Civic guide · Checked October 21, 2026
Town Council meeting record for Fenwick Island, Sussex County, DE.
Indexing approved by the owner on 2026-10-22
The canonical public.municipality ID remains pending.
Latest meeting
draft minutes
Minutes status: draft posted.
Governing body: Town Council.
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
draft
Meeting date: September 25, 2026.
Minutes status: draft.
Checked October 21, 2026 · Minutes source
Next meeting
Checked October 21, 2026 · Next meeting source
Recent actions
Motion: To direct preparation of a first-reading amendment to § 61-14 Hours of construction; pile driving, changing the permitted pile-driving season to September 15 through May 15. Moved by: Bill Rymer Seconded by: Jacque Napolitano Result: Motion passed unanimously.
draft
Minutes meeting: September 25, 2026. Minutes status: draft.
Checked October 21, 2026 · Minutes
reading of an amendment to Town Code § 146-4 to reflect the rental tax rates already set by resolution: 4% for hotels and 7.5% for other rentals in residential or commercial districts … Motion: To approve the proposed amendment on first reading. Moved by: Natalie Magdeburger Seconded by: Bill Rymer Result: Motion passed unanimously.
draft
Minutes meeting: September 25, 2026. Minutes status: draft.
Checked October 21, 2026 · Minutes
Motion: To forward the proposal to the Charter & Ordinance Committee for consideration. Moved by: Jacque Napolitano Seconded by: Bill Rymer Result: Motion passed unanimously
draft
Minutes meeting: September 25, 2026. Minutes status: draft.
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.
Fenwick Island is an incorporated municipality, not a census-designated place. The U.S. Census Bureau lists it as Fenwick Island town, Delaware, and Sussex County lists it among its cities and towns.
Checked October 24, 2026 · data.census.gov — Fenwick_Island_town,_Delaware · sussexcountyde.gov — cities-and-towns
The 2020 Census counted 343 residents in Fenwick Island (U.S. Census Bureau).
Checked October 24, 2026 · data.census.gov — Fenwick_Island_town,_Delaware
Sussex County issues building permits countywide, including inside municipalities, per the county building permits page. Check with the town as well for any town requirements.
Checked October 24, 2026 · sussexcountyde.gov — building-permits-and-licenses · fenwickisland.delaware.gov
It is named for Thomas Fenwick, who owned the land at the turn of the eighteenth century.
Checked October 24, 2026 · archives.delaware.gov — town-fenwick-island
The 87-foot lighthouse was completed in 1858 and first lit August 1, 1859. The Coast Guard decommissioned it December 13, 1978, it was listed on the National Register in 1979, and the state took ownership in 1981.
Checked October 24, 2026 · history.delaware.gov — history-was-made-here-fenwick-island-lighthouse
A marker erected April 26, 1751 marks the eastern end of the boundary surveyed between Pennsylvania's three lower counties (now Delaware) and Maryland. King George III ratified the line in 1769.
Checked October 24, 2026 · history.delaware.gov — history-was-made-here-fenwick-island-lighthouse
The town's sustainability plan mentions tales of pirates patrolling the waters of Assawoman Bay from the late 1600s into the mid-1700s. These are tales, not documented history.
Checked October 24, 2026 · fenwickisland.delaware.gov — Sustainable-Community-Plan-FINAL-September-2019.pdf
Fenwick Island prides itself on being one of "The Quiet Resorts," a group that also includes Bethany Beach and South Bethany.
Checked October 24, 2026 · fenwickisland.delaware.gov — Sustainable-Community-Plan-FINAL-September-2019.pdf
Yes. The town hosts an Independence Day Family Parade. The 2026 listing showed a 9 a.m. start, with pre-parade festivities at the Faucett-Okie Family Nature Preserve and the route ending at Pollinator Park, followed by refreshments at The Station.
Checked October 24, 2026 · fenwickisland.delaware.gov — 2026-07-04
The town holds a winter holiday tree lighting at the Town Park in early December. In 2025 it was Friday, December 5, at 5:30 p.m., with school choirs, carols, hot chocolate and an ornament craft.
Checked October 24, 2026 · fenwickisland.delaware.gov — fenwick-island-christmas-tree-lighting-ceremony
The Fenwick Island Farmers Market meets Fridays from 8 a.m. to noon, June 5 to September 4 in 2026, according to the Delaware Department of Agriculture list.
Checked October 24, 2026 · agriculture.delaware.gov — farmers-markets
The town site says regular Town Council meetings are "generally held on the fourth Friday of each month but may be held other times as well." Dates are posted at least seven days ahead.
Checked October 24, 2026 · fenwickisland.delaware.gov — town-council
The town utilities page lists "Water: Artesian Water" and "Sewer: Sussex County."
Checked October 24, 2026 · fenwickisland.delaware.gov — utilities
The town site names Casella as the trash and recycling collector and points to a published collection calendar. Holiday weeks push service to the following day.
Checked October 24, 2026 · fenwickisland.delaware.gov — waste-services
Yes. The town site has a Police menu with a department mission statement, staff page, parking permits and community programs.
Checked October 24, 2026 · fenwickisland.delaware.gov
The town site states: "The Town of Fenwick Island tax rate is $0.174015 per $100 of assessed value." Bills are mailed by August 1, due September 15 with a grace period to October 1. The last revaluation was in 2019. No transfer tax is mentioned on that page.
Checked October 24, 2026 · fenwickisland.delaware.gov — taxes
On October 16, 2026 the town posted a proposed first reading of Chapter 61-14(B), Pile Driving.
Checked October 24, 2026 · fenwickisland.delaware.gov
On October 13, 2026 the town posted that it is hiring a Town Manager.
Checked October 24, 2026 · fenwickisland.delaware.gov
Part of Fenwick Island 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 3 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 Fenwick Island 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
Fenwick Island is a narrow strip of land with the Atlantic Ocean on the east and Little Assawoman Bay on the west. The Delaware Public Archives notes that inlets once let ships sail from the Atlantic into Little Assawoman Bay.
Checked October 24, 2026 · archives.delaware.gov — town-fenwick-island
The 2020 Census Gazetteer lists Fenwick Island at 0.331 square miles of land and 0.153 square miles of water. Elevation at the Census center point is about 3 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 Fenwick Island 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
The Town of Fenwick Island's town hall is at 800 Coastal Highway, Fenwick Island, DE 19944.
Checked October 24, 2026 · fenwickisland.delaware.gov — 4.24.26-Town-Council-Agenda-1.pdf
DE 1 (Coastal Highway) is the main north-south road and runs through the town. DE 54 lies about a quarter mile away and is a key east-west road connecting the coastal communities with inland Delaware.
Checked October 24, 2026 · fenwickisland.delaware.gov — Sustainable-Community-Plan-FINAL-September-2019.pdf
Fenwick Island State Park has about three miles of ocean beach with lifeguards from Memorial Day through Labor Day, plus a bayside recreation area on Little Assawoman Bay. Entry is $10 per day for Delaware-registered vehicles and $20 for others.
Checked October 24, 2026 · www.destateparks.com — FenwickIsland
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 Fenwick Island. 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 |
|---|---|
| Site plan | fewer than 5 |
| Total | fewer than 5 |
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.