PORT TOWNSEND — With the departure of Development Services Director Rick Sepler last week, the city of Port Townsend has redefined the planning director position.
As development services director, Sepler supervised parks.
The new planning director will not perform that duty; parks will instead fall under Public Works, said City Manager David Timmons.
The position was posted on the city’s website Thursday in the hope of attracting talent from across the nation.
Timmons added that applicants will need to be familiar with state law.
“They will need to know all the Growth Management Act requirements, which will be a critical piece because we are working on our comprehensive plan over the next three years,” Timmons said.
The application review process begins Dec. 1. City officials hope the position is filled by the beginning of 2015.
“It may take longer for someone to leave their current job, but we certainly hope we’ll have a decision made by the end of December,” said Pam Kolacy, personnel director.
The salary range is between $91,800 and $112,000, plus a full benefits package.
Sepler was earning $95,076 per year in Port Townsend before he left that position to become Bellingham’s city planning and community development director, earning $131,508 a year.
The position administers all phases of a comprehensive community development program including planning, land use, zoning, permitting, building permits and code enforcement, according to the posted job description.
The department has seven employees and a budget of about $810,000, the notice said.
While the planning director job has just been advertised, the city is close to filling two other open positions, Kolacy said.
An offer has been extended to a candidate for the parks and facilities director with expectations of acceptance this week.
The new director is expected to begin in early December.
Also this week, the city is expected to winnow down and perhaps announce the names of five or six finalists for the library director position, Kolacy said.
To view the planning director job announcement, visit http://tinyurl.com/PDN-planner.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
