At its Oct. 16 meeting, City Manager Scott Morgan announced that the Building Division was assigned to the Planning Department, effective Oct. 1. As of Oct. 15 Planning Director John Stokes assumed responsibility for managing the division and supervising its employees. The decision was made because the planning director’s position has been playing an increasingly critical role in the Anderson’s development. Also part of the decision was the Oct. 12 departure of John Stover, Anderson’s former building official, for a position with Tehama County. The salary savings made by not filling the vacant building official position will be for a 5 percent pay range increase for the planning director position, effective Nov. 3.

The pay increase resolution passed by the city council also cited Planning Director John Stokes’ “outstanding performance” and “increased scope of responsibility” as reasons for the increase. The reassignment of the Building Division to the Planning Department is considered to be long term.

Along with the shift of departments, a new position of Senior Building Inspector was created. Scott Morgan said that he would like to appoint current Building Inspector Marty Mofield to that position.

The Building Official position will remain vacant for an indefinite length of time. Morgan said in an e-mail communication that the city would be maintaining a two-person, rather than a three-person Building Division until local building activity returns approximately to what it was during 2005-06. Morgan estimates that the city will need to maintain one vacancy in the division until “around the first part of 2009.”