“The real benefit comes from a better alignment of functions,” he said.
Under the proposed reorganization, the Community Development and Housing Department would be disbanded, with its functions and staff assigned among three existing departments — Planning; Development Services; and Parks, Recreation and Community Services.
The proposed changes would not result in layoffs, according to a city report. According to the proposal:
?Parks, Recreation and Community Services would become the Community Services and Parks Department, and would focus on the city’s social service programs.
?The Planning Department would become the Community Planning Department, which would oversee all land-use and entitlement issues in the city, including all permitting and code enforcement.
?Development Services would become the Economic Development and Housing Department, which would oversee all redevelopment activity, affordable-housing development and the city’s Section 8 program.
Starbird said Parks, Recreation and Community Services Director George Chapjian’s social service background would be well-suited to head the new department, which would now oversee homeless services, workforce development and Community Development Block Grant administration. The workload would be in addition to the department’s current oversight of parks, recreation and youth and senior service programs.
“This gives us an opportunity to really begin to move the traditional Parks and Recreation more toward the broader community services function that takes all of those things in,” he said.
Jess Duran, the current interim director of Community Development and Housing, would become assistant director within the new department.
