Community Development Director

Agency City of Fairfield

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City of Fairfield CDD Brochure

The City

Fairfield, the heart of Solano County, is a growing community located halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento and close to Napa and Sonoma.  It is bordered by farms and vineyards.  With 24 parks, numerous bike trails and 2 golf courses, Fairfield is a great family community with 115,000 residents. It is home to many businesses including Blue Apron, Jelly Belly, Anheuser-Busch, Just Desserts, a 1.0M sq. ft. regional shopping center, a large auto center, and Travis Air Force Base.  The City’s well-developed infrastructure and business-friendly attitude provide the foundation for strong growth and an enhanced quality of life.

The Department

The Community Development Department protects, enhances, and expands the community’s physical, environmental, economic, and historic assets, and improves and expands its supply of housing. Along with planning and facilitating appropriate commercial, industrial and residential development, areas of emphasis include economic development, building, planning, affordable/workforce housing, and oversight of the housing authority. Within the 4 departmental divisions, there are 31.5 FTE’s plus additional part-time staff all supported by an annual budget exceeding $14 million.

The Position

The City of Fairfield is seeking an experienced and innovative leader who can think strategically and thrive in a collaborative, problem-solving environment. 

With policy direction from the City Manager, the Community Development Director (CDD) plans, organizes, directs and reviews the activities and operations of the Community Development Department by providing long range planning, economic development, redevelopment, and affordable housing; coordinates assigned activities with other departments and outside agencies; and provides highly responsible and complex administrative support to the City Manager.

Opportunities and Challenges

These are exciting times for the Department and the CDD will shape numerous large projects of all types. Most immediately, the Department is charged with working cooperatively to implement two significant, multi-year specific plans – The Heart of Fairfield Specific Plan and Train Station Specific Plan.  The Heart of Fairfield Specific Plan focuses on revitalizing the downtown and surrounding area while improving its appeal as a destination for events and activities.  The Train Station Specific Plan guides the development of more than 6,000 housing units, 360,000 square feet of commercial space, 286 acres of industrial development that allows up to 4.6 million square feet of development, and 1,684 acres of open space, capitalizing on a nearly completed train station that will connect Fairfield to the Capital Corridor. The CDD has the opportunity to lead this build out of an entire community around a newly-built train station.

Other projects / growth areas includes 1,830 residential units at the Villages at Fairfield, the Cordelia / Green Valley area in which more than 1,200 housing units are anticipated to be built, and Green Valley Corporate Park, which has the capacity to support 2 million square feet of commercial development.

The Department also plays a pivotal role in addressing homelessness. As such, the Department is being asked to develop and implement innovative housing solutions.

The City of Fairfield is growth-oriented and has well-developed infrastructure capable of supporting significant growth.  The Community Development Director will have the opportunity to define the vision for development in the City.  The CDD will be expected to maintain an aggressive recruitment and attraction effort to grow the local economy.  The impact will extend beyond the City since the individual will work regionally to implement a regional plan.

The CDD will build a strong department through leadership, innovation, problem-solving, collaboration, management of existing resources, and open and honest communication.  The CDD will guide this team through planning, construction, housing, promotion and development projects while supporting the City Manager and City Council and striving to ascertain the needs and preferences of the community.

Key Responsibilities

In the role of Community Development Director, the individual will:

Work with City leadership and establish community relationships to help craft the vision for all aspects of development in the City of Fairfield, secure approval, and communicate the vision.

Develop, plan and implement department goals and objectives; recommend and administer policies and procedures.

Coordinate department activities with those of the other departments and outside agencies and organizations; provide staff assistance to the City Manager, staff the Planning Commission; prepare and present staff reports and other necessary correspondence.

Direct, oversee and participate in the development of the departments work plan; assign work activities, projects and programs; monitor workflow; review and evaluate work products, methods and procedures.

Supervise and participate in the development and administration of the department budget; direct the forecast of additional funds needed for staffing, equipment, materials and supplies; monitor and approve expenditures; implement mid-year adjustments.

Select, train, motivate and evaluate personnel; provide or coordinate staff training; conduct performance evaluations; implement discipline procedures; maintain discipline and high standards necessary for the efficient and professional operation of the Department.

Represent the department to outside groups and organizations; participate in outside community and professional groups and committees; provide technical assistance as necessary.

Research and prepare technical and administrative reports and studies; prepare written correspondence as necessary.

Build and maintain positive working relationships with co-workers, other City employees and the public using principles of good customer service.

Minimum Qualifications

  • A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in planning or a related field is required.
  • A minimum of seven years of increasingly responsible professional experience in areas such as planning, economic development, and housing, which should include four years of administrative and management responsibility.
  • A valid California drivers’ license.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range is $150,000 – $180,000.

Retirement – Competitive defined benefit retirement system with CalPERS. 2.5% @ 55 with a 3-year average for classic members (City pays 2.5%; employee pays 9%) or 2% @ 62 for new members as defined under PEPRA.

Health/Dental/Vision Insurance – Available 1st of the month after hire.  The City provides a generous contribution towards the premium with several plan options  available.   Employees  providing  proof  of  other

coverage may decline health and/or dental coverage and receive monthly taxable income of up to $518.

Vacation – Accrued initially at 21.6 days per year with amounts increasing up to 41.6 days per year after 25 years of service.  80 hours available upon hire.

Personal Leave – 122.42 hours annually, of which 100% is cashable as it is earned.  May be used as accrued, subject to department head discretion.

Sick Leave –  Annual accrual of 12 days.

Holidays – The City observes 13 paid holidays annually.

Auto allowance – Amount is negotiable.

Deferred Savings Accounts. – The City offers optional 457 and 401(a) plans.  City contribution of 8.24% of salary toward 401(a) deferred savings plan with employee contribution of 6.34%.

Flexible Spending Accounts – The City participates in Health/Dental premiums, Medical and Dependent Care Reimbursement Programs.

Other Insurance Plans – The City provides a term life policy equal to 1.5 times annual salary; short- and long-term disability and AD&D plans are available.

Employee Assistance Program – The City provides a comprehensive range of services through the EAP.

The Ideal Candidate

The Community Development Director will have the opportunity to develop and articulate a future-focused community development vision and maintain a business-friendly environment for the City. To do this, the individual will need to think strategically in developing an overall approach to implementing the development vision. The CDD must possess strong leadership ability, work to develop a cohesive team, and build support for the Department vision.

The individual will see peers as partners, work collaboratively with the executive team, and support the City Manager and City Council. The CDD must ascertain, understand and balance the needs and wants of developers and the community while increasing the community orientation and visibility of the Community Development staff.

With its progressive approach, the City is poised to grow as a thriving destination for families and businesses. The City expects the Community Development Director to take an active role in this growth, to encourage and facilitate, not just regulate.

The Department needs a strong leader who can serve as a change agent, exhibit adaptability when implementing change, and function as a mentor, coach, and facilitator as the City embraces the changing development environment.

Important Application Information

To apply for this outstanding opportunity, please visit the Koff & Associates website at www.koffassociates.com to download the application. Please email your cover letter, resume and application to infokoff@koffassociates.com or mail it to Koff & Associates, 2835 7th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710 by October 2, 2017.

Successful completion of a thorough background investigation prior to employment is required.

The City of Fairfield is an equal opportunity employer encouraging workforce diversity. 

The information contained herein does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract, and these provisions are subject to change.

Koff & Associates