County staff role clarified for LC committee; new code compliance officer hired

County staff and committee members discussed coordination and points of contact for LC work during staff transitions in the community development department.

Petra (community development staff, interim) explained that she and Rick Crager, assistant county administrator, have been coordinating LC matters. Petra said she will continue to act as a primary county contact for land‑use and infrastructure matters while Rick will serve as a backstop and check with departments to ensure items do not "fall through the cracks." Petra said the county expects to fill a vacant community development director position soon and that interim responsibilities will transition as staffing stabilizes.

Committee members asked for a single county point of contact; Petra and staff requested the committee identify one LC contact as well to streamline communications. Petra said the county has assigned Amanda Makepeace (from the board's office) to provide administrative support and that she will circulate meeting materials and a topic list.

County staff also announced that the county has hired a new code compliance officer, John Swanson, who will begin addressing a backlog of approximately 50 code cases that accumulated over the past three years. Petra said the county intends to take a more educational approach to compliance while prioritizing safety and the most serious complaints.

Committee members agreed that a clearer chain of communication and a single local contact will help the county respond more efficiently to requests and that staff will return with clarified communication protocols.