Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Oak Harbor community development director outlines 2026 work program, comp‑plan timeline and staffing shortfall
Loading...
Summary
Community development director Stacy Prechner told the Planning Commission on April 14 that the department faces a roughly 50% staffing reduction while moving forward on a comprehensive‑plan update, an EIS schedule and code changes for missing‑middle housing and building‑code alignment.
Stacy Prechner, Oak Harbor’s community development director, told the Planning Commission on April 14 that the department is operating at about a 50% reduction in staff and outlined the department’s 2026 work program, including steps on the comprehensive plan, an environmental‑impact‑statement schedule and several code updates.
Prechner said the city is making progress recruiting a code‑enforcement officer and an administrative assistant but that the permit‑coordinator position will remain vacant for some time. “We are in triage mode,” she said, and staff are “divvying up the job duties accordingly” across planners and the building official to keep permit processing moving.
Why it matters: the comp‑plan and the related EIS will frame future land‑use and zoning maps, and Prechner said code updates to Titles 17, 18 and 19 will be needed to implement the plan, including changes to allow more missing‑middle housing. The department’s staffing constraints, she said, may affect internal timelines and staff workflow even if core permit turnaround is being managed.
Key items and next steps outlined by Prechner included: forwarding the commission’s recommendation on countywide planning policies to the city council for its April 21 meeting; a joint council–planning commission workshop on April 28 at 1:00 p.m. where the consultant (Kimley‑Horn) will present growth alternatives and DEIS plans; and the planning commission’s next regular meeting set for May 12 at 6:00 p.m.
Prechner described several parallel projects and process improvements. The department will continue waterfront redevelopment planning using policy, programming and capital tools; staff are coordinating with Rotary on a parks capital facility at Windjammer Park. The department is also evaluating permitting software and coordinating with finance on whether to adopt the city’s Tyler ERP platform to improve the customer‑facing permitting experience. She added the department has begun work with the state auditor and archivist on records retention and standard‑operating‑procedure improvements.
On code work, Prechner said Titles 18 and 19 (zoning and planning) will be a priority in the fall as the council selects a growth alternative; Title 17 updates will align local building rules with the most recent international residential and building codes. She also said staff will update critical‑areas language to reflect Ecology’s recent guidance on wetlands.
Commissioners asked whether the permit‑coordinator vacancy would delay permitting. Prechner said staff do not yet see major impacts to permit timelines but acknowledged effects on staff workload. A commissioner asked for clarity on why the position would remain vacant; a staff member explained the permit coordinator is currently on bereavement leave and the department is evaluating temporary coverage options.
Commissioners and staff also discussed meeting formats and bylaws. Several members urged use of workshops or alternative meeting setups to review large technical packets and to avoid long formal meetings; staff said code provisions allow additional advertised meetings and that bylaw language can be reviewed for flexibility while respecting Open Public Meetings Act requirements.
The meeting closed with staff noting the April 28 joint workshop and upcoming May 12 meeting. A motion to adjourn was moved, seconded and carried by voice vote.
