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Planning director asks to reclassify senior planner to assistant director amid rising permit volume
Summary
Planning staff requested reclassification of a senior planner to assistant director to support succession planning and redistribute workload, citing a 27% permit volume increase and steady workload growth; council asked about past roles, salary impacts and long-term staffing strategy.
Brandy, planning staff, summarized the department's workload increase and requested a reclassification of an existing senior planner to assistant director to better handle succession planning and heavier project review volumes.
Brandy said permit volume rose about 27% and the department averages roughly 52 new projects annually over the last six years, with increased plan-review workload and several significant code-enforcement cases closed recently that also generated revenue. "We have an average of 52 new projects, over the last 6 years," Brandy said, noting the team is maintaining customer responsiveness despite growth.
The reclassification would not create a new headcount but would carry an increased salary tied to added responsibility. Council members asked whether the assistant-director role existed previously; staff said the role had existed in the past and that the reclass is intended to retain and train staff rather than expand the roster.
Councilors pressed about training, GIS-related investments that drove a recent 13% decrease in one line item (a one-year GIS training expense that will not recur), and whether code enforcement will need additional positions as the town grows. Brandy said code enforcement staffing is stable for now but the planning workload was the main driver for the reclassification request.
The council thanked planning staff and asked for supplemental material on salary ranges, historical use of the assistant-director classification and the one-time GIS training cost to include in the next budget review.
