New Castle County cutbacks have hit home for the Hockessin Design Review Advisory Committee.
Mary Grace Novak, a planner in the Department of Land Use, announced at the March 15 meeting that, due to a money-saving reallocation of resources, she will only attend DRAC meetings when there is an advertised action item on the agenda. Novak has traditionally attended every Hockessin DRAC meeting.
January was the last month there was an action item on the Hockessin DRAC’s agenda; committee members typically discuss signage issues and land use concerns at meetings that have no action items.
That new county policy applies to three of the four DRACs Novak attends – she will continue to attend all meetings of the North St. Georges DRAC because it is still such a new committee, she said.
“I understand the need for the reallocation of resources because we are down on manpower,” she said, speaking of the Land Use department, which has shrunk because of attrition.
But the new policy will make it difficult for her to stay up to date with land use-related happenings in Hockessin, Novak said, and she will miss the rapport she has with the Hockessin group, which is an important part of the committee's work as the Hometown Overlay District’s aesthetic watchdogs.
DRAC members voiced concerns that losing Novak’s regular services could crimp the committee’s ability to stay on top of land use issues. Plus, Novak serves as a conduit for the board’s concerns, said Cynthia Gamble, DRAC chairwoman.
“She’s our link to the county,” she said. “It’s a two-way street. And if we don’t have Mary Grace here anymore, it’s not a two -way street.”
Novak produces the agendas and keeps meeting minutes, but more important than those activities is the land use expertise she brings to the board, said committee member Joe Lake.
The new policy will allow Novak to spend more time concentrating on core planning services, rather than attending meetings where there is no actionable item for the county to consider, said Mark Veasy, spokesman for the Department of Land Use.
And despite Novak's absence at some DRAC meetings, the group’s connection to the county will be maintained, he said.
“We are always available by phone, e-mail or in person if anyone needs our help. That won’t change,” Veasey said. “But in this kind of fiscal environment, we are constantly looking for ways to reallocate our resources to where they are needed most.”
