Rehoboth Beach Delaware 19971United States
Rehoboth Beach is in the middle of planning its budget for next year, and for the second straight year, the future of the Lake Gerar tot lot is taking up a significant part of the discussion.
The city’s fiscal year runs April 1 to March 31. City Manager Sharon Lynn presented commissioners with a $27.7 million budget Jan. 15. The proposed budget includes a 2 percent raise for employees and approximately $4.9 million in capital improvements.
As of now, there’s $350,000 toward a new playground for the Lake Gerar tot lot. During a budget meeting Feb. 8, City Arborist Liz Lingo said the playground is the oldest in the city and she has recommended it be demolished in favor of a larger, handicap-accessible playground because it’s no longer safe. Lingo made the same recommendation last year with a proposed budget of $250,000. Last year, commissioners earmarked $100,000 toward the playground, but then COVID-19 hit and the city playgrou
Depending on how the numbers look during future budget discussions, Meterless Monday may be a summer-long program for Rehoboth Beach in 2021.
This past summer, at the request of downtown businesses struggling to attract customers during the week, the city instituted Meterless Monday, 4 to 10 p.m., for the final eight weeks of the parking meter season.
By all reports it was very successful and it’s easy to market, said Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce President Carol Everhart during a special commissioner meeting Dec. 15.
From installing pedestrian barriers to instituting outdoor dining rules, commissioners, senior city staff and members of the public have been discussing how the city would respond to COVID-19 for months. Most recently, the discussion turned to business-friendly incentives the city could continue given that COVID-related restrictions are expected to still be in place when tourist season returns this year.