We spoke with Krystle Brogna, AICP, for our second member spotlight interview. Krystle lives in South Lake Tahoe and works as a Senior Planner for private consulting firm, Planwest Partners, Inc. She specializes in Local Agency Formation Commission matters, CEQA, and General Plan updates. Krystle has worked in the planning field for more than ten (10) years. 

1. What led you to the planning profession, and what roles have you played?

I attended Sacramento State with every intention of becoming a writer, but found that I didn’t enjoy the program, and eventually gravitated towards geography instead. I loved studying physical geography and examining natural resource patterns, as well as learning about GIS.  After college, I worked for a private consulting firm as a paid intern, and one of my first projects was going out in a boat and tracking the spread of aquatic invasive species in the Tahoe Keys, a 1950s housing development that imported fill into existing marshland adjacent to Lake Tahoe and carved out different water channels to support individual docks for homes. 

Currently, I’m a Senior Planner for Planwest Partners, located in Arcata, CA (Humboldt County), and I specialize in Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) matters, including serving as the Shasta County LAFCO Executive Officer. But I also work on CEQA and other planning projects such as zoning and general plan updates.  Planwest is a wonderful firm with a wide knowledge base and has really allowed me to grow and develop my skills as a planner. 

2. What are the pros and cons of working in a private consulting firm?

Pros: I’m at a point in my career where I can communicate with my management team to develop proposals for projects that I’m interested in pursuing. I also get to work from home or anywhere else. My flexible schedule accommodates my Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and has allowed me to excel at work. I’m able to have candid conversations with my bosses about mental health, and they have been very supportive in offering flexibility with workload and scheduling. When my brain is firing on ten cylinders, I can work intensely for long hours, and when it’s not, I’m able take time to rest and practice self-care. 

Cons: Private consultants often have to maintain high billability and therefore, overall company profitability. In other words, I have to bill the majority of my time to specific projects that clients are invoiced for. Working on proposals, timesheets, and other overhead tasks aren’t considered billable work but are still important. Another challenge with working remotely is being disconnected. Since I don’t go into a workplace everyday it’s not as easy to connect with coworkers or other planners in the area through lunch and learns, happy hours, or other events.  

3. Could you tell us more about your work in Local Agency Formation Commissions (LAFCO)?

The California state legislature established LAFCOs post-World War 2 as a response to the consequences of the massive housing boom: urban sprawl and the haphazard creation of different service districts and jurisdictions that overlapped with one another. LAFCOs, which consist of representatives from the respective counties, cities, and special districts, have authority over certain changes, such as boundary changes, sphere of influence studies, municipal service reviews, and initiation of agency reorganizations. 

I regularly conduct municipal service reviews for agencies and evaluate agencies’ governance, finances, and services.  I check to see whether revenues cover expenses and whether there is a healthy reserve for future capital projects. For example, it’s common for smaller water and wastewater agencies to not conduct regular rate studies that account for inflation and large capital projects. So I check to ensure that these studies are conducted regularly (e.g., every 5 years) and that the agencies adjust rates in accordance with these studies, to prepare for major upgrades or emergencies like water main breaks. The information from these reviews is important for LAFCOs when agencies propose future expansions, annexations, or other changes.

4. What do you love about planning and where do you want to grow? How has your planning experience changed how you do day-to-day life?

I love working with water resources. Right now, I have a good high-level grasp of the concepts and processes, but I want to learn more details. I also would love to get into natural resources planning and work on restoration plans or groundwater management plans. As a project manager, I’m always learning how to set up better systems, so I can be more effective in executing projects. I also love the education aspect of planning and communicating complex issues to people who are not technical experts.  

My planning experience has definitely changed how I see things. For example, I understand the importance of service fees, and I am much more willing to pay all of the fees now that I know what the money goes towards. I also have a different perspective on the American Dream. Now that I know the amount of time, money, and effort that goes into developing large-lot subdivisions and maintaining infrastructure, I believe a cultural shift must occur, where people are more physically connected and participate in the community where they live, with things like mixed uses, public transit, and local gathering places such as parks. Housing sprawl is costly and typically unsustainable.

5. What would you like to share with those who are just starting out in the field?

The most valuable skill for a planner is to be able to figure things out, whether it’s new concepts or challenges with how a process has historically been conducted. Approach problems with a can-do attitude and curiosity. Research to find the information that you need and identify the people you need to connect with. Your ability to learn and be flexible will take you far. 

Looking back, I wish I had recognized sooner—particularly in toxic or harassing environments—that our value lies in our work, skills, and expertise. Our success should never be contingent on anything outside of that.

1. What led you to the planning profession, what roles did you play?

While attending the University of Minnesota, I was intrigued with both physical land use e.g., Copenhagen Finger Plan, and policy planning issues while participating in a Scandinavian Urban Studies program in Oslo, Norway. I initially engaged in housing and community development advocacy and worked in inner-city Minneapolis and Des Moines. Interest in a broader approach led me to focus on regional development, earning an MCP at UC Berkeley. I garnered subsequent experience in a county-level local development corporation and current and long-range planning as a local city planner. I went on to work for nearly 30 years in housing and land use policy and implementation programs at the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), retiring as the Assistant Director of Intergovernmental Affairs (1989-2018). As a part-time retiree, I enjoyed supporting expansion of regional housing planning and implementation while working for the Southern California Association of Governments.

2. What were some of your career achievements?

Learning to work with a broad variety of people and organizations and challenging projects, including integrating housing into transportation, health and climate change projects. Several projects I managed at HCD are yet relevant, e.g., design of HCD’s first TOD program, Raising the Roof . . ., the 2000 State Housing Plan Update that projected need for substantial increase in housing for a growing shortfall; a parcel-level study developing methodology for projecting infill capacity; and a State study on residential development fees. 

3. What elements are critical to affordable housing development in California?

Alignment of policy and funding availability is critical, as is avoidance of overly-prescriptive regulations restricting ability to act in concert with market conditions and economic feasibility. Planners can help constituents and local leaders understand the importance (and complexity) of affordable housing as basic shelter and a community need rather than real estate deals or someone else’s responsibility. 

4. What do you currently do? 

I’ve drawn upon my expertise and ventured into some new areas or roles volunteering with organizations on gun violence legislation, housing and homelessness legislation, disaster assistance, and Scandinavian cultural heritage.  I am a member of the Homelessness and Housing Local Organizing Committee of Sacramento ACT, a faith-based social justice organization. I research and monitor issues, collaborate with committee members, meet with officials, and testify at public meetings.

5. What advice would you give to young planners embarking on their careers?

• Be curious and work to understand different perspectives. Find what’s rewarding to you. 
• If you’re stuck, don’t be afraid to move on. Reach beyond your comfort zone. 
• Develop self-discipline for work-life balance. Don’t allow yourself to burn out. 
• Put yourself out there, and often you will be rewarded. If not, reflect and learn from it.