Grand County commissioners voted 4–3 at its September 2 meeting to appoint County Engineer Sean Yates as interim head of Planning and Zoning while the county finishes a search for a permanent director.
The vote split with Chair Bill Winfield and Commissioners Melodie McCandless, Brian Martinez and Mike McCurdy in favor, with Commissioners Trish Hedin, Jacques Hadler and Mary McGann opposed.
The change follows public complaints about attempts to remove acting interim Planning Director Cristin Hofhine, who has overseen code updates and development review while the department has been understaffed.
Opponents of the change warned it could disrupt a department that has leaned on Hofhine’s interim leadership for months. Hohfine will return to her position as a paralegal in the County Attorney’s Office.
County administration said the consultant leading the search for a permanent planning director is expected to deliver a shortlist “in a couple months,” with a formal appointment to follow at a public meeting.
However, the change in the planning and zoning department set off a larger conversation about the tone of the commission, highlighting existing tensions between the majority voting block of Winfield, McCandless, Martinez and McCurdy and the minority voices of McGann, Hadler and Hedin.
Commissioner Mary McGann briefly erupted in frustration about the tenor of the discussion.
“I find this terribly upsetting. I object to it on procedural, financial, and ethical reasons,” said McGann. She argued the move violated the county’s own framework for who manages staff, warned it would be costly if outside help were needed, and said she found it indicative of serious issues at the county.
“Our county, under this commission administrator’s leadership, has hit an all-time low,” McGann said. “They are creating a hostile, toxic work environment for all staff, but especially for the women working in this county. There has been a minimum of eight capable women leave this county because of harassment from some of our commissioners.”
County Attorney Stephen Stocks stepped in to try an intercede before any legally sensitive disclosures, to which McGann commented: “I won’t go any further, but I’ve had a number of people come to me… I’m tired. I’m tired of the hostile environment.”
Winfield offered a defense that many Planning and Zoning troubles predated his tenure and that current steps are intended to stabilize the department. He argued that vacancies in that department and the Building Department have been an ongoing issue across multiple years.
“Over a dozen employees in those two departments have left prior to my taking the chair this year,” Winfield said.
During the same discussion, Commissioner Brian Martinez said updating the land use code is “very important,” and that following discussions he believes it “should be one of our number one priorities.”
Martinez said he’s willing to back the adopted General Plan and future land use map and wants to “develop a land use code that will… support these two documents,” even suggesting the county consider hiring a firm to help finish the work.
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