Vallejo hires new planning and development services director

by John Glidden | glid24@protonmail.com | June 19, 2024

VALLEJO – Just a month into becoming city manager, Andrew Murray as already begun to fill vacancies within his administrative team.

Kristin Pollot has been hired as Vallejo’s new planning and development services director, the city announced Tuesday (June 18). Pollot replaces Christina Ratcliffe, who left the city earlier this month to start her own consulting firm.

“We are thrilled to welcome Kristin to the city,” said Murray in a press release announcing Pollot’s hiring. “Her deep experience, excellent skillset, and familiarity with Vallejo position her to help us achieve the city council’s community development and economic development goals.”

Pollot, who started her new position on Monday, has a varied resume, including serving as planning manager with the city of Pittsburg, planning consultant for the city of Vallejo, and assistant director of community development with the city of Vacaville, according to the same press release. She also has experience in the private sector working for a residential home builder, the city added.

“I am so excited to join this team of dedicated city employees and I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves and get to work in affecting some positive change for the community,” Pollot said in the same press release.

The position oversees the city’s planning and building divisions.

Ratcliffe led the planning development services department for almost four years. Originally hired as the planning manager in September 2020, Ratcliffe was swiftly promoted to interim planning and development services director a month later following the promotion of Gillian Haen (then-known as Gillian Hayes) to the position of interim deputy city manager.

Then-City Manager Greg Nyhoff created the deputy city manager position with emergency powers granted to him by the Vallejo City Council during the COVID-19 pandemic. The deputy city manager position has since been discontinued and Haen went on to become assistant city manager.

Meanwhile, the new city manager will have his hands full over the next few months as he has a number of top positions to fill in his cabinet, including a police chief and fire chief.

Last week, the city announced it had begun a nationwide search to find a new chief of police. Vallejo has operated with an interim police chief for a year-and-a-half following the sudden resignation of Chief Shawny Williams in November 2022.

Jason Ta, hired as deputy police chief, has served as interim police chief during that time.

Murray tapped Frank Drayton, who served as Vacaville’s fire chief from 2012 to 2015, as Vallejo’s interim fire chief earlier this month.

Drayton takes over for Ta, who briefly oversaw the police and fire departments following the apparent departure of Chief Kyle Long. It is not know why Long left the fire department.

Two other vacant positions include the second assistant city manager position, and the public information officer position. Terrance Davis left Vallejo in early April to become the public works director for the city of Berkeley. Davis was originally hired as Vallejo’s public works director in 2017 before being tapped to serve as assistant city manager in 2021.

Vallejo also lost its public information officer, Christina Lee, recently. Lee was appointed as Director of Marketing and Communications and Public Information for Solano Community College earlier this month.