Planning director should be secure

This following letter was submitted to the Calaveras Enterprise by Kerry Williams expressing the views of CAP and the Calaveras Planning Coalition:

September 13, 2013

Rebecca Willis has resigned. For the sixth time in seven years, there will be a new Calaveras County planning director.

Willis made significant improvements to the department that included building a capable staff, promptly processing over-the-counter projects, moving forward a backlog of more complicated projects and properly recommending the denial of two projects that could not be lawfully approved under the existing Calaveras County General Plan. And she was moving the long-awaited General Plan update toward completion. But, apparently, she ruffled the wrong feathers and determined it was time to find another job.

The planning director serves at the will of the Board of Supervisors. At any Tuesday board meeting, just three members of the board can fire the director without cause. This has serious implications. For example, it is easy for a supervisor (or two) to threaten and intimidate the director and the lack of job security makes it easier for other jurisdictions to poach a talented director. They don’t even have to offer more money or loftier titles – just a little peace of mind.

We elect our supervisors for four years. They don’t have to worry about three of their colleagues firing them. Perhaps it’s time for the supervisors to offer the same protection to the planning director. If the supervisors really care about the future of Calaveras County, they will offer an employment contract to the next planning director such that he or she need not live in fear of losing the job for doing the job well.