This is the government website of the Village of Arden, Delaware, U.S.A.
Here you can access the major governing documents of the Village, ordinances, minutes of Town Meetings, information about the Standing Committees, government contacts, permits, voting information and election records, and more. The site is maintained by the Town Secretary. Please contact the Secretary if you cannot find the information you need, if links are not working, or information is outdated.
Town Meeting, October 5, 2020, 7:30 p.m.
The Town Assembly of the Village of Arden, Delaware, meets on Monday, October 5, at 7:30 p.m. Click here to learn more about the next town meeting.
To Join the Zoom Meeting (Meeting ID and Password Can be found on the Agenda Card and Arden Page)
1. Goto Zoom.us
2. Click “join a meeting” at the top right
3. Enter the Meeting ID (see Agenda Card or Arden Page)
4. Click “Join”
5. Enter Password (See Agenda Card or Arden Page)
6. Click OK
7. If you have not already downloaded the app, then it will ask you to do so. Please do. You can not run a zoom meeting without it.
To Join the Meeting via Phone (Phone, Meeting ID, and Password found on the Agenda Card and Arden Page)
1. Dial the number listed
2. Enter the meeting ID when prompted followed by #
3. Enter # when asked for participant ID
4. Enter Password when prompted followed by #
Email Signup Form
Click here to sign up for email blasts from the Village of Arden.The Village of Arden uses an email distribution list to provide residents with official Village business. The email provided are not shared. If you wish to receive emails from the Village, please sign up at http://eepurl.com/bEIS6n
Governor Declares State of Emergency
Playground equipment and Basketball Court Closed: Based on recommendations from the governor, the Village of Arden’s playground equipment and basketball court will be closed until further notice. Please make sure to maintain social distancing at all times.
Click here to learn more about the State of Delaware’s response to COVID-19.
Click here to see the COVID-19 Social Distancing Scoreboard, updated daily, giving grades to all the states. As of April 5, 2020, the State of Delaware had a solid “C”. We can do better!
Coronavirus Updates
Ardenites,
As we watch the effects of the coronavirus globally, we must consider the potential consequences to us locally and how to best protect our community. For more information, go to either the Delaware Division of Public Health’s website – https://dhss.delaware.gov/
The Buzz Ware Village Center Committee has begun to consider how to address the COVID-19 concern in terms of space usage and events. As they roll out their plan for the Buzz, please be patient and understanding as we are all trying to use the appropriate amount of caution to prevent the spread of this virus to our neighbors.
This is a rapidly evolving situation. We continue to follow the progression of the Coronavirus spread and may need to make adjustments as the situation changes. Please check this website for any local updates.
Finally, and most importantly, as we work through this together, I ask that we remember that we are a community and as such, please care for your neighbors and help those in need if you are able.
Thank you,
Jeffrey Politis
Chair of Town Assembly
Village of Arden
Non-Discrimination Policy
In September, 2016, we presented and approved a non-discrimination policy. At that time, a request was made to include “sex” in that policy. The officers agree with that addition and the updated policy now reads:
The Village of Arden does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, residents, and visitors. The Village of Arden is an equal opportunity employer.
About the Village of Arden, Delaware
The Village of Arden was founded in 1900 as a Single Tax community based on the economic philosophy of Henry George, as well as the Arts and Crafts movement of William Morris and the Garden City movement of Ebenezer Howard. It is still noted for its arts, crafts, music, and theater. Half the land is forests and greens, which are not taxed. As a “Tree City USA,” our tree canopy is 73%. The Village is on the National Register of Historic Places.
With around 250 households and 500 residents, Arden is the oldest and largest of the three villages known as The Ardens: Arden, Ardentown, and Ardencroft. The communal land in each village, such as the woods and greens, is owned by each municipality while the land leased out for dwellings is owned by a trust; that is, people own their houses but pay rent on their leaseholds in the form of taxes. Those taxes — land rent — cover village, county, and local school expenses and are assessed on the square footage of each leasehold. Each village has a separate municipal government.
The Village of Arden has a town-meeting form of government, defined in the Act to Reincorporate of July 29, 1996.
For more about the history of the three Ardens, visit the Arden Craftshop Museum.
For a brief description of Arden government see “Arden: Here’s How It Works.”
If you use the printed Village of Arden Handbook as a reference to Arden government, click here to go to the Red Book Interactive Table of Contents for links to updates on every item in the Handbook. All the content of the Red Book, published in 1996, is on this website. Updates are now entered on the website.