Park County commissioners on July 1 authorized planning staff to advertise a vacant planner position at a range that includes Planner II and Planner III, while reserving final hiring for after the county’s budget decisions are clarified.

Planning Director Joy Hill told commissioners she must replace a planner who is leaving mid-July and that restoring the higher-level planner position would return the department’s payroll close to its 2023 level. Hill said saving measures over the prior two years had reduced payroll costs by about $30,000 per year after an earlier vacancy was absorbed internally. “When I started…in 2021 my payroll budget total was $411,000. My current payroll budget is $412,000,” Hill said, explaining the department has held essentially flat payroll while covering duties.

Commissioners expressed concern about timing: the planner’s last day is on the 16th of the month and the department is in the middle of work on DSR (Development Standards Review) chapters and consultant deliverables. Several commissioners favored starting the hiring process now so the department can recruit experienced candidates, while acknowledging the county’s broader budget decisions could require scaling the hire back to Planner II if funds are not available.

County finance staff told the board the budget projections in hand did not yet include the incremental cost of upgrading the posted position above the Planner II level; commissioners therefore authorized advertising with a flexible pay range (Planner II–III) and left final approval of hire and exact salary to follow the county budget process. The motion to advertise passed on a voice vote. Planning staff will report back to the board as budget decisions are finalized and before making a final hiring determination.