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New Castle County to hire sustainability coordinator, seeking public input on sustainability plan

New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer
Rachel Sawicki
/
Delaware Public Media
New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer

New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer plans to add a Sustainability Coordinator to county government and wants public input on sustainability issues.

Meyer says the county is moving forward on its comprehensive plan, including sustainability and climate resilience as one of 11 policy areas.

“The first element of that is naming a sustainability coordinator," Meyer says. "We have never had a sustainability coordinator at the county. That is a single person that is going to work every day to make sure we are climate resilient and everything we do in our land use practices, sewer practices, community services practices and all of our public works in New Castle County government.”

But Councilwoman Dee Durham says first funding for this new position must be approved

“We are in the budget process right now to approve the budget," Durham says. "So I’m hoping to actually make it part of that so we can hit the ground running July 1.”

Meyer says the county will also develop a Sustainability Plan this year called Pathway to Sustainability, and he wants public input on what it should include.

Meyer notes that turnout response rates are generally low, but the county received thousands of responses for its comprehensive plan by asking proactive questions.

“Questions of equity, questions of do you want to live next to a park, or a mall, or a factory, or another neighborhood?" Meyer says. "Questions of, how concerned are you about the weather patterns and climate change in your community?”

The sustainability plan survey is available at newcastlede.gov/sustainability.

Rachel Sawicki was born and raised in Camden, Delaware and attended the Caesar Rodney School District. They graduated from the University of Delaware in 2021 with a double degree in Communications and English and as a leader in the Student Television Network, WVUD and The Review.