AgdaPkt 2020-09-14 Amended Joint SA PFA

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6.1. - Page 2 of 21 ANALYSIS In early Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-2020, the full-time and regular (not temporary) position of Community Development Services Manager — Planning ('Planning Manager') became vacant. Staff conducted a recruitment for the Planning Manager position in fall 2019 but was not successful in attracting a quality candidate to this position with the existing compensation and job duties. This yearlong vacancy has allowed staff to analyze the needs of the Community Development & Transportation Department (CDT) and the Planning Division, whose scope and workload has greatly increased in recent years. The Department implements numerous City and departmental projects, policies, and programs in support of the City Council's top three Strategic Priorities, in particular, the priorities of Housing and Transportation. Staff recommends replacing the Planning Manager position with the position of Assistant Community Development & Transportation (CDT) Director. Staff believes this position would be more attractive to potential applicants and also would provide necessary support for managing a large, multi -faceted department. CDT has four separate divisions: Building & Code Enforcement, Engineering/Transportation, Geographic Information System (GIS) and Data Analytics Division, and Planning. Currently, a mid -management position leads each division and each mid -manager reports to the CDT Director. The proposed CDT Assistant Director position would oversee two of the four divisions: the Planning Division and the Geographic Information System (GIS) and Data Analytics Division. The GIS Division supports all City departments through data presentation and analytics, and is housed within CDT due to data needs that are often associated with planning, development, transportation and building permit/code enforcement issues. The continued growth of these two divisions necessitates this executive level position with greater responsibility and oversight to support the CDT Director in the management of a large department such as CDT. The Building & Code Enforcement Division and Engineering/Transportation Division would continue to report to the Community Development and Transportation Director. Because the Assistant Director position would replace the Community Development Services Manager — Planning position there would not be a net increase in staffing. Assistant Director positions presently exist in the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department and the Public Works Services Department, and the Fire and Police Departments have deputy chief positions that provide similar management capacity for large departments. In the near term, the Assistant Director will provide direction to staff on three large-scale City initiatives including: 1) the development of a new Central Redwood City Plan; 2) creation of a Transit -Sub District; and 3) the review and processing of numerous ongoing and pending development applications. All of these initiatives are inherently complex, and execution is especially complicated in light of current public health requirements. The Department has needed to transition to a remote work environment that requires virtual building inspections and online document submittal and review (a learning process for staff and applicants alike), and the need to develop new approaches to community engagement as in- person gatherings cannot be accommodated. The Assistant Director will also assist other CDT Divisions in completing the organizational review study to review current organizational structures and provide recommendations to improve service delivery. The GIS and Data Analytics Division manages and illustrates geographic data and assets such as utilities, Page 2 of 4 City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.org 318