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Planner returns to state for Oldsmar
By MEGAN SCOTT OLDSMAR -- The city has hired its new community development director, a University of Florida graduate and certified planner who held the same position in the coastal town of Orange Beach, Ala. Gregory Scoville, 45, originally from Milton, is scheduled to start his new job Monday. He takes the place of Nick Staszko, who left in August to enter the private sector. Oldsmar Fire Chief Scott McGuff has been serving as the interim director. Scoville was moving and could not be reached for comment this week. But City Manager Bruce Haddock said he hired Scoville because he thinks Scoville's "previous experience will fit in well with Oldsmar." "His previous job in Orange Beach, Ala., was basically the same situation he'll have here," Haddock said. "As community development director, he was responsible for planning, zoning, building inspection and code enforcement. That's pretty much the same way we're organized." Scoville was the community development director in Orange Beach (population: 3,780), for five years. Before that, he was the principal planner and project coordinator for a consulting firm in Mobile, Ala. He will start with an annual salary of $56,000 and will be on probation for the first six months. The new job means Scoville is returning to his home state after more than a decade in Alabama. After graduating from Milton High School in 1975, Scoville went on to receive a bachelor's degree in landscape architecture from the University of Florida. For 10 years, he worked in Florida cities, including Fort Myers, Gainesville, Milton, Orlando and Vero Beach in the areas of planning and zoning. He moved to Alabama in 1990. "He has previous experience in Florida that was a plus," Haddock said. "Also he is a registered landscape architect, which I think might be beneficial to us even outside of community development." Mike Donnelly, an Orange Beach building official who worked with Scoville, said Scoville was always well-organized. He said Scoville also listened closely to the mayor and City Council and took their ideas into consideration. "When Greg first came here, we had no planning department at all," said Donnelly. "Virtually the entire planning division was set up by Greg Scoville. And we use that same system to this day, and it still works very well." Scoville was one of three candidates who were interviewed for the position. Council members were impressed with Louis Zunguze, a candidate from Africa, who had worked as community development director in Kent, Ohio. But his background check proved unfavorable. The other candidate was Michael Reynolds, of Clearwater, an executive planner for Hillsborough County and former community development director for Madeira Beach. Between the two candidates, Scoville stood out. "He's very personable. He says he will keep a very open door to the public," said council member Marcelo Caruso, who met with all the candidates individually. "He's very knowledgeable in this line of work. He's been doing this for a long time." -- Megan Scott can be reached at (727) 445-4183 or mscott@sptimes.co .
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