Behlings is new city planner

A familiar last name has joined the staff at the offices of the City of Custer, as Tessah Behlings has been named the city’s new planner.
Behlings is the wife of Russell Behlings, who is the son of longtime Custer resident Tim and Jenny Behlings.
The couple moved to Custer from Lake Nebagamon, Wis., where she previously served as both the health inspector and zoning coordinator for Douglas County. She began work in her new capacity March 13.
“It’s been really good,” she said. “Everyone is really friendly.”
Behlings said she and her husband had been trying to get to Custer for a long time, and after her parents passed away they intensified their search. They checked the Pierre area before “everything aligned” and the job at the city opened while Russell was able to land a job in Custer State Park.
“I don’t know how we got this lucky,” she said. “I’ve visited Custer a lot. I just knew we wanted to move here and make this our home, and have my kids have their grandparents nearby. This is what we wanted.”
Behlings is originally from North Branch, Minn., a town an hour north of the Twin Cities. She attended the University of Minnesota-Duluth for her undergraduate degree before attending the University of North Texas for her graduate degree.
Behlings said it wasn’t too difficult a change to move from health inspector into zoning coordinating in Douglas County (“It’s code interpretation in a different capacity,” she said) and said she learned GIS and other aspects of the job quickly.
“Once you know how to read and understand ordinance it’s pretty easy to apply it to another discipline,” she said.
One large difference between her job in Wisconsin and Custer, however, is that she was regulating for 40,000 people in a much larger area.
Behlings said her main goal as city planner (no longer planning administrator, as the job description has changed some) is to facilitate responsible development through application of ordinances set forth by the city council. She said she is passionate about watching the process work.
“They are elected, they make the rules, (it) comes full circle by using those ordinances,” she said. “It’s a beautiful thing when it works how it’s supposed to work.”
Behlings said she also wants to help make Custer people-centered while building relationships with contractors, surveyors, developers, etc., something else she said she enjoys.
“Building the relationships is enjoyable but sometimes can be challenging,” she said, adding there are always some who don’t find great joy in government regulation. However, she said, if the reason behind the regulations is explained, most people can understand the rationale for regulations.
“Living in a small town is different for me,” she said. “Here when you regulate people you will defintitely see them in Lynn’s five minutes later.”
Behlings said she looks forward to being an integral part of the communtiy and is eager to work with the residents and dive into projects such as the community center.
“I’m hoping that can be a project for me,” she said. “We are incredibly blessed to be here and excited to make Custer our home.”

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