Calaveras Planning Director Quits

Kim Hansen, Calaveras County´s planning director since September 2000, handed in her resignation Monday to the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors. Supervisors voted 3-2, with Supervisors Merita Callaway and Lucy Thein opposing, to accept Hansen´s resignation.

“I did not want to accept her resignation,” Callaway said. “I wanted to voice whatever Kim´s issues were. I wanted her to know that I supported her and appreciate all she did for the county.”

“I was just hoping that we could hire more help to maybe make that department function a little better and keep her on,” Thein said.

In the past 11 years, there have been five planning directors, Callaway said. “That sort of tells you there´s a lot of pressure on them,” she said. A lot of times there are personal reasons in a resignation, said Tom Mitchell, county administrative officer. Attempts to reach Hansen went unanswered. Her last day at work was Tuesday.

“It could be that she was overworked and overburdened or it could be that she just had other plans,” Thein said. “She didn´t explain why she was leaving to the board,” Thein said.

“It always creates some disruption in the organization when the department head leaves,” Mitchell said.

“I´m confident she has a very well trained staff that can run the organization while we´re filling her vacancy,” Mitchell said.

Deputy Planning Director Bob Sellman, who was on vacation when Hansen resigned, will be the acting director in the meantime, Mitchell said. “He´s been called, he knows and understands,” he said.

“I´m sorry she´s leaving,” Callaway said. “She dealt with some very significant issues. There are a great many demands on a planning director.”

“She was understaffed and we knew that,” Callaway said. “She told us that twice. But we kept saying wait.”

“I respect her integrity and honesty in doing what she felt was right,” Callaway said.

Calaveras Enterprise story by Vanessa Turner. For more Calaveras news, click:calaverasenterprise.com.