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Commissioners warn sharp cuts in planning staff amid contested budget
Summary
Planning staff told the commission the proposed city budget would reduce planning department staffing from 2.4 FTE to 0.9 FTE (roughly a 63% reduction); commissioners voiced concern about reduced capacity and front-desk coverage, and the commission was told the budget committee recommended partial restorations but the council will make the final decision.
Planning department leaders told the St. Helens Planning Commission that the city’s budget process has placed the department at risk of deep staffing cuts.
The planning director briefed commissioners that a year earlier the department had 2.4 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions (two planners and a portion of a community development assistant). In the proposed budget the planning department would be reduced to about 0.9 FTE — a reduction the director characterized as roughly 63 percent. The director said the reduction stems from broader staffing and union seniority rules following layoffs and furloughs.
"When you have union employees and there's a layoff, the senior employees generally have the seniority for staying," the director said, explaining why a community development assistant position would be lost under the current proposal.
The director warned that because of the departure of key staff, city hall front-office coverage has been reduced and residents are being accommodated by appointment only until staffing stabilizes. Commissioners repeatedly expressed concern that running the city with minimal planning staff would be "incredibly ill advised" and urged the council to avoid the worst cuts. The budget committee recommended restoring some positions, including the community development assistant, but the council will make the final decision at an upcoming meeting.
Commissioners recommended stakeholders "stay tuned" for council action and acknowledged the difficulty of the current budget cycle; no formal action was taken by the planning commission on the budget during the meeting.
Procedural note: the planning director discussed other informational items, including the near two-year status of Resolution 2014 concerning the Milan Road surplus property; commissioners discussed the property's complex history and pending council-level decisions.
