City Briefs

City hires interim development head

Paul Krauss joined the city of Lynnwood during the last week of September as the interim community development director.

Lynnwood’s former director Jim Cutts resigned last May for personal reasons and has since become Brier’s community development director, a part-time position.

Mayor Don Gough said he is taking this opportunity to consider reorganizing the department before hiring a permanent director. The recommendations from a previous study are being considered.

Krauss’s primary role is to keep the city’s key development projects on target, including City Center, Lynnwood High School site and potential annexations.

Previously, he worked as community development director at the city of Auburn for 12 years and planning director of Chanhassen, a Minneapolis, Minn., suburb of about 20,000 people, for about five years. He earned a master’s degree in urban planning from Syracuse University’s Maxwell Graduate School. He is a charter member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and president of the Puget Sound Section of the American Planning Association.

Two interviewed for city parks job

Lynnwood Mayor Don Gough invited four candidates to interview for the top job in the city’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department.

Two of the four candidates met with the Lynnwood City Council on Sept. 27 and two declined for personal reasons, Gough said. The city is close to picking its next director.

Craig Larsen, the previous director of Lynnwood’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department, resigned on Dec. 16, 2005, to become the parks and recreation director for the city of Redmond.

Mayor’s office gains exec. asst.

Stephanie Simpson of Kenmore is the new executive assistant in the Lynnwood mayor’s office. Her first day of work was Sept. 18.

“I decided it would be a great opportunity to expand my government background … and get to know a little bit more about local politics,” she said.

Previously, Simpson did public affairs work as an associate with a private firm, The Communications Group, and served as a legislative assistant to the King County Council. Before that, she completed an internship in the office of state Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Wells (D) of the 36th legislative district.