Civic guide · Checked October 21, 2026
Town Council meeting record for Bethany Beach, Sussex County, DE.
Indexing approved by the owner on 2026-10-22
The canonical public.municipality ID remains pending.
Latest meeting
agenda only
Minutes status: absent.
Governing body: Town Council.
Minutes also not posted for the 10/2 special and 9/18 special/organizational meetings. Newest posted Town Council minutes: July 17, 2026.
Checked October 21, 2026 · Meeting source
Checked October 21, 2026 · Governing body source
Checked October 21, 2026 · Public source link: not yet available
Minutes on file
Meeting date: July 17, 2026.
Minutes status: posted.
Checked October 21, 2026 · Minutes source
Next meeting
No future Town Council agenda listed in AgendaCenter at check time.
Checked October 21, 2026 · Next meeting source
Recent actions
Ms. Keil made a motion to approve, by resolution, the Final Tax Assessment List for 2026. Mr. Morris seconded the motion, and it was unanimously approved.
Minutes meeting: July 17, 2026. Minutes status: posted.
Checked October 21, 2026 · Minutes
These amendments codify the procedures followed by the Town when dewatering is necessary prior to construction of a pool or spa … Ms. Keil made a motion to adopt the ordinance as presented. … Mayor Calef called for a vote on pending motion. The motion was unanimously approved.
Minutes meeting: July 17, 2026. Minutes status: posted.
Checked October 21, 2026 · Minutes
Sourced answers
Each answer cites the official government record it came from. Answers that relied on encyclopedias, tourism sites or commercial news were left out.
Bethany Beach is an incorporated municipality, not a census-designated place. The U.S. Census Bureau lists it as Bethany Beach town, Delaware, and Sussex County lists it among its cities and towns.
Checked October 24, 2026 · data.census.gov — Bethany_Beach_town,_Delaware · sussexcountyde.gov — cities-and-towns
The 2020 Census counted 954 residents in Bethany Beach (U.S. Census Bureau).
Checked October 24, 2026 · data.census.gov — Bethany_Beach_town,_Delaware
Bethany Beach was named by H. L. Atkinson, who won a nationwide contest to name the new resort and received a beach lot as his prize.
Checked October 24, 2026 · www.townofbethanybeach.com — Town-History
Bethany Beach is one of Delaware's "Quiet Resorts," a group that also includes South Bethany and Fenwick Island.
Checked October 24, 2026 · fenwickisland.delaware.gov — Sustainable-Community-Plan-FINAL-September-2019.pdf
The resort's first building, a tabernacle, was dedicated in July 1901. The town repaired damage from the 1944 hurricane, grew after the Chesapeake Bay Bridge opened in 1952, and lost buildings in the Storm of 1962.
Checked October 24, 2026 · history.delaware.gov — bethany-beach · archives.delaware.gov — town-bethany-beach · www.townofbethanybeach.com — Historical-Milestones · www.townofbethanybeach.com — Historical-Landmarks
The town's history credits six Pittsburgh businessmen with rescuing the early resort, and the Dinker-Irvin Cottage was built by one of them. The town's milestone list records the first Indian statue being placed at Routes 1 and 26 in 1977.
Checked October 24, 2026 · www.townofbethanybeach.com — Town-History · www.townofbethanybeach.com — Historical-Landmarks · www.townofbethanybeach.com — Historical-Milestones
It is held in late January or early February, led by the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce. The 2026 festival ran January 30 to February 1 and was the ninth annual, with ice sculptures in Bethany Beach, Ocean View, Millville and Frankford. No 2027 dates were found.
Checked October 24, 2026 · selbyville.delaware.gov
The Bethany Beach Farmers Market meets Sundays from 8 a.m. to noon, May 31 to September 6 in 2026. A separate market at Sea Colony meets Wednesdays 8 a.m. to noon, June 3 to September 2, 2026.
