Council, Commission may meet later this month to vote on new town manager
With no Delmar Council (Delaware) or Delmar Commission (Maryland) scheduled for June, the Joint Council took care of some business following its vote on the town budgets last Monday. The Joint Council may need to meet later this month to vote on a candidate for the town manager position.
During Monday’s meeting, the Delmar Council approved a resolution acknowledging that the town is a public employer. The resolution goes along with the Delmar, Md. collective bargaining agreement with the town’s police department, which Delmar, Del. supports. The state of Delaware amended its police and firefighters public information act, making the town’s resolution necessary.
The Delmar Council previously endorsed the collecting bargaining agreement that Delmar, Md. negotiated with the police department. The Council voted, 4-0, to approve the resolution.
“I feel like it accomplishes what the officers were looking for,” Delmar (Del.) Mayor Michael Houlihan said when asked about the resolution during public comment.
He added that the same process will take place when the contract comes up again. The Delmar Commission will negotiate the contract and the Delmar Council will vote to approve it.
Following the police chief’s report, Delmar (Md.) Mayor Ben Jorden asked Chief Ivan Barkley about body cams on officers. Barkley said that technical issues have been resolved with the cameras and software updates have been completed. They are out on several of the officers, but not all of them.
Barkley also said that the officers are currently working on placement of the cameras. The department is also determining what can be seen on them once they are activated.
In new business, the Delmar Commission voted, 5-0, to approve the 2022 Wicomico Hazard mitigation and resilience plan.
At the end of the meeting, members of the Council, Commission, and the public thanked returning Town Manager Sara Bynum-King for her years of service.
“Working with Sara has been great,” said Councilman Cory Shaffer, who thanked Bynum-King and Heather Chandler for their work on the budget.
“I certainly hope that whoever we find has the knowledge and commitment that you have,” Commissioner Lloyd Unsell told Bynum-King.
The Delmar Joint Council may meet later this month to vote on a proposed candidate for the town manager position. The candidate needs to be approved by the two bodies and needs to sign a contract before the hire is official.
