Title 9 — Counties

§ 6301. Definitions. As used in this chapter: (1) “Building” means any structure, building, edifice or part thereof. (2) “Construction” means alteration, removal, demolition, addition, repair or construction of any new or old building. (3) “Person” means any architect, builder, c…

§ 6302. Application for construction permits. (a) No person shall construct or commence the construction of a building without first filing with the Department of Finance an application in writing for such construction and obtaining a permit therefor. Such application shall be ma…

§ 6303. Reports on permits issued by incorporated cities or towns. Building inspectors or other officers authorized by law to issue permits for the construction of any buildings, in any incorporated city or town in Sussex County, shall report to the Department of Finance on blank…

§ 6304. Inspections. Each or any member of the Department of Finance shall make the necessary inspections to see that the provisions of this chapter are complied with and may order or compel the suspension of any work that is not in compliance with this chapter.9 Del. C. 1953, § …

§ 6305. Fees. (a) The fees for issuing permits shall be determined by the County Council of Sussex County. (b) The County may add a surcharge on any application for a building permit, in an amount not greater than 1.25% of the construction value applicable to the building permit …

§ 6306. Records. (a) The Department of Finance shall keep a careful and comprehensive record of applications, permits issued, inspections made, reports rendered and of notices or orders issued. (b) The Department of Finance shall retain on file copies of all permits issued. (c) A…

§ 6307. Permits not required. No person shall be required to obtain a permit when the fair value of the construction of a building is less than $300.9 Del. C. 1953, § 6307; 51 Del. Laws, c. 231.;

§ 6308. Notice of violation. (a) Whenever the Department of Finance is satisfied that a building is being constructed without a permit first being issued therefor, it may serve a written notice or order upon the person responsible therefor, directing discontinuance of the constru…

§ 6309. Occupancy. Any building that has been constructed without a permit may not be occupied, maintained or used by any person except with permission of the Department of Finance.9 Del. C. 1953, § 6309; 51 Del. Laws, c. 231; 57 Del. Laws, c. 762, § 6B;

§ 6310. Violation and penalty. Any owner of a building wherein any work in connection therewith has been done without a permit or any person employed in connection therewith and who has participated or assisted in the commission of such violation or both, shall be fined not less …

§ 6311. Construction using public financial assistance. No building or structure shall be constructed using public financial assistance in a manner that violates Chapter 42 of Title 31, and no occupancy or use permit shall be issued unless such building or structure complies with…

§§ 6401-6415. Short title; definitions; eligibility for retirement benefits; reduction of benefits; service in armed forces of the United States or in National Guard; retirement age; early retirement; mandatory retirement; retirement pension benefits; disability pension benefits;…

§ 6501. Establishment of sanitary sewer or water district. (a) Whenever contiguous territory containing 1 or more centers of population, whether incorporated or not, shall be so situated that the construction of interceptor sewers, outfall sewers and sewage treatment plants will …

§ 6502. Establishment or revision of sanitary or water districts without election. (a) Where the county government has already constructed sewers or water mains to which 50 or more houses have been connected, the county government may establish, upon request of the County Enginee…

§ 6503. Establishment of sanitary or water district upon petition of voters. Fifty or more legal voters of a proposed sanitary sewer or water district, may petition the county government to submit the question of organizing a sanitary sewer or water district to a vote of electors…

§ 6504. Public hearing; notice. Upon receipt of a petition submitted pursuant to § 6503 of this title, or upon its own motion without petition, the county government shall set a date for a public hearing on the question of organizing a sanitary sewer or water district. The hearin…

§ 6505. Action of county government following hearing. (a) After the public hearing referred to in § 6504 of this title shall have been closed, the county government shall, by resolution, determine whether or not it is in the public interest to establish the district and, if it d…

§ 6506. Election on question of establishment of district. (a) Whenever the determination on the question of establishing the district, as required by § 6505 of this title, is in the affirmative, and after the other requirements of § 6505 of this title have been complied with, th…

§ 6507. Action of county government following election favoring establishment of district. (a) If the majority of the voters are in favor of establishing the sanitary sewer district, the county government shall within 30 days following the election, issue a determination to that …

§ 6508. Construction of system adequate for future connections. The county government may construct and maintain main sewers or water mains and sewage or water treatment works in order to provide a satisfactory outlet for any subdivision which may at any future time connect subma…

§ 6509. Construction or maintenance of sewers or water systems for municipalities. The county government may construct or maintain submains or laterals as agent for municipalities when officially requested so to act and when the cost of such work is to be borne by local assessmen…

§ 6510. Adjustment of assessment for cost of existing sewers included in a district. In the case where a sanitary sewer or water district shall include areas wherein sanitary sewers or water systems have been constructed under the authority of the county government, or by municip…

§ 6511. Power to issue bonds; terms; borrowing in anticipation of issuance of bonds. (a) The county government may issue bonds of Sussex County to finance the cost of constructing sewage disposal or water facilities in any sanitary sewer or water district, respectively. Bonds iss…

§ 6512. Sale of bonds. (a) Any bonds issued pursuant to this chapter shall be sold at either public or private sale, upon such terms, conditions and regulations as the county government may prescribe; provided, that the county government may authorize the County Administrator to …

§ 6513. Procedure for annual assessment. (a) The county government each year, at a time to be fixed by it, shall, after a public hearing, establish an annual assessment roll for the sanitary sewer or water district which shall be known as the “Sanitary Sewer District Assessment,”…

