Gerald Plock Associates, Inc. 101 E. Park Blvd, Suite 600, PMB 634 Plano, Texas 75074 Phone: (817) 464-4610 GeraldPlock@GeraldPlockAssoc.com

The City of Norfolk, Virginia is located along the southeastern shoreline of Virginia along the Atlantic Ocean.  Bounded on the north by the Chesapeake Bay and the west by Hampton Roads harbor, Norfolk is 90 miles southeast of Richmond and 185 miles southeast of Washington D.C. With 140 miles of shoreline around the city, there is no escaping the water in Norfolk; the city?’s waterways are an undeniable part of the city.  The City of Norfolk has a population of approximately 234,403 residents.    In addition, Norfolk is the commercial and cultural hub of Hampton Roads with 40,000 to 50,000 commuters traveling into the city daily.

     The area?’s economy has remained strong due to the number of government and military facilities and the diverse employment opportunities.  Norfolk?’s unemployment consistently remains below the national average.

     For nearly 400 years, the Virginia Waterfront region of coastal Virginia has thrived because of the proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, the Chesapeake Bay and vast network of rivers and creeks.  Norfolk is one of the world?’s busiest port cities where tugboats are seen daily guiding ships and barges in to the harbor.  Naval Station Norfolk is the largest naval installation in the world and is homeport to more than 100 ships and submarines.

     In addition to the vast waterways, Norfolk area residents and visitors can enjoy an array of cultural and recreational activities. The Virginia Waterfront City of Norfolk is recognized for its thriving cultural environment and its strong support of the arts.  The City?’s arts are inclusive and diverse, much like the city itself.  Exceptional museum collections, spectacular annual cultural events and critically acclaimed performing arts companies bring Norfolk and the 50-mile Virginia Waterfront region recognition on the national and international cultural scene.

     Norfolk also enjoys a vast amount of city attractions along the bustling harbor.  The international port of Hampton Roads, one of the largest, naturally deep, ice-free harbors in the world is located here.  The Waterside, overlooking the Elizabeth River, is a hub for restaurants and entertainment. Music, arts, and cultural events are also found along the Elizabeth Riverfront in Town Point Park.  Other city attractions include the Norfolk Botanical Garden, the century old Virginia Zoo, Armed Forces Memorial, Nauticus - the National Maritime Center, and much more.  The centerpiece of downtown revitalization, MacArthur Center, opened in 1999, and contains over one million square feet of stores, restaurants, and entertainment venues.  In addition to MacArthur Center, the Waterside festival marketplace continues to attract millions of visitors each year and is a major element of the City?’s comprehensive downtown waterfront development.  The 12,000 seat waterfront view Harbor Park, home to the Norfolk Tides ?“AAA?” baseball team of the New York Mets. 

     Norfolk?’s mild climate and lush landscape make it an inviting place to live and visit.  All summer long, Ocean View Beach Park, the city?’s Chesapeake Bay beaches, provide a hub of activity with concerts, festivals, swimming, boating, and a variety of family activities.  Within an hour of the city are the colonial attractions, major theme parks, museums, golf courses and beach resorts of Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown, and Virginia Beach.

     Education is important to Norfolk?’s residents.  There are 35 elementary, 8 middle and 5 high schools in the public school system.  Twenty-four auxiliary facilities exist including alternative learning and early-childhood centers.  The City is home to Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk State and Old Dominion Universities, and Virginia Wesleyan College.  Tidewater Community College, a part of Virginia?’s community college network, has located its fourth and newest campus in downtown Norfolk.  Many curriculums are offered, including both graduate and undergraduate degrees ranging from engineering and electronics technologies to business and international studies.

     Military activity has a strong influence in Metropolitan Norfolk.  The Norfolk metropolitan area has one of the largest concentrations of military activity in the nation.  Known as the ?“Pentagon by the Sea?”, Norfolk remains the site of the world?’s greatest concentration of permanent naval installations.

     In addition to Military personnel, private industries have made Norfolk their home.  Norfolk is home for the 10 of the major private employers including Newport News Shipbuilding, Sentara Health System, Farm Fresh Inc., PepsiCo, Riverside Health System, Anheuser Busch, Inc., Smithfield Foods, Food Lion, Inc., Colonial Willamsburg Foundation, and Lillian Vernon.  Manufacturing jobs is the largest industry where area residents are employed.

     Area residents also take comfort in the amount of health care facilities available in Metropolitan Norfolk.  There are eight hospitals with over 1,800 beds and 5 specialty care centers.

Norfolk operates under the Council-Manager form of government.  The City Council establishes policy for the city, approves the budget, levies its taxes, and appoints the City Attorney, City Clerk, City Manager and the High Constable.  The Council also appoints members to the School Board, Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority, Planning Commission and other boards and commissions, as well as city representatives to regional and other boards and authorities.  The City Council is comprised of seven-members, headed by the Mayor.  Council Members are elected by district on a non-partisan basis for four-year staggered terms.  The next election is 2002.

     The City Manager is appointed by the City Council for an indefinite period of time and is responsible for the day- to-day administration of the City.  The City Manager has the authority to appoint and remove the heads of all departments and all-subordinate officers and employees of the City not otherwise provided for in the City Charter.  The current City Manager, Regina Williams, was appointed in 1999.  Ms. Williams has a very distinguished background serving in local government.  Prior to coming to Norfolk, Ms. Williams served as City Manager in San Jose, California and Assistant City Manager in Richmond, Virginia.

?§         Oversee construction, safety, maintenance, and damage assessment for the protection of the public and the well being of our citizens.

