FENWICK ISLAND – Fenwick Island voters will have much to consider next week when they head to the polls for this year’s town council election.
On Saturday, Aug. 5, the Town of Fenwick Island will hold its municipal election for the offices of town council.
This year, eight candidates – Janice Bortner, John Gary Burch, Kristina Clark, Natalie Magdeburger, Bernie Merritt, Jacque Napolitano, James Simpson and Kurt Zanelotti – will vie for four seats currently held by Bortner, Magdeburger, Napolitano and outgoing Councilman Paul Breger.
Ahead of next week’s election, The Dispatch asked each candidate to answer a series of questions. The following highlights the responses of all eight participants.
Q: Why are you running as a candidate for the Fenwick Island Town Council?
Bortner: Two years ago, Fenwick voters’ mandate was clear – those elected to Fenwick Island Town Council must protect Fenwick’s quiet, family friendly community for future generations. I am running for a second term on the Fenwick Island Town Council because I want to continue the positive initiatives this current Council and dedicated, talented committee members have accomplished towards this mandate. If
reelected I, along with my like-minded Council members, will continue to protect the Town from self-serving outside interests attempting to advance infrastructure and zoning changes with reckless or no regard for the Town’s capacity limitations or adverse impact on resident quality of life within the Fenwick community.
Burch: I have been a property owner since Nov. 1993 and recently my wife Tracey and I became Full Time residents in Fenwick. It appears that the current council is forgetting the importance of our businesses and what they bring to our town. No one wants another “Dewey” here in Fenwick! We just want to able to enjoy our restaurants and shops as well as our beaches. We want to be able to walk our streets safely. We need to look at all options in mitigating the Flooding from the Bay. We need to come together and get our job done without all the controversy and drama within the council, so we can keep Fenwick a place we can call home for our families.
Clark: I am running for Town Council because I am tired of the negative publicity our current Council has brought to the forefront over the last two years. In addition, we need to stop implementing initiatives that have caused the excessive lawsuits and limits renovations in the business sector. Moreover, with the termination of Chief Devlin, it has left our town with a lack of staff and reduced police coverage. It is time for a positive change!
Magdeburger: I was elected two years ago; I have also had the honor to serve as Fenwick’s Mayor. For a list of what we accomplished, please see: www.votetoprotectFenwick.com. Developers and their investors have sought to change our community character by seeking outdoor bars and shuttles as well as other changes to our Town’s culture that benefit them financially but jeopardize our uncrowded beaches and quiet community. I promise to safeguard and promote the quiet family-friendly character of Fenwick by working FOR Fenwick so that Fenwick remains unique among the Delaware coastal communities.
Merritt: I decided to return to the council after serving from 2016-21 because the existing Council seems to have lost their way. Their continuous interest in pushing a punitive agenda and passing ordinances that are in the self-interest of a small minority has given the people of Fenwick concern about the direction of our town. The last two years there has been a Neighbor vs Neighbor mentality. People want our elected officials to make logical and reasonable decisions and not look for problems where there are none.
Napolitano: I decided to run for Town Council to protect this Quiet Resort. Since being elected I have been a member of the C&O Committee, Budget and Finance Committee and
Chairman of the Beach Committee. Much of my efforts while serving on Town Council are focused on organizing events that bring our Town together such as the Fenwick Freeze and the Town Bonfire as well as beach enhancements. I have been unwavering in my love for Fenwick and maintaining its quiet charm and
character. If re-elected, I will continue to work hard to keep Fenwick the family-oriented community we all have been drawn to and love.
Simpson: The council needs a reset. Too many council actions are based on personal vendettas and perceived slights. The council should be about doing things for people not to people. Acting on the needs and wants of the larger community has been replaced with listening to a vocal few. Transparency is an absolute necessity. The entire community deserves to be heard, whether you like it or not. Too much use of executive sessions and closed-door meetings are prevalent. Every council vote is unanimous. That is not the real world. Sunlight is the best disinfectant.
