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~..__.,· illiiO .__~'-"· ~ .~ EDUCATION Decision !Hotel time rece1ves• Two council seats contested in initial Keene honors Tuesday's election By JOSH SHANNON approval former leader [email protected] Plan moves to Library nomed for Newarkers who live in Dis tricts 3 and 5 will go to the council despite late principal polls on Tuesday to decide parking, traffic Pg. 12 who their next councilperson will be. concerns Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. By KARlE SIMMONS TRAFFIC District 3 residents will vote [email protected] at Aetna Fire Station 7, locat ed at 7 Thorn Lane. District A developer's plan to 5 residents will vote at First build a Marriott SpringHill Presbyterian Church, located Suites hotel on the corner at 292 W. Main St. of Library Avenue and The District 3 race pits Ar Ogletown Road is moving lynn Hall, a real estate agent forward after the planning from Devon, against }en commission recommended Wallace, a Barksdale Estates Tuesday night that city resident who works as a free council approve the project lance writer and communi and associated special-use Crossings cations consultant and first permit. The project includes a five See ELECTION story hotel with 125 rooms, to close Page 1 an indoor pool, fitness cen ter, market, business library Train track maintenance Inside and 100-seat standalone res taurant. could cause delays See pages 10 and 11 for detailed profiles of each Clockwise from top left: Arlynn Hall, Jen Wallace, Donna Means and Luke Chapman are See HOTEL Pg. 6 candidate I candidates for city council in Tuesday's election. Page 13 GOVERNMENT HEATING & City manager • Competitively Priced AIR CONDITIONING gets a raise Integrity And Quality Is Our Policy Council gives Houck LICENSED • INSURED • BONDED 4-percent pay increase Any 302-836-1921 When you mention this ad. (Excluding diagnostic fees & tune-ups} Pg. 3 comfort thts season 2 lOCAl NEWS - , -, NEWARK POST 4.1.2016 Newark History Museum kicks off season with festival The Newark History Mu that was donated to the mu improved. seum opened for the sea seum and an exhibit explor The museum, which is son on Sunday with a party ing the history of banking housed in the old train sta featuring music, food and a in Newark. Also, exhibits tion under the South College classic car show. on the University of Dela Avenue bridge, will be open New museum exhibits in ware, city government and every Sunday from 2 to 5 clude an early-1900s dress military history have been p.m. through November. NEWARK POST PHOTO BY JOSH SHANNON The Feral Hats, a bluegrass group, performs at the Newark History Museum. NEWARK POST PHOTO BY JOSH SHANNON Newark Historical Society volunteer Michelle Dao models old-time attire next to a display featuring a 191 0 lingerie dress. DELAWARE ADVANCED NEWARK POST PHOTO BY JOSH SHANNON NEWARK POST PHOTO BY JOSH SHANNON Rosemarie Beron displays her new book about Visitors look at a new exhibit at the Newark NCENTER Newark history. History Musuem. FREE VEIN SCREENING Thursday, April 14th 4:00-6:00 PM Your First Step 1008 Capitol Trail (Rt.2), Newark, DE 19711 to Beautiful (Between Polly Drummond & Possum Park Roads) Legs! ,....llllllllllll....;!.~-~~~~www.BiueHenCarWash.com PAINLESS 302-273-2100 PROCEDURES 40 Omega Drive, Building G I Newark, DE 19713 www.delawareadvancedveincenter.com <fONNECJ" WII:H US ~f, ~ . · .. ·. LOCAL NEWS 3 Council approves $5,726 raise for city manager By KARJE SIMMONS "Some of these organizational re celled because Houck was sick. He [email protected] structurings, changes in compensa said the meeting was rescheduled tion plans and insurance plans that to Monday so that council could City Manager Carol Houck re have been cost-saving efficiencies, hold a vote before next week's elec cently received a 4-percent raise those were done under Carol's lead tion in case new members who do -an increase of $5,726- bringing ership. That's worth recognizing," not have experience working with her annual salary up to $148,876. he added. Houck are elected to the board. Council unanimously approved Although the details of Houck's "It was important for council to the pay increase Monday night performance review were dis complete the review process for after returning from executive ses cussed behind closed doors, coun Carol as a unified