Weddington Council approves revised town planner job description, adds supervision duty

Weddington Town Council approved a revised job description for the town planner at a special meeting May 19, adding clearer duties to guide developers through the application process and an explicit requirement that the planner supervise the permit technician.

Council members said the goal of the rewrite is to make the planner both proactive and practical in steering development proposals toward projects that fit the town’s character. “We felt we wanted to blow some of that out and give additional detail,” a council member said, describing edits intended to spell out expectations for working with developers to reduce re-submissions and delays.

Members discussed adding a sign-off step on the application checklist that requires the planner to certify an application is complete before it advances to the planning board. One member urged a visible sign-off — “like a wax seal” — so the planning board receives only fully documented applications.

Council also agreed to add language requiring the planner to supervise the permit technician (referred to in the meeting as Jasmine/Jazzy) and to have the revised sentence reviewed by the town attorney before final adoption. A motion to approve the job description with that modification passed unanimously.

The revision is intended to reduce review hiccups, give clearer lines of responsibility, and ensure applicants receive early feedback so projects better align with Weddington Town’s expectations. The council did not change pay or other hiring terms at the meeting; those items will be addressed in subsequent personnel discussions.