Christina Berry can remove the “interim” label from her position.
The Columbus City Council unanimously approved a motion to name Berry the permanent city planner at Tuesday’s council meeting.
“I’m excited, and I look forward to serving the community,” Berry said after the meeting.
Berry had around five years of planning project management consulting experience before becoming the interim Columbus city planner in February. Before then, she held the position of project coordinator.
Berry has experience with environmental, transportation and community planning.
According to the summary job description, the city planner “oversees complex, sensitive projects in advanced planning and environmental zoning. The planner assists with the implementation and interpretation of the city’s zoning ordinance, sign ordinance and future comprehensive plan to direct development and existing land use.”
Duties also include interpreting and preparing city ordinances, reviewing and assisting the mayor’s office in special projects and grant writing.
Berry, who has a degree in urban and regional planning from Jackson State University, applied for the position in 2010, but lost out to the more experienced Patricia Southerland.
Southerland resigned Feb. 3 after five months in the position.
According to Columbus’ Chief Operations Officer David Armstrong, there were less than 10 applicants for the position.
“I was very surprised we didn’t have more,” Armstrong said. “We had 82 for police chief and only six or seven for city planner.”
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