City of Flagstaff to rename Community Development division and move housing to city manager; recruitment to open

Joanne Keane, deputy city manager for the City of Flagstaff, told the Planning and Zoning Commission on April 23 that the city is renaming its Community Development division to the Planning and Development Services Division and will open recruitment for a director-level position in the coming weeks.

Keane said the change follows the departure of Dan Folkes and that the reorganization will group planning, building safety and code, and real estate under the new division. "With Dan's departure... one of the things that we will be doing is renaming community development to, planning and development services division," she said. Keane added that housing functions will be moved out of the new division and will report directly to the City Manager's Office in response to the city's declared housing emergency.

Keane said the recruitment will use the retitled job classification (planning and development services director) and that staff expect to open the vacancy in the next couple of weeks. She also said the city will host a "meet and greet" as part of the recruitment and that Michelle is serving as the interim community development director during the transition: "Michelle has been doing a great job, filling in as interim community development director."

Keane framed the move as an opportunity to reorganize and to give housing elevated focus in the City Manager's Office. She said staff will keep the commission informed about interviews and next steps as recruitment proceeds. No formal personnel decisions or dates beyond the near-term recruitment opening were provided in the meeting.