Planning director proposes succession steps, small B-budget cut and new 'code compliance inspector' title

Planning Director Hal Jensen told the commission the planning department’s B budget fell from roughly $131,250 last year to about $121,000 this year, largely because technology improvements reduced manual hours; travel costs rose modestly as training resumed.

Jensen requested certification-based step increases for staff who obtain professional credentials and said the administration is framing those as part of succession planning. He emphasized that any mid-year step increases tied to certifications would be conditional on staff passing required exams and that the department would not return mid-year to seek additional funds if exams are not passed.

Jensen also reported results from an International Code Council training and proposed changing the title currently styled as a code enforcement officer to "code compliance inspector," saying the alternate wording encourages voluntary compliance and reduces adversarial framing. "As soon as you present yourself as an officer, you've already created a conflict," Jensen said, explaining the intent behind the rewrite of the job description.

Commissioners and Jensen discussed whether certification pay should be handled as steps (which could stack with a countywide step increase) or as a fixed per-certification payment; commissioners asked staff to revisit policy language and bring options back for a future decision. Jensen said the department’s operating budget has grown since 2020 but that staff pay is at market and the department would accept commission-wide decisions on cost-of-living or step increases without returning a special request.