LEWES, Del. — Lewes Mayor Amy Marasco confirmed the she has hired an outside firm to further investigate the circumstances surrounding a controversial public meeting video being removed from the city’s website ahead of the recent Lewes City Council election.
On Wednesday, Lewes City Manager Ellen Lorraine McCabe acknowledged she ordered the video taken down after initially declining to answer questions from CoastTV. McCabe claims the decision was made after discussions involving legal counsel and human resources concerning an employee complaint tied to comments made during the meeting.
Despite McCabe's admission, Mayor Marasco said the investigation will move forward.
“The purpose of the investigation is to review how and why did this happen as this has not been past practice —and then to put into place guardrails and best practices so this does not happen in the future,” Marasco told CoastTV News.
Marasco said the investigation is expected to take about a month and the city of Lewes does receive an hourly discount for the investigation due to being a municipality.
“I am mindful of costs and appreciate that the attorney will move quickly and yet be thorough,” Marasco said.
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The controversy centers on comments made during the HPARC meeting by former commission chair Kevin Mallinson during public comment. Lewes building official Jon Ward later told CoastTV he requested the video be removed because he believed comments about him could affect an ongoing personnel complaint.
Sources previously told CoastTV that the city clerk objected to removing the video and that complaints tied to the situation have circulated within City Hall, including in a scathing open letter written to city leaders.
Marasco also confirmed there has not yet been an investigator hired for a separate complaint filed by McCabe and Deputy City Manager Janet Reeves against Deputy Mayor Khalil Saliba.
