KIMBERLY H. ROBINSON

Pioneer Valley Planning Commission Executive Director

Pioneer Valley Planning Commission Executive Director, based in Springfield, Massachusetts. PVPC is a regional planning agency for the 43 cities and towns in Hampshire and Hampden counties. I am committed to leading the next chapter in its long history of improving Pioneer Valley residents’ quality of life, as well as building on the partnerships the agency has cultivated with its 43 member communities to help them succeed, from basic government service delivery to big-picture regional visioning.

Led a team of nine staff responsible for all discretionary land use and building permits in the Washoe County unincorporated area. This included all special use permits, variances, tentative maps, development agreements, specific plans, development code amendments, zoning and master plan amendments, and building permits.

Co-authored the first strategic plan for the Community Development Department. Prioritized tasks to improve customer service, increase staff and board development, and create a more user-friendly land planning structure. The latter included changes to both the Washoe County Master Plan and Development Code.

Partnered with peer planning manager in development of the > $2 million budget for the department. Developed and undertook plans that resulted in an overall 41% reduction in resources in response to the Great Recession.

Worked in concert with peer planning manager in development of budget for the department for the past three years, including plans resulting in an overall 41% reduction in resources.

Executed proposal for 75% cost recovery fee schedule for discretionary permits. Total planning fees now calculated based upon time and resources spent. Oversaw a 4.7% reduction in fees in FY2010-11, a result of decreased staff costs achieved through wage reductions. These savings were passed on to the consumer to support both the 75% cost recovery model, as well as reinforce economic development efforts within the County.

Acted as primary Washoe County liaison to the Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Agency. Subjects undertaken during tenure have included: annexation, deannexation, Truckee Meadows Service Area requests, joint corridor projects, economic development in the unincorporated county, utility corridor placement, transit oriented development, and consensus forecasts, among others.

Oversaw ongoing collaboration with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency on the new regional plan for the Lake Tahoe basin and Washoe County’s continued involvement with the Tahoe Transportation District.

Developed and implemented a team-oriented approach to planning operations within the County, supporting cross-training of staff, elimination of silos within the department, and improved customer service.

Member of the Board of County Commissioners’ Strategic Planning Committee’s Technical Advisory Committee, tasked with development of performance measures for the Washoe County Strategic Plan, as well prioritization and follow-up on recommendations gathered through the Fundamental Services Review process.

Restructured the process for gathering data, setting priorities and completing the HUD 2005-2010 Consolidated Plan for the City of Detroit, encompassing the implementation of approximately $45-60M in annual HUD funding. Managed a team of eleven to produce this crucial planning report in record time in the most comprehensive effort to date. The resulting document included a data-driven model advocating for targeting resources geographically, while matching programs and funds with community needs.

Executive Committee member for the Mayor’s Office Next Detroit Neighborhood Initiative, a 5-year strategy focusing on the rejuvenation of Detroit neighborhoods into vibrant areas for citizens. Developed the six ‘Neighborhood Typologies’, a neighborhood-based approach to geographically targeting resources, in conjunction with the University of Michigan.

Extensive experience supervising the regulatory agency staff and consultants for the City of Detroit Historic District Commission, as well as the creation and maintenance of the budget and contract for this division.

Developed a variety of tools to assist in policy analysis and creation for planning and economic development needs. These included the Neighborhood Indicators project (in partnership with the University of Michigan), a new tool to assess the health of neighborhoods and inform policy decisions regarding resource distribution and redevelopment opportunities. Additionally, created a comprehensive database and map of all current developments in the City of Detroit, allowing for spatial analysis of development investment.

As Assistant to the Deputy Director, managed various projects, including city development activities requiring state tax reverted properties. Also oversaw significant title-clearing efforts for the city, which had 46,000 city-owned parcels at the time.

Managed the introduction of the Buy and Build program to the community, a new housing initiative sponsored by the Planning and Development Department to encourage residential development. This effort specifically targeted adjacent vacant parcels next to existing housing and offered these lots for sale for $1 to the neighboring owners as a path to mitigating blight.

Project manager for development and implementation of the Property Information System, a cutting-edge web application to view Detroit property information. Designed with 25 different search criteria options, this state-of-the-art tool allowed city employees to search over 400,000 parcels for potential development opportunities. The project was lauded by the Mayor, received positive coverage in the local media, and increased the ability of city staff to respond to development inquiries. The Property Information System directly led to more effective partnerships with the Wayne County’s Assessor’s Office and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority and created new delivery routes of data to other governmental agencies.

Member of the Census 2000 Task Force, assisting in the coordination of the 2000 Local Update of Census Addresses, a comprehensive effort by the City of Detroit to ensure every address in the jurisdiction was counted by the U.S. Census Bureau. This item included the development of a manual and conducting training for 100+ volunteers.

Responsible for all activities for legislatively mandated body designed to capture community input on urban renewal projects. Primary tasks included: analysis of development proposals, providing critical review and feedback to the twenty-four-member Citizens’ District Council and the Detroit City Council; coordination of neighborhood input into planning process; and supervision of two employees.