Georgetown, Del., Jan. 13, 2009: Sussex County Council is moving to the late shift.

County Council, at its Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2009, meeting, approved changing its weekly schedule from Tuesday morning sessions to Tuesday afternoons, with zoning hearings to be held on Tuesday evenings. The change comes with the swearing in of a new Council on Jan. 6, and is the first major shift of the weekly County Council meeting schedule since 2003.

Council Vice President George B. Cole said the weekly meeting schedule change will mean more consistency for County Council meeting times. For more than five years, County Council has held all its meetings at 10 a.m. each Tuesday, with the exception of the second Tuesday of each month, when sessions began at 6:30 p.m.

Beginning April 7, Council meetings will start at 3 p.m. each Tuesday, with zoning hearings set to begin at 6 p.m. County officials are hopeful the late-day sessions will better accommodate the working public, many of whom cannot attend morning meetings. Additionally, by conducting routine business during the afternoon session, County officials anticipate that will allow County employees to participate without having to incur overtime at taxpayers’ expense.

Council Vice President Cole made the motion for the schedule change, and was supported by Council President Vance C. Phillips and Councilwoman Joan R. Deaver.

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