A community development department is hereby established and may sometimes be known as the planning department, economic development, development services department or any combination thereof. The department shall be composed of the following divisions: planning, neighborhood services, economic development, housing and other divisions as determined by the city manager to the extent same are not inconsistent with the charter and ordinances of the city.
(Prior code § 2-41; Ord. 5645 § 2, 2009; Ord. 5674 § 2, 2009; Ord. 5717 § 2, 2010; Ord. 5888 § 1, 2016)
A. 
The office of director of community development is created. The director shall be the head of the community development department and may also be known as the director of planning, director of economic development or director of housing. The director shall have charge over the following functions to the extent that such oversight is not inconsistent with other provisions of the Glendale Charter: long range and current planning, zoning administration, historic preservation, community design, neighborhood services, code enforcement, community outreach, economic development, housing assistance, housing development and preservation, film promotion and other related functions as assigned by the city manager. The director shall advise and assist the housing authority, planning commission, historic preservation commission, environmental and planning board, design review boards, city manager, and the council as to all matters related to the functions set forth herein, and the director shall perform such other duties as the city manager may assign to him or her. The director shall investigate and make recommendations to the planning commission with respect to all proposed changes of zones, zoning regulations, subdivisions, public land acquisitions, land development proposals and planning matters generally.
B. 
The director shall be in direct charge of the production of plans, planning programs, reports, and technical and administrative procedures required in connection with planning, zoning, historic preservation, housing, economic development, community design, and code enforcement. The director of community development shall be an officer of the city.
C. 
The director shall have the power to make environmental determinations under the California Environmental Quality Act on any discretionary project applications the director is authorized to consider for approval.
D. 
The office of chief assistant director of community development is created. The director of community development may delegate any powers and duties set forth herein to the chief assistant director of community development. The chief assistant director of community development shall be an officer of the city.
E. 
Whenever in this code or in any development agreement, affordable housing agreement, grant document, or any other agreement the phrase community development and housing department or director of community development and housing, or development services department or director of development services, or housing department, or director of housing, or director of economic development is used it shall also mean and include the community development department or the director of the community development department, as the case may be.
(Prior code § 2-42; Ord. 5437 § 1, 2005; Ord. 5645 § 3, 2009; Ord. 5674 § 3, 2009; Ord. 5717 § 3, 2010; Ord. 5731 § 1, 2011; Ord. 5888 § 1, 2016)
A. 
The director of the community development department may assign mid-management and management level personnel under his or her charge to act as a hearing officer in any matter under the municipal code which could have been heard and a decision rendered as authorized by the municipal code. In addition, as to those matters which do not require a public hearing, but still require an independent decision maker, including, but not limited to, administrative exceptions, lot line adjustments, certain new condominiums and condominium conversions, a hearing officer may be assigned under this section.
B. 
The director of community development shall establish written procedures to ensure that there is a separation of functions between a hearing officer handling a case and the planning and/or code enforcement staff handling these cases.
C. 
While acting as a hearing officer in a case, the assigned staff member shall have complete independence to render a decision based on the code and factual findings as required. No decision rendered by a hearing officer may be suspended or set aside without following the appropriate procedure for appeal as set forth in this code. Hearing officers have the power to make environmental determinations under the California Environmental Quality Act on any discretionary project applications the hearing officer considers for approval.
D. 
Wherever in this code the term "zoning administrator" is used, it shall mean and include a hearing officer as assigned pursuant to this section.
(Prior code § 2-43; Ord. 5682 § 10, 2009; Ord. 5803 § 1, 2013; Ord. 5888 § 1, 2016)