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New Land Use and Development department shows personnel‑heavy budget after combining planning and environmental health
Summary
Joanie Thadani said the newly formed Land Use and Development department combines planning and environmental health and now totals about 10 staff; most expenses are personnel driven and she requested funding to restore an intermittent position and modest mileage/training increases totaling roughly $33,000.
Joanie Thadani, director of the newly created Land Use and Development department, told commissioners the office now combines planning and environmental health and has about 10 staff. She said the combined budget appears as two separate budgets for clarity now but may be combined later; the majority of expenses for both planning and environmental health are personnel costs (planning ~98% personnel; environmental health ~90%).
Thadani requested roughly $33,000 in additional salaries and benefits across MSAs, primarily to cover health‑insurance increases and to fund an intermittent position that previously supported environmental health duties. She said the intermittent role had been shared historically and that restoring it now would help cover inspections and other functions while they evaluate whether a permanent hire is necessary.
Thadani also increased a small mileage line to reimburse inspections using personal vehicles and asked to fund both the director and planning and zoning administrator to attend conferences (CAPSO and KAC), citing professional development and interagency coordination benefits.
Commissioners had no further questions during the hearing; the department's requests will move forward in the budget review.
