Rehoboth Beach announces hiring of first city planner

October 17, 2023 49

After a months-long search, Rehoboth Beach has announced the hiring of Mary Ellen Gray as its director of planning and community development.

City Manager Laurence Christian announced the hire during a commissioner workshop Oct. 10. The next day, Gray said she’s honored, humbled, grateful and excited to be given the opportunity to be the city’s first planning director.

“I’m looking forward to getting started,” she said, in an email Oct. 11.

Gray is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, and has worked in planning for Newark, Kent County Levy Court, Salisbury, Md., and in Indiana. In Rehoboth, she’ll serve as supervisor for the city’s building and licensing department.

It’s a director-level position, said Christian, during the meeting.

In advance of getting started, Gray said she’s had conversations with Christian and Assistant City Manager Evan Miller, who have told her that Rehoboth is currently faced with redevelopment pressures and the need to balance that with maintaining Rehoboth’s vibrancy, small-town atmosphere and high quality of life for its residents and visitors.

Another challenge, Gray said, is to manage the development and permitting processes and procedures in an organized and transparent way that builds on what’s in place now, while also refining and articulating them in a way that works for staff, citizens and the development community.

According to a press release from the city, Gray earned a bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of Rochester and a master’s degree in planning from the University of Virginia. She was an athlete in high school and had an academic/athletic scholarship to college as a basketball player. Today, she practices yoga in the morning and is halfway to her second-degree black belt in taekwondo. She lives in Camden with her husband and two sons, who are 16 and 18.

Gray’s first day on the job is Monday, Oct. 23. Her annual salary is $123,000.

The city has been contracting with engineering firm Wallace Montgomery for a number of years on planning-related issues.

In an email Oct. 12, Lynne Coan, city spokesperson, said the city will continue to contract with Wallace Montgomery for planning services while Gray gets acquainted with the city and the building and licensing department. There may be an opportunity to bring some services back in house, she said.

Miller named interim city manager

Following the workshop, commissioners held a three-hour-long executive session. Afterward, commissioners voted unanimously to name Miller as interim city manager while they conduct a search for a new city manager.

It’s the same position Miller held while the commissioners conducted a search for Christian, who, after eight months on the job, announced in early September that he will resign for unforeseen personal family matters. Christian’s last day on the job is Friday, Nov. 3. Miller, who has been with the city for a number of years and is in his first year as assistant city manager, will resume his interim city manager role Saturday, Nov. 4.

As part of Miller’s approval, commissioners agreed to pay him at the city manager rate of pay, which is $160,000 per year. Commissioners took the same course of action when Miller was interim city manager before, but former City Manager Sharon Lynn was getting paid about $141,000 per year when she left.

It’s still unclear if Christian will receive a full year’s salary. Coan said a separation agreement with Christian continues to be shaped and is not yet finalized.