Altavista Combined School Students Appointed to the Altavista Planning Commission

The Town of Altavista is pleased to announce that the Altavista Town Council appointed two Altavista Combined School Students to the Altavista Planning Commission.

Micah Andrews is a Senior, and will be attending the University of Virginia in the fall.
Rayna Steele is a Junior and will serve through the end of her Senior year.

The Planning Commission is a group of citizens appointed by the Town Council to advise them on issues relevant to land use, growth, and development.

The Altavista Town Council, Town Staff, and the Planning Commission, thought it was important for Altavista to hear from its younger citizens and include them in the decision-making process. To meet this need, two Student Planning Commission positions were created. It was thought that, with a strong youth presence, the Planning Commission would be better able to analyze subjects from a larger perspective and when properly motivated and engaged, Student Planning Commissioners would illuminate issues that may have otherwise gone unnoticed, and expand the conversation among the Commissioners.  Miss Andrews and Miss Steele are voting members of the Planning Commission and receive a monthly stipend for the meetings that they attend.

The Town thanks Community Development Director Sharon Williams,  Planning Commission Vice Chair Marie Mitchell, Altavista Combined School Principal Ronald Proffitt, and Guidance Counselor Lindsey West Milam for working together on this initiative.