Checked October 24, 2026 · agriculture.delaware.gov — farmers-markets
Council holds regular meetings on Fridays; the January 16, 2026 regular meeting was at 2:00 p.m. in the Town Meeting Room at 214 Garfield Parkway and streamed on the town website and YouTube. Check the agenda center for the current date.
Checked October 24, 2026 · www.townofbethanybeach.com — _01162026-2131
The Town of Bethany Beach Water Department supplies water and mails semi-annual usage bills. The town FAQ does not name a sewer provider.
Checked October 24, 2026 · www.townofbethanybeach.com — faq.asp
The town FAQ states: "The current rate is $0.196 per $100 of assessed value." A transfer tax is not covered in the FAQ.
Checked October 24, 2026 · www.townofbethanybeach.com — faq.asp
Part of Bethany Beach may sit in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, and the answer depends on the address, so we do not give a town-wide yes or no. The USGS elevation at the town's Census center point is only about 6 feet, which is low ground. Look up a specific property in the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and the DNREC Delaware Flood Planning Tool.
Checked October 24, 2026 · msc.fema.gov — home · floodplanning.dnrec.delaware.gov · epqs.nationalmap.gov — json
Delaware labels hurricane evacuation zones A, B, C and D, and describes them as low-lying areas susceptible to flooding and storm surge. The state page does not list communities by zone, so we cannot say which zone Bethany Beach or a given address falls in. Use the Know Your Zone lookup tool or interactive map to check an address.
Checked October 24, 2026 · preparede.org — know-your-zone · dema.delaware.gov
Bethany Beach is bounded on the east by the Atlantic Ocean. The Bethany Beach Improvement Company dug the Loop Canal, at the foot of First Street, in 1910.
Checked October 24, 2026 · www.townofbethanybeach.com — _11072022-1821
The 2020 Census Gazetteer lists Bethany Beach at 1.148 square miles of land and 0.015 square miles of water. Elevation at the Census center point is about 6 feet above sea level (USGS 3DEP), and ground height varies across town.
Checked October 24, 2026 · www2.census.gov — 2020_gaz_place_10.txt · epqs.nationalmap.gov — json
The National Weather Service (Mount Holly office) places Bethany Beach in forecast zone DEZ004, Delaware Beaches, Delaware. This was read from the NWS point forecast page for the town's Census center point.
Checked October 24, 2026 · forecast.weather.gov — MapClick.php
Bethany Beach uses ZIP code 19930.
Checked October 24, 2026 · www.townofbethanybeach.com — Beach-Patrol
Delaware Seashore State Park lies north of the town. Fenwick Island State Park is to the south and has three miles of ocean beach, with lifeguards from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Checked October 24, 2026 · www.destateparks.com — FenwickIsland
The town is bisected by DE 1 (Coastal Highway) and DE 26 (Garfield Parkway).
Checked October 24, 2026 · www.townofbethanybeach.com — _11072022-1821
Land use
Counts of Sussex County planning, zoning and Board of Adjustment docket items from January 2025 through the October 24, 2026 data date whose county record lists the area as Bethany Beach. The area is a place name in the county record, not proof the land is inside town limits. Counts of 1 to 4 are shown as fewer than 5. No case numbers or applicant names are shown.
| Application type | Items |
|---|---|
| Variance | 7 |
| Site plan | fewer than 5 |
| Conditional use | fewer than 5 |
| Variance / special use exception | fewer than 5 |
| Total | 11 |
Official record: Sussex County public docket · Data: SussexCounty.ai planning docket statistics (CC BY 4.0) · How to read the docket
SussexCounty.ai is a data product of The Conscient Group LLC, the Ledger's parent company.
Data
Data: SussexCounty.ai town page · Parcels by jurisdiction (SussexCounty.ai)
SussexCounty.ai is a data product of The Conscient Group LLC, the Ledger's parent company.
Audit trail
Each fact above names the record it came from and the date that record was checked. Checked October 21, 2026.