Public Hearing on Sussex County Buffer Ordinance to be continued on February 22nd at 10:30am.

On January 11th, Sussex County Council held a public hearing to discuss the proposed  Ordinance No. 21-10 regarding buffer requirements for waterways.  To allow time for more public comment, Council voted to continue the public hearing on 2/22/22.

It is critical that Sussex County has an updated buffer ordinance, but the current proposed version of the legislation includes loopholes that weaken the purpose of the buffer ordinance. We need your help asking Sussex County Council to pass the ordinance with these four amendments to re-vitalize the effort to best protect our waterways.

Amendments:

1. Increase buffer width of perennial non-tidal rivers and streams from 50 to 100 feet to be consistent with science-based recommendations for minimum buffer width.
2. Remove allowance of non-forest meadow from the Resource Buffer Standards Section 10.D. and require the maintenance of existing forest and replanting of non-forested areas with trees and shrubs to specific densities.
3. Remove in its entirety Section G., the Resource Buffer Options.
4. Add a section on specific enforcement provisions and penalties for noncompliance.

Better buffers will protect Sussex County's wetland resources, help improve the current poor water quality, prevent and protect against flooding and hazards associated with climate change, and increase economic value by providing additional open space. Making this buffer ordinance more robust and preventing loopholes for developers, is the best way to protect Sussex County waterways during a time of immense development pressure. You can view justification, including science-based recommendations, for the amendments being proposed by Delaware Center for the Inland Bays (CIB) here.

CIB is hosted a 2nd public educational webinar on February 16th. If you were unable to attend but would like to learn more about this issue, click here to see the presentation.

***Please contact your Councilperson, and/or attend the Sussex County Council hearing and your voice opinion on Tuesday, February 22, 2022.***

The agenda for the meeting is now posted on the Sussex County Council website. Instructions to access the hearing virtually are provided on page 4.  The meeting will be streamed live at https://sussexcountyde.gov/council-chamberbroadcast. The County provides a dial-in number for the public to comment during the appropriate time of the meeting. Note, the on-line stream experiences a 30-second delay. Any person who dials in should listen to the teleconference audio to avoid the on-line stream delay.

The League of Women Voters of Sussex County joins the Center for Inland Bays, The Clean Water Alliance, and SARG in advocating for this improved ordinance to protect our Sussex County waterways.