SUMMERFIELD town council
May 10 / MEETING HIGHLIGHTS as reported by CHRIS BURRITT SUMMERFIELD – Mayor Tim Sessoms called the monthly meeting in Summerfield Community Center to order, with Mayor Pro Tem Lynne Williams DeVaney and council members Janelle Robinson, Reece Walker and John Doggett present. At the start of the meeting, John O’Day sat with the council to announce his recent resignation as a council member due to his family’s move from Summerfield to High Point. DeVaney offered the invocation, which was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
PRESENTATION
O’Day described his May 4 resignation from the council as “a bittersweet moment,” saying he’s going to miss living in Summerfield and serving on
the council. At the same time, he said he, his wife, Kelly, and their daughter, Jenna, look forward to living on the horse farm in High Point where they moved earlier this month. “It’s a sad night in one respect,” he said. “It’s an evolution forward for the O’Day family in another.” O’Day lived in Summerfield for 11 years and served on the council for the last 6 ½ years. Council members applauded his contributions and presented him with a plaque. O’Day listed several accomplishments by town leaders during his tenure – the development of Bandera Farms Park and trails and open space, the passage of a unified development ordinance and the renovation of Summerfield Community Center among them.
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MAY 19 - JUNE 1, 2022
The Northwest Observer
Photo by Chris Burritt/NWO
Former council member John O’Day (center) thanks council member Reece Walker (far right) after Walker presented a plaque of appreciation to O’Day for his 6 ½ years of service to the town of Summerfield. At left, Mayor Tim Sessoms and (not shown) council members Janelle Robinson, John Doggett, Lynne W. DeVaney and staff members joined Walker in thanking O’Day for his accomplishments and service.
“I feel like I lost my righthand man on the council,” Walker said. “John O’Day has been a rock on our council,” Sessoms said. “He is literally a walking encyclopedia of knowledge. When John O’Day walks out the door tonight, a lot of knowledge walks out the door with him. We have much love and appreciation for him.”
ANNOUNCEMENTS Revamped website. Town Manager Scott Whitaker presented the town’s newly updated website. Links to staff and council contacts, council meeting documents and the calendar of events are prominently displayed on the homepage, making it easier for users to find more frequently sought information. Special called budget meeting. The council has scheduled a special called meeting May 31 to review the proposed •budget Totallyforlocal since 1996 next fiscal year starting July 1.
PUBLIC SAFETY Sheriff’s Office. Capt. L. Howell introduced herself as commander of the District 1 sheriff’s office, which serves Summerfield, Oak Ridge and Stokesdale as well as Colfax and a portion of Greensboro and Browns Summit. Burglar alarms and reports of suspicious activity accounted for most of the calls in Summerfield last month, Howell said. She urged people to lock their car doors and put valuables out of sight when they leave their vehicles. Summerfield Fire District. The fire department reported it responded to 91 incidents last month, including 35 fire-related calls, 47 EMS-related calls and nine other calls.
PUBLIC COMMENTS Teresa W. Perryman said the town should have posted information about O’Day’s resignation on its website. “Very few people knew about it,” she said, urging the council to adopt a policy requiring an explanation of how a vacant seat is filled. In response to Perryman’s comments, Sessoms told her this was the council’s first public meeting following O’Day’s resignation and the council
