Blaine planning director takes job in Mount Vernon

Stacie Pratschner is set to have her last day as director of the city of Blaine’s Community and Development Services (CDS) Department on Friday, August 4 after taking a position with the city of Mount Vernon.

Pratschner will take the helm of the city of Mount Vernon’s Planning and Development Services Department as director. Pratschner said the new position, which starts August 21, will provide additional career growth.

“I’m so grateful that I have been able to serve the citizens of Blaine these past four-and-a-half years,” she said. “When I started here, I was immediately made to feel welcomed and that has continued throughout my tenure here. I believe this city is poised for a really productive future.”

In February 2019, Pratschner joined Blaine as CDS director after working as the long-range planning manager for Skagit County Planning and Development Services Department. 

During Pratschner’s leadership, the city switched to a hearing examiner model for quasi-judicial public hearings, which improved the permit process, and she oversaw the busiest year the city had for building and land-use permits, in 2022. Pratschner was also involved in the beginning of the ongoing downtown revitalization project. 

“For us, in this department, it was really exciting to work with the community and to see the community further grow and take shape,” she said. 

The CDS Department, typically staffed by six people, will be down to three employees when Pratschner leaves as the city is currently without a building official and planner. City manager Michael Harmon said in an email that the city is contracted with an outside company to provide commercial building plan reviews and building inspections. The city is actively searching to fill the three positions, Harmon said, adding that the interim director of the CDS department will be publicly named once union negotiations are finalized.