The Greene County government is reorganizing its Building, Planning, and Zoning Department to have, for the first time, a staff engineer leading the department.
The change was announced by Greene County Human Resources Director Erin Elmore in an news release.
The position will be funded with a grant through the county’s new partnership with the U.S. Forest Service.
The Forest Service will fund the position in full through federal dollars for five years at a pay rate of between $80,000 to $120,000.
The introduction of the position is part of a restructuring of the county’s Building, Planning, and Zoning Department.
Not only will the engineer assist with Forest Service related projects, but the individual will also serve as the county’s new Planning Coordinator and serve the county in other ways. A full-time and part-time position in the Planning and Zoning Department have been eliminated as a part of the restructuring, and the new engineer will take over Planning and Zoning duties according to Greene County Mayor Kevin Morrison.
“This reorganization will streamline operations and improve efficiency by consolidating some duties and responsibilities,” Elmore said in the release.
The engineer will not only serve in the role of Planning Coordinator, but oversee the county’s entire Building, Planning, and Zoning Department. That will include overseeing the county’s Building Official.
Morrison said Wednesday that the grant funded position provides the county “complete flexibility” to use the engineer in any capacity the county may need.
County officials are currently going through applications as a part of the hiring process for the new engineer position.
Building Official Tim Tweed will serve as the county’s Planning Coordinator until the engineer, which will serve as the county’s Planning Coordinator, is hired.
Morrison said that county officials will review the restructuring and the new engineer’s performance continually to ensure that the restructuring of the department is effective. He also noted that an annual review process will help county officials determine what steps to take once the five years of grant funding runs out. He noted it was possible that the county could use the funds saved from the eliminated two positions in the department to fund the engineer position after the five year grant period ends.
