Weiner. Rep. Deborah Hudson, New Castle County Councilman Bob Weiner and Sen. Michael S. Katz have recruited a team to paint over the graffiti at the end of May. Weiner plans to use part of a New Castle County police grant that he spearheaded to help underwrite the out of pocket costs.

For Greenville-area residents traveling along Del. 141, seeing NERD HUMOR and some other undecipherable graffiti in large letters on the rail bridge south of Del. 52 is anything but humorous.

"It's very offensive," said Rep. Deborah Hudson, R-Fairthorne. "When you look at it, you have to wonder how anybody got up there to do it."

Hudson, New Castle County Councilman Bob Weiner and Sen. Michael S. Katz, D- Centreville, have recruited a team to paint over the graffiti at the end of May. Included in the effort are Delaware Department of Transportation officials, youths ordered to do community service, contractors and railroad personnel.

Delaware Senator Michael S. Katz, M.D. spoke Thursday, March 25, 2010, at a news conference in Legislative Hall to announce a proposal for a statewide database for controlled substance prescriptions. The proposal was put forth by Gov. Jack Markell

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