Zanelotti: My wife and I chose Fenwick Island because we loved the character of the town and all that it stood for – a little slice of Americana on the ocean. I am running for Fenwick Town Council to preserve and protect what we found in 2005 so that future generations can find what we found, a caring and neighborly community. Building on the gains that have been made by the current council, I intend to continue to address Coastal Highway safety and the completion of dredging our channels. Shuttles from out of town need to be directed to the state beaches.
Q: The town recently completed its draft comprehensive plan, which will guide future growth in Fenwick Island. What do you think are some of the biggest issues identified in the planning document, and do you agree with the goals and recommendations?
Bortner: The Vision Statement of Fenwick’s Comprehensive Plan reads, “To be a quiet, family-oriented and
walkable community, which protects its natural beach and bay environment while including a desirable and sustainable primary residential area as well as a vibrant commercial area.” I believe all decisions implemented by the Town should support this Vision Statement. This Vision Statement continues to ring true with Fenwick residents as well. In a recent survey sent to them by the Planning Commission to Fenwick residents, 80% of respondents indicated that the their #1 priority was to maintain Fenwick’s
quiet, family-oriented community.
Burch: I believe there are several issues described in the Plan that are very important to all within the Town. 1) Pedestrian safety thru the crosswalks as well as Bicyclists safety. This is paramount and needs to be addressed much sooner than later. 2)
Speed controls on SR1 thru Fenwick – collaborate with DelDot and their recommendations for traffic calming measures at all cross walks. 3) Tidal Flooding on our Bay Side – this is a lurking problem for us all and needs to be investigated thru all options on how to mitigate this issue.
Clark: Essential for any community, the Comprehensive Plan indicates a robust demand for redevelopment. Yet, the latest actions of the Town Council contradict this. They’ve enacted initiatives, like the recent parking ratio ordinance, which curbs the redevelopment potential in the commercial sector. Such steps seem misaligned with the Comprehensive Plan’s core objectives.
Magdeburger: I served on the Planning Commission and was assigned as primary author of two chapters, including “Safe Streets for All” and the “Bay.” See: https://fenwickisland.delaware.gov/files/2023/06/COMPPLAN2023.pdf. Coastal Highway safety and bayside flooding are the biggest issues in the near-term. However, long-range resiliency planning against sea-level rise is our greatest risk over the long-term. I agree with the goals and recommendations outlined in the implementation portion of the plan and the specific action items with timetables to ensure Fenwick’s future will have a healthy bay and ocean, safe streets for all as well as being resilient to the bayside flooding and projected sea level rise.
Merritt: The plan has always been a road map to discuss and protect current issues that face the town. Prioritizing Tidal Flooding is critical. Continuing to work with State and other Municipalities will be critical for developing a plan to minimize flooding in the future. Dredging should continue to be a top priority. Residents need to have safe access to Assawoman Bay. Building Creative solutions to keep our businesses strong an attract others that enhance our resident and visitor experiences in Fenwick is critical.
Napolitano: I attended a number of Planning Commission meetings (the group met almost once a week) and I was very impressed with the final product. It was a very easy decision for
me to vote to approve it; I very much agree with the goals and recommendations of the Plan and encourage everyone to read it. The two biggest issues confronting the Town are improving Route 1 safety and creating a long-term plan to create resiliency against sea level rise and bayside flooding. I believe the Comprehensive Plans gives us a clear pathway to achieve the goals outlined to do so.
Simpson: As drafted, the plan is an aspirational document. Our geographical boundaries are such that we are confined as to land. The biggest issue we face is the bay flooding. No one I have ever met favors height & density increases and neither am I. Since everyone seems to be sync on these issues, it’s time that we look to the future and address flooding, traffic on Coastal Highway, address parking issues in a logical manner, stem the thousands spent on self-inflicted lawsuits and of utmost importance address the out-of-control deficit spending by the current council. $500 thousand deficits are simply unacceptable.
