Energetic, patient, and enthusiastic professional with over twenty five years

increasingly responsible work experience in public planning, development and

zoning research, enforcement issues, and related government projects. 

 

Charles P. Fitzhugh

4005 Middle Ridge Drive

Fairfax, Virginia 22033

 

(202)-344-5685(home)

(703)-324-1395(work)

cpfitzhugh@aol.com

 

Employment History

 

Promotion in December, 2015 to a Code Compliance Specialist III for the Fairfax County Department of Code Compliance (DCC). Principal duties include preparing all paperwork for court related cases to include the research and review of all cited violations of the Virginia Maintenance Code and the Fairfax County Zoning Ordinance for correctness and inclusion within the case documentation. Guide investigators in research decisions, strategies, and possible solutions to help with work related casework. Review of Statewide (Virginia) Legislation and provide input for new laws and bills in regard to Code Enforcement and local/statewide compliance issues for State Legislature.      

 

Recent employment (August 2009-December 15, 2015) as a Code Compliance Investigator II, involved with enforcing the Fairfax County Zoning Code and Virginia Property Maintenance Code with the Fairfax County Department of Code Compliance (DCC). Received a Virginia Property Maintenance certification in August, 2010.  An investigator in this capacity enforces the Fairfax County Zoning Ordinance and investigates complaints and possible violations of the Virginia Property Maintenance Code.  Requires ability to interface with the general public, perform inspections of property, conduct research, and interpret local ordinances, codes, regulations. Position requires that an investigator cite applicable violations in the form of information or in the form of a written legal notice, establish legal precedents, prepare related paperwork, and schedule/attend/present or testify for applicable court cases and hearings of the Board of Zoning Appeals and the Board of Building Code Appeals. In this position, have often trained new employees for several months upon hire in all aspects of zoning and property maintenance review and investigation techniques; and have helped staff and provide training and code update classes for other employees.  Have researched and provided technical assistance on special projects which require zoning code analysis and interpretation. Have also made numerous presentations in the community to help provide information about what the Department of Code Compliance does within the context of the Fairfax County government. Have obtained experience working with and on inter-agency task forces, special groups, and various committees.  I regularly assist with Division 2 Supervisor Duties when called upon: assigning cases, coordination of workload projects, checking others notices of violation.  I have made about ten public presentations regarding DCC and related projects in the last two years.  I have been described as the “go to” person in DCC for matters of property maintenance issues, zoning, noise, glare complaints.

 

Work experience with Fairfax County Planning and Development Department

includes a position (September 15, 2007 to August 1, 2009) as the Assistant

to the Fairfax County, Virginia Zoning Administrator as a Planner II.   As an employee in this capacity, the employee routinely researches local zoning code issues, works with the general public on these problems, determines compliance and provides technical written determinations and interpretations of the Fairfax County Zoning Ordinance.  This position also required employees to investigate, prepare, and present staff reports for appeals of Notices of Violation related to zoning, written determinations and interpretations, and to defend the decisions made by the Zoning Administrator. As a Planner II in this capacity, have met and worked with countless Appeals applicants and have made many presentations before the Board of Zoning Appeals on various local zoning appeal cases. 

 

Started out with Fairfax County (November 20, 2006 to September 15, 2007) and

worked as a Senior Zoning Inspector for Fairfax County Planning Department with responsibilities that included working with the general public on zoning enforcement inspections and related paperwork.  Position required involvement in the issuance of notices of zoning violation and case involvement to include testimony and presentations for the Board of Zoning Appeal process

and any applicable Court actions regarding specific cases.

 

Before moving to Virginia, worked as an Associate City Planner with the City

of Reno Community Development Department (October, 2005 to November, 2006)

with responsibilities that included the review and acceptance of all planning

applications, daily meetings with prospective project developers for the

purpose of discussing urban design project issues, and being involved with

all facets of current planning case review and staff report writing, making

case presentations before the Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals,

and Reno City Council, and subsequent related plan review and follow-up. 

Duties included acceptance, processing, and presentation of all applications for rezoning, master/general plan amendment, variance, special use permit, special exception, street abandonment, site plan review, tentative and final residential subdivision map reviews and related approval processes. 

 

Have worked as a Village Planner II for the City of Phoenix Long Range Planning Department (August, 1999 - October, 2005).  Duties included serving as main City staff support responsible for the planning of North Gateway Village (45 square miles) and South Mountain Village (32 square

miles), both now leading employment and residential growth centers of the Phoenix metropolitan area.   Facilitated and assisted monthly village planning committee meetings, multi-agency and public involvement meetings in the preparation of planning proposals for a large waste transfer facility, many community revitalization efforts, electrical transmission utility line undergrounding and siting studies, and environmental mitigation. Involvement in zoning code amendment review, involvement in a project management capacity for the writing of the Skunk Creek Watercourse Master Plan-which had citywide implications for future floodplain management, the rewrite and finalization of the North Black Canyon Corridor Plan, and the writing of the North Gateway Village Core Land Use and Commercial Node Plans with related Urban Design Guidelines.   Substantial time was spent in the research, writing, and public preparation of zoning ordinance text amendments.  Other duties include working with developers and the public to coordinate the processing of applications and writing and presentation of all Village staff reports for annexation, general plan amendment, rezoning, special permit, special exception, variance, and involvement in writing other long range development plans for the City of Phoenix. Represented the department on work groups, committees, meetings, and various public hearings.  