§ 6514. Collection of assessments. The annual assessments, shall be collected by the county government as are other county taxes. The properties against which such assessments are levied shall be liable for the payment of the assessments in the same manner as they are liable for …

§ 6515. Rules and regulations governing use of sewage disposal and water facilities. The county government may promulgate from time to time, and enforce such rules and regulations, as may be necessary, governing the use of the whole or any parts of such sewerage or water systems …

§ 6516. Grants or loans from federal, state or interstate agencies. The county government may accept grants or loans of money, labor, materials, equipment or technical assistance from agencies of the federal or state government or from interstate agencies to accomplish the purpos…

§ 6517. Order to connect to sanitary sewer; enforcement. (a) The county government may, where it deems it necessary to the preservation of public health, order the owner of any lot or parcel of land within a sanitary or water district which abuts upon a street or other public way…

§ 6518. Exception to limitation on borrowing power. Bonds issued pursuant to this chapter shall not be subject to any debt limit imposed by the laws of the State.9 Del. C. 1953, § 6518; 55 Del. Laws, c. 262; 64 Del. Laws, c. 68, § 3;

§ 6519. Definitions; voters. (a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this title, for the purposes of this chapter the terms “voter,” “voters,” “legal voters,” and “elector” shall be deemed to include all the following persons: (1) Persons whose principal place of abode has be…

§ 6520. County Engineer; appointment and duties; assistants. (a) The county government may appoint a County Engineer for such term, and at such compensation as it deems proper. The County Engineer shall be responsible for and have general supervision over all public engineering w…

§ 6521. Location of sewage treatment plants and other sewage disposal facilities. (a) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, sewage treatment plants and other sewage or water facilities may be located outside, in part or in whole, the sewer or water district which …

§ 6701. Definitions. As used in this chapter, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context: (1) “County” means Sussex County. (2) “Revenue bonds” means bonds to the payment of which all or any part of the revenues derived from the operation of any water or sewerage…

§ 6702. Powers of County. In addition to the other powers which it has, the County may, under this chapter: (1) Plan, construct, acquire by gift, purchase, or the exercise of the right of eminent domain, reconstruct, improve, better or extend any sewerage or water system, and acq…

§ 6703. Sewerage and water system within city or town. No sewerage or water system, or any part thereof, shall be constructed or maintained within the boundaries of any city or town situated in the County without the consent of such city or town, except that transmission lines or…

§ 6704. Authorization of bonds; terms; sale and interest rate; borrowing in anticipation of issuance of bonds. (a) The planning, acquisition, purchase, construction, reconstruction, improvement, betterment or extension of any sewerage or water system may be authorized under this …

§ 6705. Authorized signatures on bonds; validity of issuance. (a) Bonds bearing the signatures of officers in office on the date of the signing thereof shall be valid and binding obligations notwithstanding that before the delivery thereof and payment therefor any or all of the p…

§ 6706. Payment of bonds, faith and credit of County; tax levy. The full faith and credit of the County may be pledged to the payment of any bonds issued by the County under this chapter. The county government may annually appropriate to the payment of bonds issued under this cha…

§ 6707. Authorization of covenants in bonds. (a) In the event that the County issues revenue bonds, the ordinance or resolution authorizing the issuance of such bonds may contain covenants as to: (1) The purpose to which the proceeds of sale of the bonds may be applied and the us…

§ 6708. Service charges; amount and application; repayment for borrowed funds. (a) If the County issues bonds under this chapter, the county government shall prescribe and collect reasonable service charges for the services and facilities rendered or afforded by the sewerage or w…

§ 6709. Power to make charges; liability of users; computation of rates. (a) The county government may charge and collect rents, rates, fees or other charges (in this chapter sometimes referred to as “service charges”) for direct or indirect connection with, or the use or service…

§ 6710. Penalties for failure to pay charges. (a) In the event that a service charge with regard to any parcel of real property is not paid as and when due, interest shall accrue and be due to the County on the unpaid balance at the rate of 1 percent per month until the service c…

§ 6711. Lien of service charges on real estate. (a) In the event that any service charge is not paid when due, the unpaid balance and any interest accrued shall be a lien on the parcel of real property with regard to which the service charge was made. The lien shall be superior a…

§ 6712. Sewer and water lien docket. The Prothonotary shall, under the supervision and direction of the county government, prepare a docket to be known as “The Sussex County Sewer and Water Lien Docket” in which shall be recorded the liens for service charges. The Docket shall be…

§ 6713. Water consumption statement and other information for county government or its designated agent. (a) Each municipality or public corporation, or other person, owning or operating any system of water distribution serving 3 or more parcels of real property in the County sha…

§ 6714. Discontinuance of water supply for failure to pay service charge. Each city or town or other public corporation owning or operating any water distribution system serving 3 or more parcels of real property in the County, and every other person owning or operating any such …

§ 6715. Contract with municipality for disposal or treatment of sewage or the filtering, purifying or supplying of water. (a) The county government may contract with any municipality within the territorial limits of the County for the disposal or treatment by means of any sewerag…

§ 6716. Connection of property with sewer or water mains. Permits for connecting any property by a drain or pipe with any county sewer or water main shall be obtained from the county government and shall be issued only to plumbers licensed to do business in this State. No permit …

§ 6717. Licensed plumber to connect property with sewers or mains. All necessary plumbing work to be done in connecting any property with a county sewer or water main shall be done by a plumber licensed to do business in this State, in a good and workmanlike manner, and with good…