The Bainbridge Island City Council unanimously approved a contract to hire Joseph Tovar, the city’s consultant on the update of the Bainbridge Island Comprehensive Plan, to serve as the interim director of Planning and Community Development Department.

Current Planning Director Katharine Cook submitted a resignation letter to the city on Oct. 12 and set her last day of work as Jan. 15.

A contract to hire Tovar, of Edmonds, as the interim director got the green light by the city council at its meeting last week.

City Manager Doug Schulze said having Tovar step in as an interim director “seemed to make a whole lot of sense.”

He told the council that a less expensive alternative existed — namely hiring a company that could provide a temporary director — but noted that such firms typically charge an additional 10 to 15 percent on top of the salary for the interim worker.

Schulze said the upside to the higher cost of having Tovar take over is that he is already up to speed on the biggest project right now in the planning department; the update of the city’s comprehensive plan.

“It may be a little bit cheaper but we are getting someone who is familiar with the community and familiar with the work that’s been done on the comprehensive plan,” Schulze said.

Under the terms of the two-month agreement, which runs from Jan. 15 to March 15, Tovar will be paid $180 an hour for up to 240 hours (30 hours per week for eight weeks).

Tovar can earn a maximum amount of $43,200 in the position.

He will also be paid $200 for Washington State Ferries travel between

Edmonds/Kingston or Seattle/Winslow during his two-month tour as director, and the city will also pay him $1,500 for on-island lodging.

The consultant has been a familiar sight at city hall in recent months.

Tovar started working as a consultant for the city on the rewrite of the comp plan in August 2014, under a $16,000 contract that ran through December 2014. City Manager Doug Schulze OK’d an amendment to the agreement in late 2014 that paid Tovar an additional $5,000 and extended the contract for three months.

The council later approved a contract extension for Tovar’s assistance on the comp plan through the end of 2015.

Under previous consultant contracts with the city, Tovar stands to make $120,365 for his work on the rewrite of the comp plan.

The city hopes to complete work on the update of the comp plan, the document that will guide growth and development on the island over the next two decades, sometime this summer.

While he serves as interim planning director, Tovar will report for work at city hall three days of each week, beginning at 8 a.m., and stay until the close of business. He will also attend evening meetings of the city council and planning commission.

As interim director, he will provide oversight and direction to the planning department and review and approve land use permits

and staff reports, working with staff to resolve any technical issues that arise during permit reviews.

Tovar previously worked as the planning director for the city of Kirkland from 1981 to 1992, and also served as planning director for the cities of Shoreline and Covington.