New Castle, DE – Longtime State Senator and former New Castle County Council President Karen Peterson was sworn in today by County Executive Matt Meyer as Chair of the New Castle County Planning Board. Peterson was nominated by Meyer to fill the vacant Chair position, and her appointment was approved unanimously by New Castle County Council on October 23.
“Karen Peterson is intelligent, articulate and has a heart of service. She will be a great chairwoman of our county Planning Board,” County Executive Matt Meyer said.
A native of New Castle County, Peterson spent 28 years with the Delaware Department of Labor, retiring in 2001 as the state’s Director of Industrial Affairs. In 1980, she was elected President of New Castle County Council, where she served for eight years. She was elected to the State Senate in 2002 and served fourteen years. Peterson was long considered one of the most progressive members of the General Assembly, consistently out front on civil rights and social justice issues like equality, criminal justice reform and raising the minimum wage. As a legislator, she also fought for child protection and animal cruelty legislation and led efforts to broaden open government measures, including passage of a landmark 2009 bill that opened up the vast majority of the General Assembly’s meetings and proceedings to the Freedom of Information Act. Throughout her time in public service, Peterson was a tenacious advocate for the communities she served and compiled a strong record of constituent service. She retired from the General Assembly in 2016.
“I look forward to returning to New Castle County government and, once again, serving the people of this county,” Karen Peterson said.
Watch a video of today’s swearing-in event on the New Castle County Facebook page at www.facebook.com/nccde.
The New Castle County Planning Board provides an essential conduit for citizen participation in the planning review process. Its nine public members are responsible for reviewing proposed changes to zoning, subdivision regulations, deed restrictions and the County’s Comprehensive Development Plan. Following review and a public hearing, the board issues recommendations on these proposals which are provided to members of County Council for their consideration. The Planning Board is also tasked with rendering a final decision on subdivision variances and appeals of Land Use Department interpretations of subdivision regulations. These matters are also discussed at a public hearing and testimony is taken before the board issues its decision.
Click HERE to learn more about the New Castle County Planning Board.
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Contact: Jason Miller, Director of Communications, 302-545-1462