Hiring woes, bike trails, run for governor. A talk with New Castle County Exec Matt Meyer.

UPDATE: This story has been updated to correct the construction timeline for the two new bike pathways after New Castle County initially provided incorrect information for one of the trails.

Editors and reporters from Delaware Online/The News Journal met with New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer on Tuesday, March 7, to discuss issues facing Delaware's most populated county.

Meyer is halfway through his second term as county executive, a term dominated by the pandemic and economic challenges. His name has been mentioned as a possible candidate for governor in 2024.

Here are five of the issues discussed with our editorial board.

Staffing shortages

One of the major concerns for New Castle County is the hiring shortages that are challenging public safety sectors such as police and paramedics.

Meyer recently signed a contract with the county's police force that includes "the largest salary increases in recent memory" as well as other incentives to encourage police officers to remain with the force for longer than 20 years.

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Staffing shortages are also plaguing the state's Department of Health, nursing homes, schools and other related early childhood care centers.

In September of last year, Meyer increased paramedic salaries by almost 16.5%, which resulted in slight labor force improvements, but did not solve the issue completely. Libraries have also had hiring issues. Meyer hopes in the future to expand library hours across the county, including on certain holidays.

Position on proposed warehouse moratorium

A proposed moratorium that would enforce a one-year pause on the construction of any warehouse over 150,000 square feet is generally opposed by Meyer, however underlying issues of the county's warehouse boom are of greater concern.

As of November, New Castle County was the home to 11 active warehouses, with at least one more under construction. Most of these are on land that is zoned for heavy industry, which is also intended to be used for manufacturing, which Meyer wants to prioritize in the county. The moratorium also lists other issues that warehouses pose for surrounding communities including increased traffic, public safety concerns and various types of pollution.

Meyer expressed his concerns that the county and state are becoming hubs for shipping and storage rather than production. However, he expressed heavier concern for potential economic issues that could follow a sweeping moratorium.

The ordinance still needs to go through the county's planning board and county council, which it could do in the next few months. However, it's unlikely to garner enough support to pass.

Affordable housing updates

Meyer's administration has focused on several efforts to address homelessness and make housing more accessible.

Meyer's county government is using $30 million from the American Rescue Plan Act for programs to convert vacant homes into viable housing and expand the supply of affordable rental and ownership opportunities. The county's vacant home count is now under 550.

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Meyer also pointed to the success of New Castle's Hope Center, an ambitious $20 million project paid mostly for with coronavirus relief funds from the federal government.

The county's conversion of the former Sheraton hotel on Airport Road to a multiservice homeless shelter opened in late 2020. Over 200 families that have used the center's program for temporary relief are now living in permanent housing.

New bike trail connecting Wilmington to Newport

Meyer discussed two new bike trails that will add 4.65 miles of bike and pedestrian trails to the existing Jack A. Markell Trail.

The Commons Boulevard Trail will connect the Markell Trail to the Churchmans Road Pathway at the I-295 tunnel. Construction on this trail will begin in the spring.

The Newport River Trail will connect the Markell Trail to the Town of Newport with access to parks, open space, watersheds and wildlife areas. Starting near the north side of the Christina River Bridge and ending at Newport's industrial park, the trail will enhance accessible travel and is one element of Newport's revitalization project.

This pathway is currently in its final design stage. The county has submitted a grant request for construction funding to the federal Department of transportation.

Potential governor run

Meyer reluctantly teased a potential bid for Delaware's 2024 gubernatorial election, which will be held on Nov. 5, 2024. He and his team have not made a decision yet, but the "seeds of the campaign" have gone well, he said.

Meyer said while state office is being considered, he is focused on running New Castle County. He is term-limited and will not be able to run for executive again. Delaware politicos have speculated for a while that Meyer will run for governor.

Meyer offered no timetable for a decision to enter the race.

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Contact Molly McVety at mmcvety@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @mollymcvety.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: 5 things to watch in New Castle County