Kent County Levy Court approved more environmental friendly measures to be installed at the county wastewater treatment plant and for 15 parcels to be exempt from paying county property taxes at its Nov. 10 business meeting.
The upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant include using solar power for some of the plant’s operations and replacing the use of chlorine gas in the treatment of solid waste.
Hans Medlarz, public works director, said the project is part of a long-term effort to upgrade the county’s wastewater treatment plant and noted the proposed upgrades would remove the risk of workers being exposed to chlorine gas or having someone steal the poisonous gas to be used in bioterrorism.
“It’s essentially replacing our energy systems that emit greenhouse gases with systems that have fewer emissions,” he said.
Medlarz said the $9,271,310 bond to upgrade the system would not be sold to the public through a financial investment bank but would be used to secure a loan from the state.
The county would spend 20 years paying off the bond, he added.
During the meeting, the commissioners also approved for 15 parcels to be exempt from county property taxes. These properties include the Milford Housing and Development Corporation’s housing for disadvantaged families on Commerce Street in Smyrna; six parcels that are used as open space, parking, and a pump station in Smyrna; and vacant land in a subdivision on Pebble Valley Drive in Dover.
Altogether, the county portion of the taxes on the parcels would equal $1,238.76. Ten of the properties owed a total of $6,417.98 in delinquent taxes and penalties, which also will be removed from the accounts as part of the exemption.
The local school districts had been contacted about the tax exemptions and none of them objected to any of the requests.
In other business….
The commissioners recognized Veterans Day by presenting a key to the county to representatives from Chapter 850 of the Vietnam Veterans of America. The presentation was supposed to be a lead-in to the dedication of a Vietnam Veterans Memorial scheduled for the day after Levy Court’s meeting.
Email Elaine Hughes at elaine.hughes@doverpost.com.
