Planning resignations rock department

 

BY PRU SOWERS

KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER

 

Two high level resignations in the Key West Planning Department are leaving the city short-handed during a critical time, but City Manager Jim Scholl said he has a transition plan in place.

Both Don Craig, the city’s top planning official, and Nicole Mallo, a senior planner who has been with the department for six years, are leaving their positions within two weeks of each other. Craig’s last day was Nov. 21 and Mallo is leaving on Dec. 5. Coincidently, both planners are relocating to the same state. Craig is returning to his home and wife in Breckenridge, Colo., and Mallo to Denver, Colo., her hometown.

Scholl said he has named Kevin Bond, currently a Planner II in the department, as the acting city planner while a search is made to fill the position with a person who has 15 to 20 years’ experience in municipal planning. Scholl has reached out to the Monroe County Planning Department to see if they have any candidates to recommend and Samantha Farist, Key West Human Resources Director, is also actively involved in the search for candidates.

“We’ll figure out what to do from there,” Scholl said. “Don [Craig] has so much invested in Key West, he won’t cut us off.”

Indeed, Craig said last week that he will sign a continuing services contract with the city to help during the staff transition. He will focus on projects he has been involved with as City Planner, including the Peary Court housing development plans, the proposed food truck ordinance and the search for a suitable location for a new overnight homeless shelter.

“It [continuing services contract] is the most effective and efficient way to get things done because we have two people leaving at the same time. There’s no way I’m not going to do this,” Craig said.

One challenge in attracting top-quality candidates to fill Mallo and Craig’s positions will be the cost of housing in Key West. Scholl confirmed that one of the main reasons Mallo is leaving is because of the high cost of living in the city, even on a city salary of $44,402 with benefits.

“In the Florida Keys and Key West in particular, it makes it difficult to recruit people. You can’t be a normally paid single household and think you can come down here and live in a normal dwelling. Housing is the most critical factor to being able to live in the Keys,” Scholl said.

Craig is resigning for other reasons, saying he was leaving “with great sadness.”

“I must, however, recognize my responsibilities to my family and my health. These, at this time, have led me to this decision,” Craig said in his resignation letter.

Craig and his wife, Susan, came to Key West 27 years ago. She now splits her time between Key West and their home in Breckenridge, Colo. Craig said he will look for consulting work going forward.

“This is the first time in 15 years I’ve spent more than six months with my wife,” he laughed.

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