By Eddie Phillipps, Cape Gazette Staff Writer
Believe it or not, Ruddertowne is not the only issue facing Dewey Beach.
Now that the elections are out of the way, it’s time for recently sworn in commissioners Rich Hanewinckel and Diane Hanson and Mayor Dell Tush to get to work. And while the issue regarding what to do with Ruddertowne loomed over the debates and the election campaigns, the commissioners have other matters to tend to.
One problem they plan to take on is tourism, which generates most of the town’s revenues. In an interview, Hanewinckel, a Realtor for Long & Foster, said he heard rental properties were slow this past year in Dewey. He said the town should survey property owners and Realtors on how to fix this problem.
More activities will spark tourism, Tush said. She is trying to get the Association of Volleyball Professionals to hold matches in Dewey. Festivals are another way to increase tourism and revenue. “I look at all these different towns and see festivals of different sorts and I see that happening in Dewey,” she said.
Attracting families is one thing, but keeping them in Dewey is another. Hanson said Dewey should offer more family-oriented activities to keep guests from driving to Rehoboth or Bethany in the evening. She wants to promote facilities such as Sunset Park and playgrounds, and to emphasize Dewey’s dog-friendly nature. Hanson, who has a cocker spaniel and poodle mix named Dewey, said accentuating these points, combined with increased activities such as volleyball, will draw more visitors.
Parking is another complication for the narrow, mile-long strip of land that holds anywhere between 20,000 to 30,000 people on a given weekend in the peak season. Issues regarding that situation will have to wait until the planning and zoning committee determines what to do with the resort business area where Ruddertowne sits.
Communication between town officials and the public has been below standard, the trio agreed. Hanewinckel has also heard Dewey business owners complaining about trash. People waiting at Jolly Trolley stations with food and drink have been known to drop whatever is in their hands when their ride arrives. Hanewinckel said that extra trashcans are a simple solution this problem. Tush also said she has heard complaints about the trash in town and is working to better the situation.
Tush, who begins her second stint as mayor after being unanimously elected by the commissioners Saturday, Sept. 22, said town meetings in the past have gone too long as a result of packed agendas and anxious residents who want be heard at the meetings. Tush said she would like to limit the number of items that can be put on an agenda. That way it won’t interfere with citizens’ voices being heard.
These issues, along with Ruddertowne, should keep the commissioners busy throughout their terms.
“There’s some things we need to talk about,” Tush said. “Some of them are small. Some of them are not so small. Overall in the next year, we’re going to address as many problems as we can.”
Contact Eddie Phillipps at eddiep@capegazette.com