Janice Pokrant returning to City Hall as new Planning and Zoning Director

Janice Pokrant has officially been appointed to serve as the new Planning & Zoning Director

The City of Del Rio is welcoming back a familiar face to City Hall. Janice Pokrant has officially been appointed to serve as the new Planning & Zoning Director, effective March 31, 2025. After a two-year departure from the public sector, Pokrant will return to lead the department she served for over 15 years. She will need to take significant strides to bring it into the modern era and improve its relationship with both the community and developers. “I’m excited to work with everyone in the city to improve our processes and create a more efficient, responsive department,” Pokrant said.

“I am honored to serve as the Planning & Zoning Director for the City of Del Rio. As a resident of the community, I take this responsibility seriously because I understand that every decision made within planning and zoning shapes the future of our city,” said Pokrant. Pokrant’s return marks a significant milestone in her career, she will now be leading in an Executive rank. Pokrant manages projects at the federal, state, and municipal levels, helping both public and private partners address pressing challenges, such as future land use, infrastructure, and transportation. She is currently Leadership Del Rio Co-Chairman and on the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

She never moved away from Del Rio and was able to help with projects relating to the city throughout her employment at Matrix. “It was really hard to separate my love for the city, even when I stopped working for the city, I was trying to still help wherever I could,” Pokrant reflected. Her work at Matrix Design Group included a Resiliency Planning study that identified critical assets and vulnerabilities impacting JBSA installations, and a Resiliency Planning study for Laughlin AFB that she presented to the Val Verde County Commissioners Court and the Del Rio City Council for review and acceptance.

Human Resources Director Mario Garcia introduced Pokrant to Council on 3/12/25 and provided an overview of her qualifications: “It gives me great pleasure to introduce the individual that we have selected to fill the position… She has a deep commitment to sustainable growth and community development, she’s eager to apply her experience, and she has extensive experience in municipal planning and regulatory compliance… She has the ability to create and implement policies that would enhance the quality of life of citizens and the City of Del Rio.” Garcia affirmed.

In her recommendation letter, Burkhart shared context on Pokrant’s selection: “Mrs. Pokrant has over 25 years in the field. She has honed comprehensive skills in zoning regulations, comprehensive planning, and project management, having previously served as City Planner for Del Rio. Her capabilities include an in-depth understanding of state laws, the city’s ordinances, and the priorities of its residents, which is crucial to ensuring strategic growth and regulatory compliance in this role,” Burkhart emphasized the rarity of Pokrant’s expertise, “there are not many people with that skill set in our community.”

City Manager Shawna Burkhart highlighted some of Pokrant’s work as City Planner, “she was pivotal in developing and adopting the 2023 Envision Del Rio Comprehensive Plan, prioritizing land use, transportation, community place making, and economic development. This involvement will assist her in proceeding with the implementation of the adopted goals and objectives within the plan.”

Pokrant spoke to Council before they cast their vote, while concerned Developers listened in the front row

Pokrant served the City of Del Rio from 2007 to 2023 before departing for a corporate position. Pokrant said she left in the pursuit of knowledge. “The opportunity to learn and grow and be exposed to new experiences, that’s what I felt I needed to become a better planner and what I needed to better help the community,” said Pokrant. She has also recently earned the AICP Candidate designation. “If I would have known then what I know now, maybe I would have made some other decisions and made some changes back then, and I’m not saying that I did everything right or that I did everything wrong. I think that I’ve learned and grown and had different opportunities while I’ve been away,” Pokrant told Council.

During the Council meeting, several members expressed doubts. Councilperson Carmen Gutierrez emphasized the importance of addressing past concerns related to the department. "I have known you for many years and I am very aware of many of the concerns that Councilperson Sanchez has mentioned, and coming in, that’s what you’re going to be combating," Gutierrez said. Highlighting the urgency of improving the department’s services and interactions with the public, Gutierrez added, "I mean, the reputation of the city is at stake. We’ve had a lot of negative comments regarding the department.”

Councilperson J.P. Sanchez shared his personal negative experiences regarding the department’s responsiveness in the past, “I’ve done business over there at Code & Compliance for 42 years.” Sanchez explained, “I myself have gone over there and knocked on the door, and asked for a meeting and I was told, ‘I’ll get back to you,’ and then on two different occasions, they told me face to face, ‘I haven’t forgotten you, I’ll get back to you,’ and that’s not right.”

Sanchez further stressed the importance of accessibility for citizens. He said, “I’m thinking about the little guy that’s gonna go over there and try to get something done. He needs to be able to have an audience, he needs to be able to talk to people, he needs to be able to have questions answered, and that was not happening before.”

Gutierrez added, “I don’t want to call it a rumor because these are individuals such as Councilperson Sanchez, who is a businessman, and that is his forte, and he’s gone and he himself has had problems.” Gutierrez then reminded Pokrant, “I met you first when I was assigned to the Board of Adjustment, so I learned a lot of planning and zoning and variance and things like that, and you always were very kind and very helpful, but through the years there has been a disconnect between that department and the citizens that go to get service.”

Mayor Al Arreola acknowledged that the city has made mistakes in the past. Sanchez said people are worried that re-hiring Pokrant would be a step backwards for Code & Compliance. "The burden of blame cannot just be one person," responded Arreola. "It’s a bunch of us. The city has, as a general, made some mistakes, but we’ve got to step up and move to the next level. The thing with you is you’ve been here, done it, and you got the good and the bad—the bad publicity and the good publicity. Now you are coming back into the reins that you were in previously. You’ve experienced something else in the outside world, and now you’ve got to bring it to us."

Councilperson Jesus Lopez stressed the importance of efficiency in the department. “All I’m asking is that you run that department efficiently, with turnarounds quickly within hours instead of days if possible… so that we have a better reputation of saying ‘I love coming to Del Rio now,’ because we have that reputation that nobody wants to come to Del Rio because our permits are worse than everybody else.” Lopez also pointed out the outdated nature of many city ordinances. He asked Pokrant to “bring it to this century” and have the ordinances updated to reflect changes in state and federal laws.

Pokrant told Council she wants to keep moving forward, and asked Chavez and Burkhart to work with her on an accountability plan for the Planning & Zoning department, “so that we can streamline processes or so that we can help clarify issues that have come up.” In a follow-up statement, Pokrant shared that she has learned “that every action has an impact on the city budget, on the builder, on the subdivision developer, within the development process, and on the trust the public places on us.” She concluded, “I will bring a heightened sense of accountability, fairness, and integrity to this role.”

Pokrant shook hands of audience members after council voted to approve her appointment

As Planning & Zoning Director, Pokrant will oversee the department’s staff and manage projects related to land use planning, zoning regulations, and community development. She will also focus on implementing policies that enhance the quality of life for Del Rio residents while addressing the concerns raised by the City Council and community members. Pokrant said, “Del Rio is my home, and I want to make sure that as we grow, that we grow responsibly, that we work together.”

Pokrant will report directly to Mister Chavez, the Assistant City Manager. Pokrant's appointment was confirmed by the City Council during a meeting on March 12, 2025. The City Council’s motion to approve passed with two opposing votes. Her appointment will officially take effect at the end of March and comes with an annual salary of $104,936. She takes over a role that has been vacant since June 2024, following the departure of the previous Planning and Zoning Director.