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12/27/2023 08:30 AMTown Planner Erin Mannix negotiates across almost every town department to ensure that not only zoning laws are followed but that Madison’s long-term development and economic future is, well, well planned. There are a substantial number of departments and personnel, and of course, the public, that need to be connected and coordinated daily to accomplish that feat.
Erin grew up on the New Jersey shore and went to Fairfield University, graduating with a degree in biology. Erin says she began climbing the ladder to achieve her current position, starting out as an intern and then transitioning into a permanent job as a zoning officer.
“I have a biology degree from Fairfield University focused mainly on environmental wetland science. Right out of graduation, I had a job through the city of Norwalk doing water quality analyses, point source pollution kind of thing,” says Erin. “The internship ended, and I went into the director of planning and zoning and said, ‘I could use a job,’ and sure enough, he called me.”
Erin says that position provided the background, training, and experience that led her to the position in Madison.
“I worked there for several years and the director there introduced me to all aspects of land use. When I was there, I got my certification through DEEP [Department of Energy and Environmental Protection] to be authorized as an agent in the Inland Wetlands department. I was able to fill in there as their senior inland wetlands officer… He really kind of introduced me to every position within the department, so he was really instrumental in teaching me what land use was, and he really sparked my interest in that. I really kind of moved up through the rankings.”
Erin eventually landed a job with the town of Guilford as a zoning enforcement officer and inland wetlands officer before being selected as Madison’s town planner. Zoning enforcement can sometimes be a thankless job, but Erin says she always loved the challenge, and when the opportunity arose in Madison, she felt it was the right move for her and her family, her husband Charlie, and her now four children.
“We always say that the zoning enforcement officer is the least appreciated position in the town. People used to tell me I had the worst job in town, but it is actually very interesting to me,” Erin says, laughing. “Every day is something new, and putting that planning hat on is a lot different.”
Erin says that coordination between the various departments and entities is a main focus in her position. According to Erin, her office can’t function in a vacuum and needs to be not only responsive to but understand all of the parts of Town Hall to ensure success
“There were so many things about the job here that attracted me. It’s professional advancement, of course… It’s also an opportunity in my own community to be involved in decision-making and really see how it impacts my community,” says Erin. “I also wanted, having been home with my kids for some time, to set an example for my girls…to see their mom as successful and see how you can be involved in making change in your community, starting at a local level. The definition of town planning is we plan, coordinate, and direct comprehensive planning, zoning, and community development; that includes land conservation programs, housing, conservation, historic preservation, and economic development,” says Erin. “There are all sorts of aspects to it, and that, I think, is what makes it so interesting. You are not just responding to applications. In a small town, a town planner, I think, should not only wear a planning hat but also have intimate knowledge of zoning as well because they go hand in hand.”
Erin adds, “You can’t plan, in my opinion, without understanding zoning. You come up with goals and policies and a vision for your community, but how do you implement those? You really have to understand the tools that are preventing you from achieving your goal or helping you get there.”
Erin also volunteers on numerous other boards and commissions both statewide and in town, which, despite the time involved, allows her to serve Madison residents better.
“Being part of both our local chapters of our planning association and CAZEO [Connecticut Association of Zoning Enforcement Officials] gives you a real sense of community in the state. I am able to reach out to colleagues throughout the state when I need help or collaborate on efforts and get the other side of an opinion. It gives me a great sense that we are not operating in a bubble here with the lens of just Madison. I feel we have a constant awareness and education of what’s happening around us,” Erin says.
According to Erin, Madison’s current Plan of Conservation and Development and its Coastal Resiliency Plan are among the most exciting projects for her and her team.
“The Plan of Conservation and Development is a state plan, and it is essentially the master plan for your community,” Erin says. “At a minimum, a commission needs to update or review or modify [it] as needed every 10 years. So, we embarked on this process last year, and we’re about 15 months into the process, and they are doing a great job. We’ve piggybacked on a lot of the public outreach process that was associated with the Strategic Plan rather than duplicating everything. The Planning and Zoning Commission has dedicated their first meeting of the month to the POCD for the last year. So, there has been a lot of work involved…and there will be more sessions on that. What we hope to do after that is, once the plan is adopted, begin a comprehensive update to the zoning regulations.”
Erin emphasizes the importance of collaboration with her colleagues and other town departments.
“It requires a lot of time, and you feel like you want to clone yourself sometimes to get it all done. But I truly feel it’s important to know what’s going on with these other committees because they all tie in together, and they are interrelated. I have always felt that there is a real importance in just connecting with the other departments. You need this involvement because, in reality, the building permit is, in many ways, the last step of the process. The departments are so intertwined…so I think it is quite fascinating to see a project come to fruition. There is always something new. I think it’s important to connect with the community.”