Douglas County's zoning, land conservation and land information offices could undergo a transformation with the retirement of Zoning Administrator Steve Rannenberg.
All three divisions, now managed by Rannenberg, are slated to become the Land Services Department and would come under the management of Zach DeVoe, the county's tax lister and land information officer. His new title would be the land services director. DeVoe's current duties would be passed to a land information specialist the county would hire to reduce DeVoe's workload so he can focus on the more complex zoning issues, said Acting Administrator Ann Doucette, who is proposing the changes.
Doucette said in determining how to reorganize the three divisions, she asked for proposals from interested county staff.
"I like to promote from within first," Doucette said. She said DeVoe's proposal, which included his qualifications, and a five-year plan for the department, stood out.
"He wanted the department to be a leader in the state with the implementation of cutting edge technology," Doucette said. "I was most impressed with his letter of interest and his proposal."
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DeVoe said his vision is to run the department so that it evolves and adapts over time.
"A fair amount of what we do in the department is regulated by the state, and they are continuously changing rules and statutes and expectation," DeVoe said. "So we're often aiming at a moving target."
To help adapt efficiently, he said he wants to see Douglas County become a leader in technology in the state. He said the county is on par or a little better than average currently, but he would like to see that get a little closer to the top. Idea he has includes creating apps that help streamline work for county employees and improve access to department information for the public, and getting a drone that could be used for regular projects and emergency situations.
"Technology does cost money so we do have to prioritize things," DeVoe said.
DeVoe, who holds bachelor's and master's degrees in geology and a master's degree in graphic information systems and remote sensing, has worked for the county for four years. He was hired as a tax lister and land information officer was later added to his duties. He said those jobs required close work with the zoning division.
"I do have a fair amount of learning to do when it comes to zoning ordinances," DeVoe said, adding that staff in the zoning division have many years, in some cases decades, of experience.
"I have confidence that Zach will make that position work," County Board Chairman Mark Liebaert said. He said the county may still consider hiring another zoning official to cover that division's duties within the department.
"When we looked at Zach's ideas on how to run this, it made the best sense," Liebaert said.
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The reorganization would go into effect next year, if approved as part of the budget process, Doucette said.
With Rannenberg retiring next week, Doucette said the plan would be implemented on an interim basis.
Nothing will change for land conservation, Doucette said. The zoning office would have a zoning coordinator and senior zoning inspector, but there will be no zoning administrator, she said.
"Hopefully, it will go through," Doucette said. "So far, the County Board seems to be on board with what we're proposing."
Liebaert said he was impressed with DeVoe's ideas for the department.
The Douglas County is expected to go through its budget process in September and October. Dates for budget meetings have not been set yet.
A retirement celebration for Rannenberg is planned for 1-4 p.m. Wednesday in Room 207C of the Douglas County Courthouse.