Zanelotti: The Fenwick Island Comprehensive Plan is a valuable blueprint for Fenwick’s future. Our biggest threat is resiliency (frequency of flooding). DNREC & DELDOT’s default position is to seawall the west side of Coastal Highway and a “managed retreat”. This means forfeiting our homes over the next 30 to 40 years through condemnation! Our number one concern is pedestrian safety. We simply cannot be the “end drop” for every development west of us due to Sussex planning. DNREC needs to expand the public beach parking at the State beaches north of us. I support our businesses and want their continued success.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish if elected to the town council?
Bortner: If given the honor to serve again on Town Council, I will:
- work to mitigate the negative impact the rapid commercial and residential
development along Rt. 54 has had on the quality of life in Fenwick Island;
- prioritize pedestrian safety for our community;
- continue to advocate to protect our environment for future generation;
- support the efforts to mitigate bayside flooding
alongside our talented Committee members and partners; and
- continue to advocate for resident concerns and initiatives as chair of the Residential Committee.
I humbly ask for your vote and support to protect the heritage and values that make Fenwick Island a treasured coastline community.
Burch: If I am elected, I hope we can come together without any hidden agendas and work together on the real issues that have been outlined in the 2023 Comp. Plan. We need to make sure that our pedestrians are safe when crossing SR1. We need to bring a working relationship with our business partners and listen to everyone in the town. Exhaust all options to mitigate the Bay flooding. Revisit our parking polices with a commonsense approach! Listen to the everyone in Fenwick with common courtesy and put a sincere effort to bring back the town where it once was.
Clark: If elected to Town Council, I wish to bring back a sense of community, instead of divisiveness, between the residential area and the commercial district. The commercial district is an integral part of our community, as they pay more in tax revenue in addition to room rental fees for the 3 hotels in Town. I’m eager to rebuild our revered reputation and cease being the subject of mockery on the Eastern Shore.
Magdeburger: Because Route 1 safety remains an immediate priority, I will seek engineering changes to make the highway corridor safer, work with our police department to educate drivers of the need to slow down and stop at our crosswalks and enforce our laws to ensure that they do. Regarding resiliency planning, I will foster a community-wide discussion on what engineering recommendations we should undertake as well as advocate to the appropriate agencies for funding. My priority will be to ensure that “managed retreat” is not an option and that our bayside businesses and homes are resilient against projected sea level rise.
Merritt: If I am elected, I hope to bring back a sense of community and stop the cloud of turmoil that sits over our town. Our residents should be our priority. Pitting neighbors against each other has to stop. We need to listen and be transparent. I would like to work on the aesthetics of our commercial district, develop logical solutions to our parking by allowing people to park at places like Town Hall, protecting pedestrian safety as well as to work and push for the completion of dredging our channels.
Napolitano: I will continue to work toward protecting and preserving the quiet family-friendly character of Fenwick. It is important that Fenwick keeps the charm that brought us here in the first place and to help plan for Fenwick’s future so we can be resilient
against sea level rise and increasing pressure from developers and their investors. I also look forward to continuing to create and promote community-wide events that help bring our Town together. I have met so many loving Fenwick families through the events that we have hosted and look forward to meeting many more. https://www.votetoprotectfenwick.com.
Simpson: Transparency, transparency, transparency. The current chaos & turmoil needs to end. Open government and inclusiveness are paramount. Most of our issues can be resolved by listening to the stakeholders and having an open dialogue. Budget deficits, bay flooding, parking, meaningful traffic, and speed issues will be my priorities. The appearance of Coastal Highway needs a fluff as well. I will work to involve the Barefoot Garden Club and the property owners along Coastal to identify and initiate improvements. I will listen to the community and consider all viewpoints. Stifling resident input does not serve the community well.
Zanelotti: If elected, my goal is to be a conduit for both residents and businesses to have a voice in committee hearings and to make those venues accessible and well publicized. I will do everything in my power to preserve and protect the integrity of Fenwick Island and to keep it a quiet family friendly community. We all came to Fenwick Island for the same reason; to enjoy our beautiful beaches, bay and way of life. I pledge to listen and respect all viewpoints, business and residents alike, and to govern in the best interests of our community.
