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Suffolk City Hall was filled Saturday morning with local residents coming to learn and provide feedback on the city’s 2045 comprehensive plan.

It was the final summer session Saturday, June 24, as the city’s staff and members of its board work to update the plan that will guide the city for the next 20 years.

 is underway to map out Suffolk’s future.

During the open house, city officials provided assistance to those inquiring about the plan and its future impact on Suffolk. Likewise, residents continued to make use of the tools given to them – such as stickers for display boards, and comment worksheets focused on each available station – to express what they did or didn’t like about the ideas proposed for the 2045 plan.

During the session, Suffolk resident Stella Payne complimented the style of the open house calling it “very professional.”

“It’s a missed opportunity if people don’t come out to this,” Payne said. “It’s the best presentation to involve the public.”

Likewise, she said there were a lot of layers of information presented, commending organizers for trying to reach out to the public.

“It feels like the city is trying to make an effort,” she said.

For those who weren’t able to come out to the open houses, Comprehensive Planning Manager Keith Cannady said residents can still go online to suffolk2045.org to make their voices heard until the end of July.

“We will be developing the draft plan as the next step and that draft will be available from people to look at and comment on,” Cannady said.

While the dates for this are pending, he explained that everything with the plan is moving ahead in a step-by-step process.

“We don’t want to go too far and get in front of people’s ideas and sense of direction, so we take it one step at a time,” Cannady said. “This is a really important one because we’re starting to get some indication of what we’re hearing, what we’re learning, and what we think the plan needs to go. We’ll continue to engage people and get their input.”

He said that he and his team received positive feedback for the process of the open houses.

“I think for the most part, people appreciate the effort of getting the word out and listening,” Cannady said.

To share thoughts and comments in the planning process, go to suffolk2045.org.