Ravalli County Planner Tristan Riddell put in his last day of work on Friday, October 21 before heading off to work in Cascade County. Riddell’s resignation leaves the county without a planner just as one of the county’s largest proposed subdivisions, Legacy Ranch, is coming up for review. Riddell said he is making the move in part to be closer to his girlfriend who lives and works in Great Falls.
The County Commissioners, at a meeting last week, decided to advertise for a new planner but it may be a few weeks before the candidates can be interviewed and a new planner chosen. The Planning Department, in the meantime, is reduced to only three employees including Department Manager Terry Nelson, Floodplain Administrator Eric Anderson and Office Manager Danielle Senn.
A few members of the public suggested that the commissioners review the changes they made to the department head’s job description and look for a planning director who can manage the department and serve as a planner and do subdivision review as well. They claim that it would be a cost savings to have a planner at the helm who could review subdivisions as well as manage the department.