Find Lewes Public Records
Lewes public records cover city council minutes, ordinances, building permits, planning and zoning files, historic district records, and police reports. Lewes is a coastal city in Sussex County known as "The First Town in The First State." The City Manager's Office coordinates Lewes public records requests under 29 Del. C. Chapter 100. Ashley Akgoren is the FOIA Coordinator. Most records come back within the 15 business day window set by Delaware law. A simple written request reaches the right desk through email, fax, mail, or the online form at the city website.
Lewes Overview
Lewes FOIA Policy
The City of Lewes has formal Policies & Procedures Regarding FOIA Requests. The purpose of the policy is to set forth clear rules for responding to requests under Title 29, Chapter 100 of the Delaware Code. City employees are reminded that all public records requested under FOIA are open and subject to disclosure unless a specific exception applies. Exceptions are read narrowly to further accountability.
FOIA requests to Lewes can be filed in person, by email, by fax, or online. Requests may use the form promulgated by the Delaware Attorney General. Any written FOIA request that conforms to the policy will not be denied just because it is not on the city's specific form.
How to send a Lewes FOIA request:
- By mail or in person: The City of Lewes, PO Box 227, Lewes, DE 19958
- By email: FOIACoordinator@ci.lewes.de.us
- By fax: (302) 645-6406
- Online request form: www.ci.lewes.de.us
Ashley Akgoren, FOIA Coordinator, can be reached at 302-645-7777 ext. 108 or by email at aakgoren@ci.lewes.de.us. Deputy coordinators may be designated to perform specific duties.
Lewes FOIA Request Form and Fees
Lewes maintains a standard FOIA request form available through the forms and applications page. The form asks for the request date, name of public body, requester name, address, city, state, zip, phone, and email. The records requested section asks for as much specificity as possible: record types, dates, parties to correspondence, and subject matter.
Fees for Lewes public records follow the state schedule. Photocopying starts with the first 20 pages free. Standard copies cost $0.10 per sheet and $0.20 double-sided. Administrative fees apply for requests requiring more than one hour of staff time. Payment is due at the time of records release, and prepayment may be required for large requests.
The forms page above hosts the FOIA request form alongside other city applications. Use the page as a quick reference before filing.
The city will respond within 15 business days. The response will either grant access, deny access with a citation to an exemption, or notify that more time is needed because the records are voluminous, require legal advice, or are in storage.
Note: Requests for voluminous records may be delayed. Original records must be examined at City Hall.
Lewes City Government
The City of Lewes maintains comprehensive municipal records through the Mayor and City Council. Council members are elected from districts. Meetings are held regularly with public comment periods, and special meetings are scheduled as needed.
Records available from Lewes include meeting minutes and agendas, ordinances and resolutions, municipal contracts and agreements, budget and financial documents, planning and zoning records, and police reports outside of active cases. The main portal is at ci.lewes.de.us.
The Lewes city website is the launching pad for most Lewes public records research. Departments include the City Manager's Office (FOIA coordination), Police Department, Public Works, and Planning and Zoning.
Lewes has a long FOIA history. Opinion 97-IB13 from 1998 addressed a FOIA complaint against the City, setting early precedent for public records access. The city has continued to refine its policies since then.
Planning, Zoning, and Police Records
The Lewes Planning and Zoning Department keeps zoning maps, historic district regulations, building permits, site plan approvals, subdivision records, and code enforcement records. Lewes has a notable Historic District Commission. A Certificate of Appropriateness is required for certain work on historic properties. Historic property files are part of the Lewes public records set.
The Planning Commission meets regularly to review development proposals. Site plan and subdivision applications go through the commission before Council action. Public hearing notices are published ahead of each meeting.
The Lewes Police Department maintains incident reports, accident reports, arrest records, and crime statistics. Records requests can be filed at the department, with some reports available immediately. FOIA requests for other records route through the City Manager's Office. Victims are entitled to copies of reports that involve them.
Sussex County and State Resources
Lewes is in Sussex County. Property records, deeds, and county files all come from Sussex County offices in Georgetown. Visit the Sussex County public records page for parcel search, deed search, and county FOIA contacts. The Sussex Recorder of Deeds is Alexandra Reed Baker at 2 The Circle, Georgetown.
Court cases filed in Lewes run through CourtConnect. Criminal history checks go through Delaware State Police SBI. A certified Delaware criminal history costs $72.00. Delaware business entities with Lewes addresses appear on the Division of Corporations search. Historic Lewes material is at the Delaware Public Archives.
Tips for Lewes Public Records Searches
Lewes is small, so many records questions can be answered by a quick call or email before filing a formal FOIA. The FOIA Coordinator, Ashley Akgoren, takes questions at 302-645-7777 ext. 108. Try the phone first.
When a written request is needed, a tight scope is your friend. Lewes public records staff respond faster when the request names a narrow date range, a specific department, and a short list of record types. Broad requests can be marked voluminous and pushed to a longer response window.
Useful Lewes public records to know about:
- Historic district Certificate of Appropriateness files
- Zoning verification letters and maps
- Building permits for coastal properties
- City Council meeting packets
- Budget documents and audit reports
Lewes properties near the coast sometimes come with additional state-level files. Beach access, wetlands, and shoreline permits may also show up in state agency records. The state FOIA portal is the path for those requests.
Lewes has a long history as The First Town in The First State, and its public records reach far back. The Delaware Public Archives holds some of the older Lewes material. For research that crosses into that period, the Dover archives are a useful stop. The reading room is at 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. North and is open Monday through Friday.
Note: Original paper records in the Lewes City Hall may need to be examined on site rather than copied. Coordinate in advance with the FOIA Coordinator for large inspections.
Nearby Cities and County
Lewes shares Sussex County with several other cities. Nearby cities each have their own FOIA coordinators for local records.