The purpose of this position is to plan, direct, manage, and oversee all planning, building, and economic development activities in the City of Duvall. These activities include long-range and current planning, permitting, building and inspection services, code enforcement, and outreach activities to the business community. The Community and Economic Development Director is responsible for the administration of the department, including policy development, program planning, budget management, operational direction, maintaining an effective relationship with other operating departments and external organizations, managing the Planning Commission workplan, participating as an active member of the city’s leadership team, and keeping the City Administrator and Mayor apprised of important issues. A key aspect of this role is the requirement for direct contact with residents, elected officials, elected officials from other agencies, and community leaders. This engagement is vital for addressing issues that require a strong customer service ethic and are often highly sensitive and complex.

This position is designed as a working director position of a small but influential city department. Incumbents in this position are most successful when they possess an innovative and resourceful approach to leadership.

Reports to: City Administrator

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES

All responsibilities listed in this section are considered essential job functions.

Plan, lead, organize, and direct the activities, services, operations, budget, policy formulation, and administration of the City’s land use, planning, building services, permit processing, code compliance and enforcement, and economic development programs.
Direct the development, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of the department’s long-range strategic and comprehensive plans, short-range goals, and performance objectives; ensure completion of projects in accordance with established timelines and budget limitations; manage department operations to assure efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Provide dynamic leadership, vision, and overall direction to the work of the Department staff; develop, implement, and administer departmental policies, procedures, and Community and Economic Development Director practices to ensure compliance with applicable municipal ordinances, state, county, and federal laws and regulations; court decisions, and established management principles and techniques.
Select, lead, supervise, train, assign, promote, motivate, evaluate, and discipline, as appropriate, the performance of assigned personnel in accordance with established policies and procedures; resolve complaints related to department personnel and operations.
Oversee the research, analysis, and implementation of policies, strategies, projects, and activities to enhance the City’s economic development, redevelopment, and tourism-related programs and activities, including redevelopment strategies, new business recruitment, existing business retention, and expansion assistance.
Oversee the permit processing, building, and other development code and plan review, manage inspection policies and procedures to ensure effective and timely delivery of services; ensure appropriate coordination with other internal departments and external agencies, as needed; ensure that federal, state, and local statutory regulations and standards are considered and appropriately addressed promptly; ensure that the city’s development codes and regulations are appropriately interpreted, applied, and enforced.
Assume fiscal responsibility for department and project-related budgets; prepare, monitor, and administer the department budget; ensure financial accountability and appropriate record-keeping; ensure department programs, goals, and operations are administered within budget limitations; pursue and administer grant funds as required.
Oversee the development, implementation, and administration of the city’s code compliance and enforcement program.
Oversee the development, implementation, and administration of land use planning, zoning, economic development, shoreline, housing, environmental, and related development codes, ordinances, and policies; plans, or acts; evaluate, negotiate, and make recommendations on land acquisitions and sales.
Oversee the city’s SEPA responsibilities, including issuance of determinations of significance; mitigation determinations, determinations of non-significance, and the review of SEPA appeals.
Represent the Community and Economic Development Department before the City Council, Planning Commission, Cultural Commission, and other assigned committee meetings and public hearings; prepare and make public presentations at meetings; research, prepare analysis(es), present technical information in a clear, concise, and understandable manner; make recommendations regarding legislation, policies, or procedures for consideration; respond to questions and comments; collaborate on a variety of administrative, legislative, and policy matters related to the department’s operations and services.
Respond to inquiries from elected and appointed officials, community members (residents, property and business owners, developers), and other organizations related to the areas assigned to the Department; ensure departmental support to the Planning Commission and other assigned committees related to the department’s operations and services. Coordinate land use and development activities related to the city, as conducted by different agencies such as King County, the State of Washington, and the Port of Seattle, in accordance with applicable interlocal or development agreements; negotiate applicable interlocal and development agreements.
Conduct regular Department and management meetings as needed, attend management, leadership, and professional meetings, seminars, and conferences as required to stay abreast of new trends in the field of community and economic development, planning, environmental, code compliance, land use law, construction, and other land use and property development practices.
Encourage and deliver the highest level of quality customer service to the public, contractors, businesses, internal city departments, and other agencies to ensure that Department responses are prompt, accurate, and courteous.
Serve as designated essential personnel during emergency management response scenarios.
Department Heads may serve in the capacity of Acting or Deputy City Administrator in the City Administrator’s absence.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Knowledge Of