body," Chapman sion. cil voted on her raise in public on said, adding that he doesn't think Councilman Rob Gifford said he Monday. The executive session, the lack of attendance at the meet has seen an improvement in effi however, was not held prior to a ing affected the outcome. "It was ciency with staff and the city man regularly-scheduled council meet still done in a public forum. It was ager over the past year. ing like most executive sessions still advertised in a public forum "I think it's the feeling of this and was instead advertised as its in the exact same way as a regular council as a whole that you are con own meeting. meeting. I understand that it would tinuing to move the city forward Morehead said resident ]en Wal have provided a possible opportu and, among our overall review, that lace, who is running for the District nity to have a bigger audience, but I warrants a little bit more than we 3 council seat, was the only mem don't believe it would have had any had justified in the budget for the ber of the public in the audience impact on what happened." general staff 3-percent increase," and she did not stay for the final Herron noted that while mem he told Houck on Monday, refer vote. Wallace confirmed that on bers of the public are not allowed ring to the 3-percent raise manage Wednesday. to comment on items talked about ment employees received earlier City Solicitor Bruce Herron said in executive session, council has this year as part of the 2016 budget it was not council's intention to vote the power to open up the topic for Councilmembers Todd Ruckle on Houck's raise at a special meet discussion. and Stu Markham also commended ing that would be poorly-attended last year, Houck received a Houck for a job well done. by the public. 1.5-percent raise at the end of a reg "I'm very happy to support a raise If the discussion had taken place ularly-scheduled council meeting this year," Ruckle said. before a regularly-scheduled coun that adjourned at 11:33 p.m. Mem On Tuesday, Councilman Mark cil meeting, he said, council would bers returned from executive ses Morehead said Houck's raise was have only had a short amount of sion at 7 p.m., but instead of voting the result of an annual performance time to meet in executive session - on Houck's raise then, they decided review process. last year, she re most begin at 5:30 p.m. or 6 p.m. - to reconvene at the end ofthe meet ceived a 1.5-percent increase. NEWARK POST PHOTO BY JOSH SHANNON before the meeting started at 7 p.m. ing. By the time they voted on the Morehead suggested this year City Manager Carol Houck, seen here speaking at the opening of Curtis Mill Otherwise, members would have increase, most of the public had left. Houck get a 4-percent raise, not Park in 2014, received a 4-percent raise on Monday. had to reconvene after the meeting City Secretary Renee Bensley ing tliat "she has been responsible ended. also recently received a 1-percent for improvements in the city and has been instrumental in providing echoed Morehead's remarks on 'They weren't sure how long it raise after an executive session ear increased efficiency of city opera more information to council and . Tuesday. was going to take," Herron said lier this year. The discussion was tions;" commended her for the improve- "As a whole, the city manager's Wednesday. 'They wanted to sched held prior to the regularly-sched "I floated a number out there, and ments to this year's budget reviews were either meeting or ex- ule it at a time when they wouldn't uled council meeting on 1an. 25. council chose to go with that num 'The budget process this year ceeding expectations in the major be under any time pressure." In 2014, Bensley got a 32-percent ber," he said. was much more transparent than ity of areas," Chapman said. "She According to Chapman, the raise raise - an increase of $21,000 - but While he described the raise as years past, and I expect that trend has been very successful in several was supposed to be discussed dur she did not get a raise in 2015. "significant," he said it is also well to continue," he said. ways since [she took on the role in] ing a special executive session on josh Shannon contributed report deserved. Morehead said Houck Councilman Luke Chapman 2012." March 23 that ended up being can- ing to this article. 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