Parks director and program staff resignations force interim coverage, delay housing competition work

City staff told the commission that several recent resignations have stretched capacity and affected ongoing projects, including the housing design competition and work on the Unified Development Code (UDC).

Director Matthew Wright reported the parks director, Tony Host, resigned effective Sept. 11 and that Cody Sides (who ran the assisted‑rides/StarBus program) will be leaving shortly. "Our turnover rate went from just over 9 percent at the end of June to almost 15% now at the end of August," Wright said, noting multiple vacancies across capital projects and parks that are pulling staff away from other initiatives.

Wright said StarBus and the assisted‑rides program will revert temporarily to the city clerk's office for administration until new hires are in place. He estimated parks and capital projects staffing pressures will persist at least through October and into November; staff will notify the commission when they regain bandwidth for the housing design competition.