The City of Gilroy is searching for a new community development director after Karen Garner, who was hired in November 2019, resigned in December 2021 to take a position with El Dorado County.
The city council on Feb. 7 agreed to appoint Jon Biggs to the position on an interim basis as the recruitment process is underway for a permanent director.
Now retired, Biggs, who lives in Gilroy, previously served in the cities of Los Altos, Pacific Grove and others. He will be paid $99.12 an hour.
The community development director oversees various planning, building, housing, code enforcement and other development-related matters within the city.
In her new position as director of planning and building, Garner will earn a salary of $182,062, according to the contract approved by the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 14. In Gilroy, her salary was $170,946, not including benefits, according to 2020 data from the California State Controller.
