Page 39 - City of Arcata - Building Official - AMB 05 15 19

interdepartmental communication. Always seeks to engage internal staff by building relationships Nelson Membreno
through listening and following through on action. His word (promises) is very important to him in
relationship building. His personal response time is always within a 24-hour window. Monday, May 6, 2019 10:18 AM
- Greatest strength: Dedication, loyalty, integrity. He dedicates himself to the community and the code
professional world. Something to improve: patience.
- In Joliet, he had to work across heavily entrenched cultural lines. The enforcement of codes was
generally skewed toward one side of town. There was biased enforcement in the city before he walked KA
in. Dino saw that firsthand and wrote a report that resulted in directing his department to enforce Building Official
codes equally; to stop the bias. Made a suggestion to take liability and accountability into perspective.
- Dedicates himself to every position he has had. He resigned to move with his wife to Arizona. Wife can Phone Screen Questions
now work remotely. Not looking to retire any time soon. Next job he gets will be the one he retires
with. He would love to get to California. General Questions
- Son lived around the area and he is familiar with the community and the area. Is very comfortable with
pay range. 1. Why are you open to or actively looking for a new position?
Nelson feels that the time is right to advance his career after 4 years as a Building Inspector with the City of
Capitola

2. Please tell me about your current position and its day-to-day responsibilities. What is some of the overlap
you see between your current position and this one?

Nelson is currently charged with inspecting requirements and codes in electrical, mechanical, and planning
capacities for all projects. He reviews plans and ensures they are within the coding standards for the
applicable type, whether that be commercial or residential. He also ensures the green standards are upheld
when required. Nelson works with the public by answering questions about code requirements and issues
permits over the counter. Nelson works with the fire department, public works, health department, and
engineering to ensure cohesion in differing processes. He is bilingual and speaks and writes Spanish fluently.
He is also a code enforcer within Lake County.

Position Specific Questions
3. What excites you most about the City of Arcata?

He has knowledge of the area through a coworker who was a former employee of the City of Arcata. He sees
the similarities and challenges of a smaller community and is excited to use his 4 years of experience to make
the position his own. He is also excited at the prospect of owning his own home.

4. This includes communication with both the public, other city departments, and investors. How do you
manage these various communications?

Nelson has been communicating with the public, contractors, architects, investors, and his engineering
department for 4 years. He has done so effectively. He manages these communications by ensuring he has
hands-on familiarity with each aspect of his position. He personally reviews and understands the plans for
any project that falls under his jurisdiction.

5. What do you consider to be your greatest professional strength? What is something you would like to
improve?

Greatest strength: Organization and Communication. He works with various jurisdictions and has to handle
different stages of each project, so organization is key.