Delmar Council kicks off the year’s first meeting

The first meeting of the Delmar Council (Del.) took place Jan. 5, opening with Mayor Tom Bauer leading with a moment of silence for State Police Corporal Grade One Matthew T. “Ty” Snook whose life was lost in the line of duty days before Christmas. 

The mayor announced that Vondell Spencer, town clerk of council, has been certified as a municipal clerk. 

Mayor Bauer also shared census results that painted a picture of the differences between Delaware and Maryland for the people of Delmar. It’s notable that the Delaware side is home to roughly 1,700 less in population compared to Maryland. For this smaller population, the median income also indicates a wide gap with those living in Delaware bringing in $15,000 less than Maryland counterparts, even with a comparable employment rate. The Delaware side holds about 32 percent of housing for the town. A disparity in health insurance coverage is notable, with 10.5 percent of residents on the Delaware side being without coverage, compared to two percent in Maryland.

“We survived the holiday season without any big issues,” said Delmar Police Chief Ivan Barkley.

The police department did see an officer leave to find a new position and it’s been announced publicly that they are seeking a new candidate to attend the earliest academy available, which will be July 2026.

Although there is a vacancy, Town Manager Jeff Fleetwood emphasized that the current numbers without the position filled does still put the PD at the number previously authorized by council. He recommends filling the position, though, as he acknowledges that competitive salaries, which Delmar recently reviewed two years prior, may continue to be a work in progress as all townships continue to reevaluate to attract talent. 

The chief did share one recent issue in town – a vacant property being regularly broken into. Recent video led to the arrest of the culprit. Despite this, “our issues with the vehicle break-ins have diminished considerably,” Barkley shared, with some of the individuals linked to the disorder being identified. 

Bringing updates from school, Rylin Nichols reported on exams approaching at the end of January right before the second semester starts and shortly after school is closed for MLK Day. 

The improvement in the water treatment plan continues as water pumps are expected to arrive within the week, announced council member Todd Lanier. Some equipment is present for continued repaving up to North Pennsylvania Avenue, with the leftover milling making its way to the nursing home parking lot.

A new branch of Farmer’s Bank of Willards is in the works for Delmar. Matt Davis attended the meeting seeking council approval on behalf of the bank. Plans for the bank to be developed just north of the Food Lion shopping center, using the space’s existing utilities, are underway to have the bank running by end of 2026 or beginning of 2027. 

The local branch is expected to have seven to eight employees. Two drive throughs will be able to handle large trucks to ensure availability to all traffic. The council unanimously approved the build, with more steps to follow beyond the council’s okay. “It feels good to be here. We’re excited,” says Matt Davis.

The ongoing active ordinance with MDE remains in place but without funding from Maryland for infrastructure work planned for phase two, completion will need to occur and then evaluated for 12 months following. Fleetwood issued warning to the council that there may be calls to further develop beyond what is laid out by MDE and a reminder that choosing to do this outside of MDE approval could result in fines to the town.

Fleetwood described a “challenge coin,” something he was presented with and found the idea inspiring. In a future session he plans to bring the idea of making challenge coins for the town of Delmar. The council will be asked to consider approval of the coin and to help find the appropriate language to inscribe.