?§         Guide the City?’s economic and physical objectives by developing, recommending, and implementing policies that guide the future of Norfolk.

?§         Facilitate the enhancement of housing, community development, neighborhoods and transportation by developing and maintaining the evolving general plan of the city.

?§         Enhance the City?’s quality of life through the enforcement of land use,

construction and environmental regulation.

We accomplish our mission by:

?§         The organization is customer service driven with a problem-solving orientation.  We service all of our customers and maintain the public trust.

?§         We stress community partnerships to solve problems.  We understand the importance of bringing together differing points of view to solve community problems creatively.

?§         We stress community partnerships to solve problems.  We understand the importance of bringing together differing points of view to solve community problems creatively

?§         We constantly look for ways/opportunities to improve ourselves.  This is a learning organization and in doing so, we improve the quality of public services delivered to our residents.

All department functions are consolidated into a Director?’s Office and two functional divisions, the Division of Planning and the Division of Construction Services.  The Director?’s Office provides overall management of the departmental programs.  Within the Division of Planning include Environmental Services, Zoning Services, Neighborhood Services, Transportation Services and Development Services.

 Director of Planning

 The Planning Director reports to the City Manager and leads a staff of 69 full-time employees and is responsible for a $3+ million annual operating budget.  The Director?’s Office provides overall management of the departmental programs. The Division of City Planning includes planning for the economic, social, human and physical development of the city, for neighborhood preservation and improvement, and for transportation services; providing zoning and land use guidance; supplying information services; and implementing various environmental programs. The Division of Codes Administration provides coordinated administration and enforcement of all codes and regulatory standards related to new construction.  The Director of Planning is an important member of the City?’s Economic/Community Development team, along with the City Manager and select department heads.

The Division of City Planning is headed by a Management Team and contains five bureaus, each headed by a Planning Manager. These include: Development Services; Neighborhood Services, Transportation Services, Zoning Services and Environmental Services. There are considerable sharing of planners and teams efforts to capitalize on staff talents and capabilities.

Development Services provides strategic guidance on key policy issues related to functional, institutional, and area development opportunities.

Neighborhood Services provides a comprehensive framework to guide decisions on neighborhood development, housing and community facilities.

Transportation Services provides analysis and recommendations concerning all transportation modes in the city, including highways and transit.

Zoning Services prepares and administers the zoning ordinance and other land use regulations.

Environmental Services anticipates and responds to environmental concerns to protect wetlands, dunes, coastal resources, water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

The Division of Building and Construction Services provides coordinated administration and enforcement of all codes and regulatory standards related to new construction.  The Building and Construction Services division is headed by a code official who oversees a staff organized into functional teams representing the various trades: plumbing, mechanical, electrical/elevator and building permits. The Division issued approximately 14,200 building permits last year. The City of Norfolk by State mandate enforces the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building code, which uses as its referenced documents, the BOCA National Code.

The Planning Director provides support to the City Planning Commission and the Zoning Board of Appeals by reviewing reports and recommendations and conducting briefings on work programs. The Planning Director also makes frequent presentations to the city council, neighborhood and community groups and serves as a spokesperson to the media.

Some of the issues identified by the City Manager as priority issues for the department include:

?·        Neighborhood Planning

?·        Revitalization of housing stock

?·        Business corridor improvements

?·        Coordinated role in economic development projects

?·        Recruitment and development of in-house staff capacity

?·        Problem solving and consensus building approach to environmental concerns, preservation and development

?·        Create infill opportunities for residential and commercial development and redevelopment

?·        Updated General Plan

?·        Sign ordinance

?·        Streamlining and process improvement

  Candidate Profile

            The Planning Director must be comfortable working in a matrix environment.

           The Director will be expected to form strong working relationships with the City Manager, members of the executive management team, neighborhood groups along with the businesses, military, educational, medical and other institutions in Norfolk.  The successful candidate will be self-motivated, resourceful and persistent with a can-do attitude.  The selected individual will possess high integrity, honesty and be forthright and have a high level of stamina.  The Director should also be dependable and flexible and have a sense of proportion, with the ability to re-program as necessary and demonstrate humility. 

            The ideal candidate will have experience as a City Planner in a jurisdiction with similar laws and regulations to Norfolk. Graduation from an accredited college/university with a bachelor?’s degree in urban planning or related field is required; a Master?’s degree is preferred. Seven to ten year?’s senior management experience in a municipal planning organization of similar size and complexity is preferred.  The Planning Director needs to be intelligent and technically sound, but grounded in common sense and practical approaches. Strong leadership capabilities and a proven record of success in managing and supervising employees with dignity and respect are required.  The Director should be a high performer and a coach for others to be high- performers.  The selected candidate will have strong analytical, community building and conceptual skills. Outstanding interpersonal, communication and public speaking skills are necessary.  A diverse urban planning background that includes significant exposure to neighborhood planning and housing is highly desirable.  The successful candidate will be able to work well in a diverse organization and community.  The Planning Director should have a strong sense of professionalism and a commitment to public service.

     The salary range for the position is $71,078-$122,914.  Since the City of Norfolk is interested in obtaining the best possible candidate for the position of Director of Planning, the compensation package will ultimately depend upon the qualifications of the candidate to whom an offer is extended.  It will include an excellent package of fringe benefits.    The successful candidate will become a member of City of Norfolk Municipal Employees Retirement Fund. The retirement system is considered one of the best in the country. The City contributes approximately 11.38% of the employees base salary to the plan (no matching contribution by the employee is required). The vesting period is five years.  Employees may also voluntarily participate in a deferred compensation program (457) by the ICMA Retirement Corporation. 

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