Amendment of Ordinance Process

Amendment to the County Ordinances

When the County proposes to change the existing County Ordinances, such as zoning laws, they are to have 2 public hearings - Planning & Zoning and County Council.

(It is not certain whether there are hearings to change the the zoning maps in the Sussex Comprehensive Plan.)

Procedures

1. P&Z Director introduces the recommended ordinance amendment to the Council.

2. The Council decides whether to discuss it.

3. P&Z Office publish the hearing notices in 2 newspapers (in the Bay to Bay News formerly known as Delaware State News and News Journal) at least 15 days prior to the hearing.

4. P&Z Commission holds the hearing and make a recommendation to the Council.

5. Council holds the hearing and make the final decision.

Public Comments

Before the hearings, the public can make comments to the Council by calls, emails or letters or via P&Z Office. Unlike the specific land use applications, the public can engage in discussions with the Council or P&Z Commissioners) before the public hearing.

During the public hearing, the public can speak and are allowed to use visual presentation, such as PowerPoint.

Contact Info

To find contact info for Council Members: https://sites.google.com/view/sussex2030-council/council-members

For P&Z Office, email to pandz@sussexcountyde.gov