Michael Rizzitiello, former city administrator of College Place, WA has become Richland’s new development services director. Rizzitiello’s first day was June 30. The Development Services Department oversees building permits, sale of city-owned property, housing/low-income programs and the update of the city’s comprehensive plan.
Rizzitiello left College Place, a town of 3 sq. miles and a population of 9,902, for Richland with 35 sq. miles and a population of 60,560.
Rizzitiello replaces Kerwin Jensen who served as development services director for about 10 years. Jensen figured prominently in a 2022 controversy regarding the building permit for newly-elected Councilmember Theresa Richardson’s home addition.
Richland plans examiner Tyler Jennings did not believe that Richardson’s architect and engineer had proven that the structure under a concrete slab, an outdoor kitchen and a pergola could support the load, records obtained through Washington Public Records Act showed.
At one point, when Jensen was pressuring Jennings to approve the permit despite his concerns, Jennings told him, “That’s how people die.”
After a May 12 public reception for the four candidates for the job, the Observer reached out to each of the them with two questions about building safety and how they would manage their staff. Only Rizzitiello responded.
To the first question about whether he would support staff or bend to political pressure in running his department, Rizzitiello wrote, “I believe in the concept of the upside down pyramid where management is there to support staff and provide the tools and resources necessary for the team to succeed and thrive.”
Rizziliello was familiar with the July 17, 1981, Kansas City Hyatt Regency skywalk collapse that killed 114 people resulting in changes to the way construction permits are reviewed.
He wrote the Observer, “I know many of the International Building Code Updates arose from the Hyatt Regency Skywalk collapse.”
The press release for the May reception included Rizzitiello’s professional experience:
“Rizzitiello has worked with the City of College Place, WA since 2016 as the City Administrator. He began his career in 2008 as an Engineering Intern and gained 17 years experience with seven different organizations in the city, state, and council-of-government arena. Michael earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Urban Planning specializing in Land Use and Transportation from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Public Administration degree specializing in local government Administration, Financial Management and Information Management from the University of Illinois at Chicago.”
The three other applicants were Derrick Braaten, development director for Sunnyside, WA; Steven Hohulin, director of land planning with Quiddity Engineering, LLC in Woodland, TX; and Mike Stevens, planning manager for the city of Richland.