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Federal, state, and local laws and regulations relating to operations and activities assigned, including, but not limited to, planning, building, permitting, development review, and economic development.
Principles and practices of public administration, planning, budgeting, and personnel management.
Best practices in municipal operations, policies, and objectives.
Economic development principles, financing methods, and strategies; grant writing and administration practices.
Land use, Growth Management Act, SEPA, Shoreline Act, and zoning administration issues and techniques.
Preparation, administration, and reporting of annual municipal department operating and capital budgets.
Customer service delivery standards centered on excellence, timeliness, tact, patience, curiosity, and courtesy.
Oral and written communication skills.

Skill In

Planning, leading, organizing, directing, and evaluating the performance of the activities, services, and operations of a Community and Economic Development Department.
Applying sound professional judgement in resolving problems, responding to inquiries, interpreting policies, regulations, and standards, and analyzing complex situations accurately and adeptly, with the ability to adopt effective and efficient courses of action.
Effectively presenting plans, programs, and recommendations to the City Administrator, Mayor, City Council, Planning Commission, and other committees, city departments, special interest groups, business community, and the public.
Effectively applying public relations skills and public speaking techniques; prepare and deliver oral presentations.
Effectively training, leading, supervising, motivating, mentoring, coaching, and evaluating department personnel and addressing personnel issues and complaints.

Ability To

Represent the city and attend various boards, committees, and meetings.
Effectively plan, organize, prioritize, schedule, and assign work to meet timelines and customer demands.
Establish and maintain effective and productive working relationships with the Mayor, City Council, City Administrator, other city departmental personnel, outside agencies, advisory boards, news media, private organizations, business community, development community, property owners, and the public.
Understand the city’s political environment and sensitivities; ability to function effectively within that environment.
Identify the Department’s future direction in response to changing community needs, and to develop, implement, and monitor appropriate plans, schedules, and actions.
Have thorough knowledge of all federal, state, and local regulatory requirements applicable to housing and community development.
Work independently with little direction. Be prepared for the range of work to span from miscellaneous administrative tasks, such as creating agenda bills, to high-level policy work.
Prepare and administer local, State, and federal grants.
Maintain records and ensure a high standard of record-keeping practice in support of transparency and open public records.
A Bachelor’s degree in Urban, Environmental, or Regional Planning, Urban Design, or related field (Master’s preferred); and
Eight (8) or more years of experience in comprehensive and current planning, and policy development in the State of Washington, including experience with the Growth Management Act, State Environmental Policy Act, Shoreline Management Act, Public Disclosure Act, and Open Public Meetings Act
5 years of supervisory experience.
Certification by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).
A Washington State Driver’s License is required.

Physical and Work Environment

The physical and work environment characteristics described in this description are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions or as otherwise required by law. Employees requiring reasonable accommodation should discuss their request with their supervisor.

This work requires the occasional exertion of up to 25 pounds of force; work regularly requires sitting, frequently requires standing, speaking or hearing, using hands to finger, handle, or feel, and repetitive motions, and occasionally requires walking, stooping, kneeling, crouching, or crawling, and reaching with hands and arms.
Work has standard vision requirements.
Vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word.
Hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels.
Work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data and observing general surroundings and activities.
Work has minimum exposure to adverse environmental conditions.
Work is generally conducted in a moderately noisy office setting (e.g., a business office with light traffic) and at some noisy construction sites

City of Duvall

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Community and Economic Development Director