GEORGETOWN, Del., Nov. 29, 2005 – Sussex County’s Planning & Zoning Commission is back to full staff.

County Council, at its Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2005, meeting, unanimously selected Irwin G. Burton III, 45, of Lewes to fill a vacant post on the five-member panel. Burton is vice president of the Milford-based I.G. Burton Co. Inc., a family automobile dealership started by his grandfather.

The Planning & Zoning Commission governs the review and approval of all subdivisions in Sussex County, and advises County Council on matters such as rezoning requests. County Councilman Lynn J. Rogers of Milton nominated Burton. The post pays $250 a meeting and is for a three-year term, to begin immediately.

Burton takes the seat vacated by John L. “Jack” Allen Sr., who passed away in August after serving 35 years on the panel – the span of the Planning & Zoning Commission’s existence. Rogers said Allen was an icon and dedicated public servant whose shoes would be tough to fill.

“That said, I believe my selection is the candidate who can serve in the same capacity, and in the same spirit, as Jack Allen,” Rogers said. “I.G., I think, will like the challenge of the job, and most of all assisting people as they step through the planning process.”

County Administrator Robert L. Stickels said Rogers’ choice was an excellent one, because Burton brings with him his experience as a member of the local business community. “And his work on the state’s Council on Transportation has given him insights into the county’s transportation needs and development issues,” Stickels said. “He is a welcome addition.”