MASON CITY – Mason City’s planning and development employees have cast a long shadow over the aspirations of local property and business owners for years, looming over decisions about homes, buildings, floodplains, development projects and businesses, but change is coming to city hall with the replacement of the opinionated Tricia Sandahl and the addition of a college graduate with a master’s degree.
“With Tricia Sandahl’s upcoming retirement, we began working with the Human Resources Department to recruit a new planner,” according to Development Services Director Steven Van Steenhuyse, AICP.
NIT reported back in 2012 that Tricia Sandahl replaced Pam Myhre as Growth Development and Planning Director for the City of Mason City. She has held a top role in the department ever since, gatekeeping ideas and projects that local property owners bring forward. Sandahl has made the news over the years in various ways, including being sued by her landlord for allegedly owing thousands in back rent and damages to her living quarters (case dismissed by Rustin Davenport, a judge known for going easy on child predators) and being investigated for calling a Mason City property owner “a dick.”
As Sandahl (pictured at top, right) departs in the coming months, city hall is bracing for rare change – and the possibility of enlightened thinking.
“In preparation for the personnel changes that will occur in the Development Services Department, we were able to hire a Planning Intern for the first time in my tenure,” Van Steenhuyse continued.
“While it will be unlikely to find a candidate with Tricia’s experience, we intend to offer a career-expanding opportunity with someone with the required knowledge and some planning experience, who can grow into the same kind of asset that Tricia has been.
“We received applications from both Iowa State and the University of Iowa, as well as some planning students at universities elsewhere. We were fortunate to hire Ella Phillips, who recently graduated with a Master’s degree from the School of Planning and Public Administration at Iowa. Ella began her internship on May 27.”
On Tuesday at the regular city council meeting, the council approved the hiring of Ella Phillips (pictured at top, left) as City Planner (Grade L, Step 1, $74,651/yr.) in the Development Services Department.