 

Previous employment also included a one year position (July 1998- August 1999) as a Building Plans Examiner II for the Clark County, Nevada Building Department as the lead counter person with three subordinate employees on a busy Zoning Planscheck public permit counter.

 

Served in a variety of planning positions with the City of Las Vegas, Nevada

(March 1990- July 1998) to include: City Planning Assistant for one year

(March 1990 to April 1991) and City Planner I for four years (April 1991 to

April 1995) with the Current Planning (Zoning/Permits) Division: duties

included zoning code amendment writing and review, acceptance and processing of applications for rezoning, master plan amendment, variance, special use permit, special exception, street abandonment and vacations of public right-of-way, tentative and final subdivision map review processes.  Current Planning responsibilities included all facets of current planning case review, hearing preparation, research, review and writing of staff reports and presentations to Board of Zoning Appeals/Adjustment, Planning Commission, and at Las Vegas City Council meetings.  Represented the department on work groups, committees, meetings, and various public hearings.  

 

Promotion in 1995 to City Planner II with the Las Vegas Comprehensive (Long

Range) Planning Division which was subsequently split into two divisions:

Long Range Planning and Neighborhood Planning.   When this happened, I was

chosen to help staff the Neighborhood Planning Division, and over three years (April 1995-June, 1998) were spent in forming a new City of Las Vegas Neighborhood Services Department as the Central Area (Downtown Las Vegas) Neighborhood Planner.   As a Neighborhood Planner, travelled to other city and county jurisdictions to report back on their neighborhood planning programs, and was assigned to implement and help organize 35 neighborhood associations, several non-profits, local community partners, businesses, and churches. I was asked to facilitate various community meetings, write and implement neighborhood plans and projects, write community association news articles (to include those used regularly by the Mayor and City Council members) and write program informational brochures. I later staffed a neighborhood outreach office, facilitated social and neighborhood beautification efforts, was a project leader on community revitalization and redevelopment projects, planned and staffed neighborhood association workshops, training sessions, and coordinated local public speakers for the programs, and helped devise and implement a development notification program for City of Las Vegas residents.   Represented the department on work groups, facilitated committee meetings, and attended various public hearings.  

 

Originally relocated to Las Vegas from a position as a Zoning Enforcement

Officer with the Coconino County Planning and Development Department

(December, 1989 to March, 1990) in Flagstaff, Arizona where duties included zoning enforcement, zoning permit issuance, and a variety of planning duties.  Worked in the three person office that included the Director, one Planner, and myself.  Duties included the review and acceptance of all applications, preparing zoning violation notices, writing zoning interpretations and determinations, making presentations to the Planning Commission and County Hearing Officer regarding Planning cases and zoning enforcement issues, and conducting zoning and building inspections to determine compliance with County zoning approvals, local building codes, applicable rules, regulations, and ordinances.   

 

Over two years (September, 1987 to December, 1989) were spent as a Zoning

Inspector Technician in the Zoning/Permits Division of the Pima County

Planning Department in Tucson, Arizona after starting out in the Pima County

Addressing Office with involvement in the formation of local and regional

emergency service projects, over the counter zoning permit review, review and

acceptance/processing of applications for rezoning, general plan amendment,

variances, special use permits, site plan reviews and conducting zoning

compliance inspections. 

 

Volunteer work has included a six month position (June, 1986 to January,

1987) as a Community Research Aide in the offices of Tucson, Arizona City

Councilman Thomas Volgy where help was needed on a national growth and

crime study as well as numerous public surveys, related projects and jobs. Represented the Councilman’s office on work groups, committees, meetings, and various public hearings.     

 

 

Education  

 

Date: December 1986:  Bachelor of Science Business Administration

University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona

 

Major: Regional Development

 

Coursework emphasis:

 

Geography, Urban Planning, Architecture, Finance, Landscape Architecture, Real Estate Law, Marketing, Management, Finance, Sociology, Psychology             

 

Other educational pursuits included graduate level coursework in various Regional Planning classes and projects in 1987, 1988 and in 1989 at the University of Arizona.  This work was never finished or completed, and no Masters Degree was obtained. 

 

 

Personal:  Strong desire to work the rest of my life in the State of Texas. 

 

Work Related Reference:

Mrs. Jory Stewart, 19948 Valley Vista Way, Penn Valley, California 95946

530-432-9363 (home)    702-235-5157 (cell)