Times Observer file photo Dan Glotz, shown here with a lifetime achievement award presented by the PA Route 6 Alliance, will be leaving his role as planning director where he has served for 25 years. He’s be a county commissioner come Jan. 1.

Dan Glotz has been leading the county’s Planning Department since 1998.

That tenure ends soon as he’s set to take over as a Warren County Commissioner on Jan. 1.

It’s actually been 33 years since Glotz’ first day working for the county — Feb. 28, 1990. He was hired as the zoning officer, where he served for eight years before taking over the lead of the department from Jim Goodling in 1998.

As he undertakes this new challenge, Glotz discussed his career in the Planning Department, which saw him advocate for transportation dollars to come to Warren County amid a host of other accomplishments.

When Glotz moved into the role as planning director, it was a busy time – there were renovations at the courthouse that were underway. The North Warren Bike-Hike Trail was turning into reality.

“We were finishing up some projects that Jim had been involved in,” Glotz said. “It was about time too that the PA Wilds was getting off the ground.

Calling that the “most historic and significant intergovernmental project we’ve ever seen in the state,” he said that effort turned into “something for us to be proud of.”

The regionalization typified by the PA Wilds has been important and one of the major ways that the job as planning director has evolved in his 25 years overseeing the office.

“We do things more now on a regional level for just about everything because, with the shortage of funding out there, the funding agencies,” he said, “want to see projects that impact a regional level.”

Technology has also drastically altered the work.

“When I started in this position, everything was done by hand,” Glotz said. “Mapping was done by hand. Correspondence was done by hand with a department secretary. It ate up a lot of valuable time.

“It was pretty much ‘Fend for yourself’ county-wise back in the day,” he said. “We did transportation planning a lot different.

The state used to hold public meetings and officials, Glotz included, would testify at those about needs in their region. With the creation of the Rural Planning Organization – Glotz has led the Transportation Advisory Committee for 23 years until he stepped aside in November – the process is much more collaborative.

With the context that experience can bring, there are certainly areas where Glotz would have like to see more progress.

“I had high hopes of the (bike-hike trail) going to the New York state line,” he said, as well as “better connectivity to Interstate 86.

“Our intent was to try to pull tractor trailer traffic out of downtown Falconer,” he explained. “We worked with Chautauqua County Planning to propose a recommended route. The funding just wasn’t there on the New York side.

In addition to transportation dollars, the bike trail and the PA Wilds, Glotz identified several of what he views as successes, starting with annual household hazardous waste recycling events.

“We saw a lot of that stuff was being left in places where it shouldn’t be,” he said. “There really was no good way to dispose of those kinds of articles so we’ve had a number of successful events there.”

He also cited the closure of the Grunderville Landfill and the development of the Council of Governments and, specifically, the training, networking and resources provided to the COG’s secretary group.

The Planning Department has also been involved in the development of… plans.

Glotz cited two comprehensive plans, a recreation and parks plan, hazard mitigation plan, greenway and transportation planning as well as the community wildfire protection plan.

“Act 13 (state funding from unconventional gas drilling) is another thing that has been very beneficial to the county,” he said. “We’ve put a lot of funding into those local bridges and recreation projects.”

Deputy Planning Director Michael Lyon is slated to move into Glotz’s chair and that continuity is something that he views as a strength.

“With my being upstairs, we’ll have the opportunity to work some projects together,” Glotz said, specifically identifying a north extension to the bike-hike trail as well as the host of initiatives detailed in the county’s comprehensive and recreation plans. “We can start moving on those two things.”