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Milford residents vote on funding a new police station

Milton Pratt
/
Delaware Public Media

Milford residents also vote on a referendum Tuesday that would allow the city to raise funds for a new police station.

 

The city wants to borrow $20 million and raise property taxes to pay it back.

 

City officials argue the current police station, built in 1979, is outdated and not up to modern law enforcement standards.

 

City clerk Teresa Hudson says the vote is drawing many people who may have never taken an interest in city affairs before.

 

“There’s actually people that have never registered to vote that have been in Milford since the early 2000’s,” said Hudson.

 

Hudson says she’s registered at least a few hundred people in the past couple of weeks leading up to the referendum. She expects turnout to be quite big.

 

If approved, construction on the police station would start in December and could take up to a year and a half to complete.

 

Polls are open from 8am and 7pm at the city’s public works department at 180 Vickers Drive. Absentee ballots also need to be returned to city hall by the time polls close.

 

The city of Milford is also moving ahead with safety improvements to the MispillionRiverfront.

 

Milford City Council approved funding Monday night to make improvements to the Mispillion waterfront.

 

The city applied for a grant from DNREC for enhanced lighting along the riverfront.

 

It received $75,000 from the Delaware Land and Water Conservation Trust Fund, and asked for a matching amount from city council to help complete the safety improvements.

 

Councilor Todd Culotta says these improvements are much needed.

 

“Lighting’s always been an issue down there and I think the fact that we have the opportunity to match this grant," said Culotta. "This is a really good opportunity to take advantage of that and really improve the riverwalk and lighting issues that are down there.”

 

The improvements could take some time before they’re implemented, the city still needs to first draw up design plans.

 

Parks & Rec Director Brad Dennehy says he wants to make sure the community and city council are included in the design of the new lighting and guardrails along the historic riverfront.

 

Roman Battaglia a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms.

 

Roman Battaglia grew up in Portland, Ore, and now reports for Delaware Public Media as a Report For America corps member. He focuses on politics, elections and legislation activity at the local, county and state levels.
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