Kootenai planning director steps down

Kootenai County Planning and Building Director Rand Wichman resigned Thursday, saying the demands of one of the most high-profile jobs in the county have taken a toll on him and it’s time for a new career.

Wichman’s resignation, which won’t take effect until after the county finds a replacement, came as a surprise to the county commission.

“I thought it was an April Fools’ joke,” Commissioner Katie Brodie said Friday. “I think it caught all three of us off guard.”

Wichman said he had been considering leaving for a year but that he was waiting for the right time to not leave the county in the lurch. He doesn’t have any specific career plans and likely won’t make any decisions for a few weeks, he said.

Wichman is adamant that the decision isn’t the result of any dispute or the flak taken after his wife went to work for the luxury private golf community Gozzer Ranch. The commission has maintained that there’s no conflict because the commission, not Wichman, has the final say on all development and land-use decisions.

Las Vegas-based Kirk Hughes Development Co. has questioned whether it’s receiving fair treatment from the county planning department, specifically Wichman, because of the family tie to Gozzer Ranch.

Project manager Brian Bills wasn’t available for comment Friday.

“It’s got nothing to do with any controversy in particular,” Wichman said, declining to elaborate. “It’s just time.”

In his resignation letter, Wichman wrote: “There undoubtedly will be questions and speculation about my reasons for leaving. It is not a result of any recent decision or action of the board. The board has been a tremendous supporter of mine, even during trying times.”

The commission concurred, with members praising Wichman as a candid, straight shooter who can make tough decisions while maintaining relationships with a wide spectrum of people, from developers to environmentalists. Commissioners said it will be difficult to find a replacement and they haven’t made any decision on the scope of the search.

“This is a tough, tough position,” Brodie said. “The neat thing about Rand is, love him or not, he always did what was the right thing for the county. You always got the truth whether you liked the way it was delivered or not.”

Commission Chairman Gus Johnson said Wichman’s top quality is his ability to make a decision. Yet that’s often difficult when the county’s rules for how and where homes and businesses are built aren’t always clear.

Johnson said a recent example is when a District Court judge overturned a decision the commission made based on Wichman’s recommendation to issue building permits for three pole barns on property where there isn’t a house.

“The court overruled him,” Johnson said. “Do I blame Rand? Not one bit. He made a decision. Give me that kind of guy any day.”

His departure isn’t expected to delay the county’s attempt to rewrite the comprehensive plan, which is the foundation for all land-use decisions. Brodie said there’s a planner dedicated to the rewrite and that the county also will hire a consultant.

Wichman oversees 31 employees in the building and planning department. He became director in 2001. He was hired by the county in 1991 as a building permit technician before becoming a planner.

The escalating growth of Kootenai County propelled Wichman into the spotlight more than any previous planning director. Johnson said the demands on the office has made the job difficult. Often there’s more than a six-week backlog for building permits, which is a simple process compared with requests for subdivision and zone changes.

Wichman declined to detail the highlights of his 15 years with the county or what he views as his greatest accomplishment.

“Only time will tell,” he said.