SEQUIM — City Manager Steve Burkett will next week launch a search for a new planning director, a position now being temporarily filled.

“We’re primarily going to be advertising in the region in professional journals for planners,” Burkett said Thursday.

Pay range for the position is $83,000 to $106,000 a year, depending on experience, the city manager said.

Joe Irvin has been acting as interim planning director since Burkett and Dennis Lefevre, former planning director for eight years, decided in October to a mutual disassociation.

Lefevre agreed to leave his position effective 
Oct. 31.

“I have encouraged Joe to apply,” Burkett said, but he has not heard from Irvin yet if he is a candidate.

Zoning reform

Irvin, 28, who Lefevre hired fresh out of college about five years ago, now makes $72,000 a year in his interim position and has been heavily involved in zoning reform and downtown planning issues now before the City Council.

Burkett said he expects to make a hire by the end of May, expecting an out-of-area hire to start in no later than a month later.

Should Irvin be hired, Burkett said, he would be able to start immediately, but it would create an opening for an associate planner — Irvin’s position before he temporarily moved up to run the city Planning Department.

The new director, whoever he or she might be, has a lot to do, Burkett said.

“Seriously, it’s a high priority in terms of council goals,” he said, involving the update of the city’s comprehensive plan and implementation of the downtown plan.

As part of the downtown plan study and development process, Burkett, Irvin, City Council members and the Planning Commission will tour Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island on Friday, Feb. 25.

The visit will involve a walking tour to Poulsbo Place, which is a residential neighborhood designed to capture the traditional historic charm of downtown Poulsbo, and a “meet-and-greet” with Bainbridge planners.

Walking tour

The Sequim contingent will take part in a walking tour of the Erickson Avenue Cottages, The Winslow mixed-use development and the Island Gateway project, including the art and children’s museums.

Burkett said the city chose to visit the two municipalities in Kitsap County because they are of comparable size to Sequim.

They also have downtown residential development such as that being discussed in the Sequim downtown planning process.

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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.