Planning Director V. Town Manager Mindset
Robert E. Smith (AICP)
City Manager | County Manager | Planning, Community & Economic Development Director | Zoning & Permitting Manager (Wireless) | Public Administration - Financial Management - Analytical Skills - Government Affairs
The recent APA National Conference included a session on Town Manager V. Planning Director Mindset --
Expecting differences to be discussed, it was a twist to see the presenters (Aimee Nassif, AICP and Drew Awsumb, AICP) focus on similarities between the two roles and mindsets associated with Planning and Town Management. Some interesting discussion then begged the question -- Why aren't more planning directors following an alternate path to Town management?
The Town Management professional sector is witnessing a growing vacuum in headcount as the boomers retire, and there appears to be a shortage in incoming replacements that are traditionally trained or educated for the role. Why are we not seeing a growing tide of Planning Directors making the shift to the Town Manager role?
I think if you were to ask veteran Town Managers, you might get a range of humorous reasons tied to politics, but I suspect that the real reasons aren't quite so funny. In Arizona, the City/County Management Association has launched a new outreach program to invite young professionals to explore how to grow and advance their public careers. The "NextGen" conferences are held twice a year -- a one day conference where costs are kept low (ie $35) and overnight stays are not required, opens this opportunity to a large number of emerging professionals who don't necessarily have the travel and training budgets that more senior staff possess. We're witnessing increasing interest in the conferences, and the opportunity for attendees to network with seasoned professionals.
As we contemplate our 'new normal' at this end of the recession, and project out where the professions are heading -- we should probably investigate combining these thoughts. Assistance and cultivation of emerging public professionals, along with the possible crossover of skills and 'mindset' from planning to town management might generate a powerful synergy for the future of town management. Who knows, some of the planner's social equity and sustainability perspectives might emerge and accelerate across the local government landscapes given such circumstances?
One thing's for sure, the pace of change is increasing, as is the number of unknowns faced by localities each year. Sustainability is becoming more and more difficult for smaller localities to achieve, and managers are reaching for new, flexible and innovative solutions as resources dwindle. Perhaps that planning perspective might provide yet another tool box for managers to explore.
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8 年Robert, I agree with your thoughts as I also came up through the Planning side of local government and it provided great opportunities to interact with other Departments and see how the various entities of local government worked together (or failed to work together). However, from my perspective, I feel we have lost some young Planners due to the conflict between planning ethics and adherence to the Code of Ordinances and the political dynamics of elected and appointed officials. Often when we go against the recommendation of our Planning staff we fail to go back and give them credit and recognition for being planners and instead let them feel like they have failed their community by not explaining a proposal well enough to have the City County Council/County Commission support their recommendation. We as managers also have a responsibility to go back to elected officials and explain how and why the planning staff made their recommendations (based on planning principals and the local adopted code) and not just let our elected officials believe the planners are out of step with the needs of the community.