Lyon County prepares reorganization of Community Development Department

Lyon County Manager Jeff Page announced Thursday that he will be presenting a contract for services with Farr West Engineering to take over the administration and management of the Community Development Department to the Board of Commissioners when it meets June 16.

Page explained that the scope of work for will be:

Planning Department
Farr West will provide a professional who will act as the Planning Director and will report directly to the County Manager. This individual will fill the role of the Director and will assume the responsibilities typically assigned to that role. One of the key objectives of this assignment is to change the vision of the Community Development Department from enforcement to compliance, and to be more accommodating to new businesses.
The following is a list of services to be provided by Farr West:

Assist with editing, adopting and implementing Title 15
Update and implement the master plan and community plans
Provide reports to the County Manager
Provide direction and support to Planning Department staff
Review applications for development
Attend developer round tables, Planning Commission and County Commission meetings.
Assist with floodplain issues.
Coordinate with the County Engineer and other County departments.
Other duties as assigned by the County Manager.

Building Department
Farr West is proposing to partially privatize the Building Department. Farr West will manage the department and its staff. The Planning Director appointed by Farr West will also act as the Building Director, filling a dual role. The two building inspectors currently working in the building department will become employees of Farr West, and the management assistant will remain a County employee.

Lyon County has a 15 year relationship with Farr West and they currently function as the County Engineer & Surveyor. Farr West has been working with County Public Works in the area of utility engineering, GIS and road engineering.

County Manager Jeff Page explained that Lyon County has been searching for a qualified Building Official for more than 18 months and that the recent retirement of the Community Development Director provided an opportunity for change. The anticipated growth in population will place demands on Lyon County that the County could not meet with existing staffing. This partnership will provide Lyon County with access to resources that it does not have in-house.

If the Board of Commissioners approve the agreement on June 16, 2016 then Page will schedule town hall meetings to introduce the Farr West Team and listen to concerns, complaints and ideas from the public, contractors and developers. Page said the goal is to develop efficient processes to expedite the permitting of projects, maintain public safety and enhance customer service. Page explained that this agreement will provide Lyon County with the “one stop shop” that has been desperately needed for years.

The cost of the agreement will save Lyon County $30,000.00 in the FY17 budget. The agreement, if approved, would be effective in July.