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The following is a list of questions frequently asked by citizens. You may search for specific words or phases, or shorten the list by selecting a specific category.
Administration/ Town Council
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The new developments in the Town of Clayton have mail delivery. The old sections of Town do not have mail delivery. If you live within the older sections of Town, you will need to obtain a post office box.
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The Clayton Post Office is located at 12 Railroad Avenue (next to the Clayton Fire Company). You can contact them at (302) 653-7376.
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You will need to fill out a Petition for Variance / Exception form and submit a $100.00 fee payable to the Town of Clayton. You will receive notice of when the Board of Adjustment meeting will be held to discuss this request.
Petition for Variance/Exception
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You will need to fill out the Request to be on the Town Council Agenda form and submit the completed form to the Town Office. The meetings are held the second and fourth Monday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall.
Request to be on Town Council Agenda
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The telephone number to the Clayton Police Department is (302) 653-8186. If you have an emergency, call 9-1-1.
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Inspections & Enforcement
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New construction and additions, demolition, manufactured home placement, shed and out buildings, pools and hot tubs, roofing and siding replacement, fences, structural renovations, decks and gazebos, and all signs.
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Yes – the contractor or subcontractor must complete and submit a completed Annual Contractor License Application with a $30.00 fee at the time of submission. You will need a state license and a Certificate of Liability insurance with the Town of Clayton listed as certificate holder.
Contractor License Application
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Before you can rent out your house, it must be inspected by the Town of Clayton each time you have a new tenant. The rental inspection fee is $25.00.
Rental Inspection Requirements
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Setbacks are five (5) feet from the rear property line and three (3) feet from the side property line.
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You will need to contact the Kent County SPCA at (302) 698-3006.
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Yes – All dogs over six (6) months old in Town must be registered with the Town of Clayton. There is a $3.00 yearly fee. Only two (2) dogs are allowed per household. You will need to bring your State license at the time of registration. If you have a three (3) year State license, you can obtain a three (3) year Town of Clayton license.
Dog Licensing & Registration Form
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To obtain a plumbing permit, you must contact the State of Delaware at (302) 744-1220.
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Call (302) 653-5637. You must give 24 hours notice and have the building permit application number available at the time of scheduling the inspection.
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As long as you have submitted all the required documents, you will receive your building permit application number in three (3) business days.
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Property Taxes
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Property tax bills are sent out July 1 of every year with a due date of September 30.
A one (1) percent penalty is assessed monthly after this time when no payment has been received.
More...
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Yes, but only if the mortgage company notifies us. If not, the Town of Clayton sends all property tax bills directly to the homeowner.
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Yes – if you are 65 years old or older, you are eligible for a partial tax exemption. You must have lived in your residence for 12 months, have turned 65 year old at the beginning of the tax year, and all financial obligations to the Town of Clayton must be current. You will need to contact the Kent County Assessments office at (302) 744-2401 or (302) 744-2405. You must first have a letter from Kent County in order to apply for a partial exemption with the Town of Clayton. The application must be completed the year prior to receiving your tax bill. Please refer to Section 7.2-1 of the Town Ordinance for complete eligibility requirements.
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Yes – if you are totally disabled, you are eligible for a partial tax exemption. You must be totally disabled as defined by Social Security Disability or by filing certified copies of any award letters from government agencies indicating that the applicant is totally disabled. You will need to contact the Kent County Assessments office at (302) 744-2401 or (302) 744-2405. You must first have a letter from Kent County in order to apply for a partial exemption with the Town of Clayton. The application must be completed the year prior to receiving your tax bill. Please refer to Section 7.2-1 of the Town Ordinance for complete eligibility requirements.
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The tax rate is $.65 per $100 of Kent County assessed value.
Example:
Assessed value $80,000/$100 = $800 x $.65 = $520
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Yes – as long as any of the base taxes remain unpaid they will accrue a one (1) percent penalty monthly until the balance is paid.
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Public Safety
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Check to see if your ticket is a voluntary assessment or a mandatory appearance. If it is a voluntary assessment, you can pay your ticket by voluntary assessment without having to go to court or plead not guilty and go to court.
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By Mail – Enclose the ticket and a check, money order, or credit card (fill in the credit card information on the back of your ticket). If you are paying by check or money order, write the ticket number on it and make it payable to the “State of Delaware”. Do not mail cash. If a receipt is needed, you should send a self-addressed stamped envelope with your payment. Mail to:
State of Delaware
Voluntary Assessment Center
P.O. Box 7039
Dover, DE 19903-7039By Fax – Payment must be made with a credit card. Fax a copy of the FRONT and BACK of your ticket (with credit card information filled out) to (302) 739-7590. By Phone – Payment must be made by credit card. Be sure to have a copy of your ticket with you so that you can give the ticket number and other information to the clerk. Call (302) 739-6911. In Person – Payment may also be made in person to the nearest Justice of the Peace Criminal Court.
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If you decide to plead not guilty after receiving a voluntary assessment, you are requesting a court trial and must appear in court to defend the charge(s). To plead not guilty, sign where indicated on the back of your ticket and mail the ticket or fax both sides of the ticket by the court date indicated. If you fax the ticket, you should call (302) 739-6911 to confirm receipt. Directions are also indicated on the back of your ticket. You will be notified of your court date, time, and location once you have requested to plead not guilty.
