Cape Gazette Questions Series: Should Lewes Hire a Planner?

The Cape Gazette sent a series of questions to each of the candidates for Lewes City Council for publication in the May 2 edition.

Where do you stand on hiring a planner, whether full time or on a consulting basis? How will this individual affect Lewes?

I support the Council’s decision to bring in a planner to help manage the complex issues we face. It is wise to start with an “on-call” planner. This will let us learn how a planner will best work with city staff and our governmental structure.

If this approach shows promise, I believe we should continue to move towards a full-time planner.

It is important to remember, though, that having a planner on staff will not immediately solve any of the issues we face. A well-trained planning professional will be a valuable asset to the city, but will only be part of a larger team. We have to continue to work on improving our management of this city.