Community Development Director Steve Osguthorpe has accepted a similar job with the City of Mount Lake Terrace in Western Washington and will leave his position with the City of Yakima near the end of this month.
Osguthorpe accepted the role of Community and Economic Development Director for Mount Lake Terrace after he was offered the job earlier this week by Mount Lake Terrace City Manager Arlene Fisher. Osguthorpe, whose official last day with the City of Yakima will be June 27th, will be responsible for code compliance, development services, long-range planning, and economic vitality for Mount Lake Terrace.
“After an extensive interview process, Osguthorpe was the top candidate that I believe can take the city of the future to the next level,” Fisher said in a news release posted on the City of Mount Lake Terrace website.
Osguthorpe was hired in October 2012 by the City of Yakima to oversee the City’s planning, neighborhood development, code administration, animal control, and City Hall maintenance operations.
“Steve has played an important role during a time of transition for the City of Yakima,” said City Manager Tony O’Rourke. “He has provided outstanding leadership and has tackled some difficult development issues that needed to be addressed. I certainly wish Steve the best in his new position and I know that Mount Lake Terrace will benefit from having him as part of the city staff there,” said O’Rourke.
“I would like to express my appreciation for the opportunity Yakima has provided me over the past 18 months,” said Osguthorpe in his letter of resignation to O’Rourke. “It has been a pleasure working with you, all senior staff, and the hardworking individuals of my department.”
O’Rourke said that Joan Davenport, who is currently serving as the City’s Strategic Projects Manager, will assume the role of Acting Community Development Director upon Osguthorpe’s departure. Davenport has worked for the City of Yakima in several capacities since she was hired as an Associate Planner in 1987, including as a Senior Supervising Planner, Supervising Traffic Engineer, Planning Manager, and as Acting Community and Economic Development Director.
Osguthorpe, who has both a B.S. in urban planning and a B.S. in economics from the University of Utah, began his career as a planner in Park City, Utah in 1989. Two years later, he became a downtown development planner in Bremerton. In 1992, Osguthorpe began a seven-year stint in Gig Harbor as an associate planner. From 1999 to 2002, he worked for the City of Puyallup as a senior planner. Osguthorpe returned to Gig Harbor in 2002 to serve as that city’s Planning and Building Manager. In 2005, he was hired by the City of Shelton as its Community and Economic Development Director. From 2007 until he was hired by the City of Yakima, Osguthorpe had been the Planning and Housing Director for the City of Ames, Iowa.