Suffolk council approves consent ordinances, two appointments and schedules Dec. 17 work session

Suffolk City Council voted unanimously Dec. 9 to adopt its agenda, approve a package of consent ordinances accepting several grants and donations, and appoint two residents to advisory bodies.

The council approved ordinances to accept and appropriate grant and donation funds for a range of city programs. City staff summarized the items as including a $3,500 award from the Commonwealth of Virginia Technology Trust Fund for clerk’s court application fees; approximately $48,028.39 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support the summer food service program; a $2,500 Obici Healthcare Foundation grant to support the Suffolk Public Library’s early childhood Ready Set Go Bags project; $1,860 from a Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles specialty license plate program to support animal shelter services; $50,000 from the Obici Healthcare Foundation for a splash pad at Lake Mead Park; a $500,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development to renovate the former Regal Inn Motel as a homeless shelter; a $5,000 Virginia Department of Environmental Quality litter prevention and recycling grant for downtown cleanup; and a $1,000 Tractor Supply Company Foundation donation for the police K‑9 unit and the Suffolk Bridal Shelter. The consent agenda passed 8–0.

Council also approved the nomination and appointment of Susan Blair to the Downtown Advisory Committee (at‑large) and Linda Bunch to the Fine Arts Commission; both appointments passed 8–0. In addition, council scheduled a city council work session for Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025 at 4 p.m., subject to cancellation by the mayor and interim city manager; that motion passed 8–0.

The clerk recorded approval of an earlier closed‑meeting certification and the minutes of the Aug. 20, 2025 meeting, each by unanimous vote.