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If you are required or choose to go to court and are eligible, you may be able to participate in the Probation Before Judgment Program. Eligibility for probation before judgment is limited. You are not eligible if you have been convicted of the same offense previously or have been placed on probation before judgment for any other offense within the last five (5) years. Even if you are eligible, it is in the court’s discretion with the prosecution’s consent whether you will be allowed to enter into the Probation Before Judgment Program. Under probation before judgment, you are placed on probation under the conditions set by the court. If you successfully complete these conditions, you are discharged from probation without any judgment of conviction (which means that points are not assessed). Holders of commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) are not eligible for probation before judgment whether or not the holder was driving a commercial vehicle at the time the ticket was received.
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If you lose your ticket, please call the Voluntary Assessment Center at (302) 739-6911 or contact the Clayton Police Department at (302) 653-8186 to request a copy of your ticket.
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If you vehicle is towed by the Clayton Police Department, come to the police station and request a tow release. In order to receive your tow release, you must bring someone with a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance for the vehicle. Once you receive your tow release, contact Wrecker’s Towing at (302) 659-2851. All costs to release your vehicle are handled by the towing company not the police department.
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If you receive a parking ticket issued by the Clayton Police Department, you can mail a check payable to:
Town of Clayton
P.O. Box 1130
Clayton, DE 19938-1130
or stop by the police department to pay your fine.
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If you wish to file a complaint against a member of the police department, please contact the police department. You will receive a complaint form to complete. Once your form is completed and returned to the department, you will be contacted for further investigation.
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Public Works
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You could have low water pressure due to work being performed on the water system. You can contact the Public Works Department at (302) 653-8419 to determine if there is a problem with the system.
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The Town only repairs the distribution system to each individual customer’s property line (called the street side of the water meter).
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Go out to the water meter location and observe the small triangular device on the water meter face. If it is turning even slightly, there is a leak somewhere on your side of the meter.
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If you can not get the water turned off, call the Public Works Department at (302) 653-8419 for assistance.
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Cloudy water is caused by tiny air bubbles in the water similar to the gas bubbles in soft drinks. After a while, the bubbles rise to the top and are gone. This type of cloudiness occurs more often in the winter when the drinking water is cold.
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The reddish or brown color, although nontoxic, can cause problems with the staining of clothes and it looks bad. The most common causes of this discoloration are: Iron, which sometimes occurs in nature, may be dissolved in your water. When iron is dissolved in the water, it turns the water reddish-brown. Iron removal devices are available and you may want to consider buying one if you have this problem. Pipes leading to your home, or in your home, may be rusting creating rusty-brown water. Also your hot water tank may be rusting. Check with a plumber on how to drain and flush your hot water tank. If water discoloration persists, call the Public Works Department at (302) 653-8419 to flush the water mains in the street.
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Call the Town Office at (302) 653-8419.
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If you have a water, sewer, or electric emergency during normal Town Office hours, please call the Town Office at (302) 653-8419. If you have an after-hours or weekend emergency, you should call one of the following numbers in this order:
Jeff at (302) 270-4053
Gary at (302) 632-0896
Dave at (302) 233-2095
or the Town Office at (302) 653-8419.
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Town Government
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You will need to contact the Kent County Department of Elections at (302) 739-4498 to find out when and where voting will be held.
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We have an election every year. On even years there are two (2) seats open and on odd years there are three (3) seats open.
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To qualify to run for election you have to be a resident of the Town of Clayton, be 21 years of age, have not been convicted of a felony for the past 15 years, and be a bona-fide domiciliary of the Town of Clayton.
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To apply you have to come to the Town Hall and sign a paper certifying that you are 21 years of age and have not been convicted of a felony. You have to file within the dates which are posted in the paper. Town of Clayton elections are the last Tuesday in the month of April.
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Trash Collection
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The Town of Clayton contracts trash collection through Independent Disposal Services. Trash is collected every Tuesday and Friday, except certain holidays, where it is a day behind. If you have a trash pickup concern, please call Independent Disposal Services at (877) 642-5400.
Holiday Trash Schedule
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Large bulk items may be placed out with the normal trash on Fridays. One bulk item will be picked up per week. For special pickup requests, please call Independent Disposal Service at (877) 642-5400 for information and fees.
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Yard waste is collected by the Town on Monday and Thursday. It is not collected with normal trash collection. No trash or garbage will be permitted in yard waste. All grass clippings must be in individual containers with lids not exceeding 50 pounds. Only limbs from normal trimming by homeowner will be collected. Place your containers on the curb for pickup.
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Utilities
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The residence must first pass a rental inspection. You will need to submit a $125 deposit and fill out a utility deposit application.
Utility Deposit Application
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Yes – You will need to bring to Town Hall a completed Utility Application Form and a $125 deposit ($100 refundable after you relocate from the Town of Clayton and $25 non-refundable for the connection fee).
Utility Deposit Application
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Utility bills are sent out on the 1st of every month.
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The utility bills are due on the 20th of the month.
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Once your utility bill becomes one (1) day past due, a $30 late fee will be assessed. $15 for electric and $15 for water with a disconnect date of five days.
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You may mail your payment in, drop it in the drop box located at the entrance to Town Hall, or give it to the cashier for a receipt. We currently accept cash, money orders, personal checks, cashier checks, and credit cards for payment. (We only accept MasterCard, Visa, and Discover). A credit card fee is not charged.
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Yes, for credit cards only.
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Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m..
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Meters are read near the end of the month.
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The Town of Clayton is currently transitioning into an electronic meter reading system.
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No - The Town of Clayton doesn't do any payment arrangements.
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This is a purchase power adjustment cost. This is a fee the Town of Clayton collects for wholesale power cost fluctuations which are not covered in base rates. This ensures the customer’s continuous service during peak power usage, avoiding brownouts and blackouts.
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You may call the Billing Department at (302) 653-8419.
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