Jackson City planning director outlines reorganization to streamline permitting and homelessness response

Angela Brown, the city's Planning Development Director, told the Jackson City Planning Committee on March 4 that she is restructuring the department to reduce silos and speed services. She said the plan moves to a single deputy development director, consolidates code and compliance functions, creates a business navigator to fast-track major projects and establishes a special-projects team to focus on transient but urgent issues such as homelessness.

Brown described the change as intended to create "interdepartmental connectivity" and an "open and welcoming environment for development," and said it will combine planning, zoning, code enforcement and some economic-development licensing functions into clearer divisions. Robert Brunson will lead consolidated code enforcement; an administrator (Samantha) will oversee planning and code duties; and the department will restructure 12 research technician positions to align work by project rather than by silo.

The reorganization also includes a customer welcome center on the building's first floor to centralize resident-facing services and a business navigator position to serve as a single point of contact for major developments and special projects. Brown said Von Anderson will lead policy research, help draft RFPs and ordinances, and support data-driven decisionmaking across the new structure.

Committee members pressed Brown on whether work on homelessness would be subsumed by other priorities. Brown said the administration prefers the name "Housing Access and Systems Initiative" and that a dedicated team will focus on unhoused-related projects while coordinating with food and support-service providers. She said the change is meant to give the issue a "more holistic approach."

Brown said permitting and licensing are being consolidated under one division and that staff are updating the department's application platform to be more community-friendly. The business navigator will serve as a doorkeeper for expedited review on major or special projects.

The committee asked for follow-up on staffing changes and timelines; Brown said some personnel elevations are already in motion and that procurement of equipment and further operational details will come to a future meeting.