Snoqualmie mayor says associate planner post advertised as city develops broader CD staffing plan

Snoqualmie Mayor told the Community Development Committee on Feb. 4 that the city has revised the job description for an associate planner and "that position is now being advertised," part of an incremental approach to rebuilding the Community Development (CD) Department's capacity.

The announcement came as the mayor and Director Davis briefed the committee on a multi-step staffing approach intended to align department resources with council priorities. The mayor said the administration is preparing additional proposals but asked the committee for time to present a more comprehensive solution.

Council members welcomed the move and emphasized the department's front-line role. "Community development is, I believe, like the front lines of our city in terms of how our business owners, our residents interact with our government," Council member Murphy said, thanking staff for day-to-day work that is often unseen.

The mayor also praised the department leadership: "Our community development director still has to do the work every day of the department ... is doing hero's work right now," the mayor said, urging the council to be mindful of the director's heavy workload while the administration finalizes staffing proposals.

Council member Johnson noted the council had taken the one-time step of using fund balance to support extra CD capacity last year and emphasized the need for a sustainable funding plan for new positions during the upcoming budget cycle. Committee members agreed the council should help prioritize the department's tasks so staff can target the most urgent needs first.

What happened
- The administration said it has revised and posted the associate planner job and is actively recruiting to fill the position.
- Staff described ongoing enforcement and planning workloads that require both immediate hires and longer-term rebuilding of institutional knowledge.
- The mayor and Director Davis asked the committee to provide a prioritized list of council objectives to guide staffing and resource allocation.

Why it matters
Community Development handles plan reviews, enforcement and code interpretation that directly affect residents, businesses and development projects. Committee members said staffing gaps have reduced institutional knowledge and slowed the city's ability to respond to technical issues and regulatory work.

What's next
The administration will return with a phased staffing proposal and materials for committee review. Staff also committed to recirculating prior request-for-proposal materials and to coordinate expert briefings to help the council make informed prioritization choices.

No formal hiring decisions beyond advertising the associate planner role were recorded at the meeting; the committee did not take a final vote on staffing at this session.