Administrative
Report
H.7., File # 22-4935 Meeting Date: 10/18/2022
To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: BRANDY FORBES, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
TITLE
AUTHORIZE AN OVERFILL OF THE ASSISTANT PLANNER POSITION IN THE COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT WITH AN ASSOCIATE PLANNER POSITION
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Assistant Planner position is expected to be vacant by the end of calendar year 2022. To provide more complete support and public service in the Community Development Department, it is recommended that the City Council authorize an overfilling of the Assistant Planner position with an Associate Planner. Funding from Department salary savings is available to cover the $13,245 cost of the overfill in Fiscal Year 2022-23. No budget appropriation is needed at this time.
BACKGROUND
The Assistant Planner position is expected to be vacated by the end of calendar year 2022. The Assistant Planner role is an entry level planning position and serves as support to other planning staff on long range/advance planning projects and conducts only straightforward plan reviews.
An Associate Planner is responsible for conducting comprehensive plan reviews and longer-term planning work, including the preparation of studies and research reports for more complex development projects. The position requires knowledge of current trends in federal, state, regional, and local planning and can be more proactive in drafting revisions to planning and zoning regulations to address those shifts in policies and regulations. As well, this position requires three years of professional planning experience in governmental planning, compared to only one year of related occupational experience required of an Assistant Planner candidate. With the increased complexity of projects in Redondo Beach (both in required long range plans and intricate development application reviews), the Associate Planner position is more in-line with the current needs of the City.
Both job classification descriptions are attached for comparison.
Finally, with the City’s desire to more proactively address environmental issues, the department will seek (if approved) an Associate Planning candidate with an understanding of current trends in environmental sustainability policies and climate action regulations to help inform local policy.
By overfilling this position, it is expected that the Community Development Department can provide more complete support and comprehensive planning services to the public.
H.7., File # 22-4935 Meeting Date: 10/18/2022
COORDINATION
This agenda item was coordinated with the Finance Department and the City Manager’s Office.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Community Development Department has experienced salary savings in FY 2022-23 due to temporary vacancies in two budgeted positions. These cost savings exceed the cost differential between the Associate Planner and Assistant Planner positions and as a result, no additional budget appropriation is needed at this time.
Specifically, the salary savings in the first three months of the fiscal year are roughly $44,000, which is more than the $13,425 FY 2022-23 cost of the overfill. The FY 2023-24 budget will include the funding needed to cover the annual cost differential of the two positions, which is estimated to be $26,500.
APPROVED BY:
Mike Witzansky, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
· Job description Assistant Planner
· Job description Associate Planner