City combines three departments into new Community Services Department
The city of Sanibel recently announced the merger of the Building Department, Planning Department and Public Works Department into one new department – the Community Services Department.
“This reorganization will not only provide a ‘one-stop shopping environment’ for our citizens interfacing with these service centers, but will also improve the city’s overall efficiency and effectiveness as we transition (to) an online permitting system,” City Manager Judie Zimomra said.
Public Works Director Keith Williams has been appointed director of the new department.
The planning and building departments will be combined into the Division of Planning and Building. The division will consist of three branches: planning, building and support services. Williams, operating in a dual hat capacity, will serve as the division chief. The senior code enforcement position will report directly to Williams.
The public works organizational alignment will remain basically unchanged under the Community Services Department. The deputy community services director for operations, formerly deputy public works director, will continue to supervise the following branches: streets, beach parks and garage, plus an engineering technician. The operations manager will continue to supervise the operations division.
In addition, the assistant city engineer, who supervises an engineering technician, will oversee operations but will not directly supervise the utility operation and utility maintenance branches. The administrative support specialist will continue to report directly to the department director.
“We appreciate your cooperation as we continue the transition of personnel and functions to this new structure over the next several months,” city officials reported.
Williams joined the city of Sanibel in 2012. He earned his bachelor’s degree with honors in civil and environmental engineering and a minor in environmental engineering from the University of Tennessee. Williams is completing his Master’s in Business Administration in Public Administration from Southern New Hampshire University.
Williams is a licensed professional engineer, who prior to joining Sanibel, served as a city engineer for the city of Smyrna in Georgia. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, as well as the American Public Works Association. In addition to nearly 12 years of experience in public service, Williams has over five years of private sector land development, utility and transportation engineering.
Among his accomplishments during his tenure with the city, he served as the coordinator of the debris removal operation following Hurricane Irma and beach clean-up during the current red tide crisis.