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BY JAMES ROBINSON

STAFF WRITER

City Council members made a special presentation to bring recognition to National Community Planning Month.
During the presentation at the Wednesday, Oct. 19 meeting, Suffolk Planning and Community Development Interim Director Kevin Wyne, Planning Commission Chairman Arthur Singleton, and their community planning team accepted the proclamation that officially marked October as National Community Planning Month.
Clerk Erika S. Dawley read the proclamation that Mayor Michael Durman gave to Wyne as the recipient.
“Whereas the month of October is designated as National Community Planning Month throughout the United States of America and its territories and whereas the American Planning Association endorses National Community Planning Month has the opportunity to highlight how planning can foster sustainable, equitable, and resilient communities,” the resolution reads. It went on to say that Durman proclaims October as Community Planning Month.
Wyne spoke about the importance of role planner awareness and how grateful he is to his community planning team.He said the primary purpose of the month is to raise the visibility of the important role planners play in planning communities across the United States.
“We have the great privilege of working with and assisting the citizens of Suffolk, the development community, governmental agencies and any and all agent entities in between with and, at the time, through the planning process,” Wyne said. “By ensuring folks are informed and aware of what’s going on as well as our important requirements that have been established.”
Wyne also said he proud of his team for their hard work for the Suffolk community.
“The folks with me this evening are the foundation of our planning division and the hard work they put in each and every day is admirable and worth recognition as it’s an honor to work alongside them,” he expressed.
Wyne said the team is comprised of smart and impressive folks and the day to day planning process in the city is not possible without this team.
“I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge all that they do to ensure that the city and its citizens achieve their shared goal of having a well-planned and thriving community,” he said.
Singleton also spoke on how proud he is of the team and the responsibility of their work.
“As the chairman of the planning commission, I like to take this opportunity in recognition of National Planning Month to recognize the quality planning professional that the city of Suffolk has and is fortunate to have,” Singleton said. “We as planning commissioners take our role in the planning process seriously and is because of this team and the planning department that you and the decision makers can rest assured that the difficult decisions that came before you are well researched and analyzed and that our recommendations are rooted with the purpose, intent, and overreaching guiding principles of the comprehensive plan.” At the forefront of each decision, Singleton said he is proud of the work that everyone involved with the Planning Commission does for the city’s citizens. “Thank you all for your city governing body to instill the trust in all of us,” he concluded.