PORT TOWNSEND — Nine months after the retirement of Jefferson County Department of Community Development Director Carl Smith, the county now has a permanent head for the department.
Patricia Charnas, 57, begins in the position today, where she will oversee a 14-member staff that enforces the county’s permitting and land-use regulations.
“Planning is and always will be under-resourced,” Charnas said.
“We want to enhance our workforce and do what we can to make permitting more effective and efficient.”
Charnas will earn $8,403 per month or $100,836 per year, plus benefits, according to her contract.
Customer service
Like her predecessors, Charnas strives to prioritize customer service.
“It’s important that the customer understands all of the restrictions that are placed on county government with the development of a single-family residence and how land is designated and regulated,” she said.
“This can be a very difficult conversation for a citizen when all they want to do is develop a piece of property and are unaware of all the rules and regulations the county must carry out.”
Charnas has held various positions in the Kitsap County Department of Community Development since 2004.
In addition to managing that county’s most recent comprehensive plan update, Charnas previously led updates to Kitsap’s Shoreline Management Program and Critical Areas regulations.
In her new position, Charnas said she hopes to apply what she learned in Kitsap.
“Even if the area is much smaller, the challenges are the same,” she said.
“Just because we don’t have the same urban density of services doesn’t mean there are fewer issues.”
Overseeing more
In Jefferson County, Charnas will work in a department that is significantly smaller than Kitsap’s, but she will nonetheless oversee more employees.
The Kitsap County Department of Community Development has a staff of about 60 where Charnas supervised 10 employees.
The Jefferson County Department of Community Development currently has a 14-member staff and one vacancy, according to its website.
“In a smaller department, a lot of the planners have dual responsibilities,” she said.
“They work in a variety of different disciplines out of necessity.
“This situation requires the department to be more nimble,” she said.
Charnas was hired after two searches — one conducted by the county and another by the Prothman Co. of Seattle after the first search was unsuccessful.
Prothman conducted preliminary interviews and narrowed the field to four qualified finalists, according to a news release.
Charnas — who was most recently the Kitsap County Department of Community Development’s division manager of Planning and Environmental Programs — resigned her Kitsap County position in mid-June after learning about her selection for the Jefferson County job.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
