Planner, Government, Environmental​/ Urban Planning

This class provides professional planning services, land use planning, preservation planning, zoning administration, and the monitoring, review, and evaluation of land use development proposals and urban design.

Mid-level incumbents provide journey-level professional planning work, working on diverse planning projects and assisting in the development of policies. The most advanced incumbents serve as designated subject matter experts, performing the most complex planning and development proposal reviews and planning project oversight. The most advanced incumbents may serve as lead workers, providing guidance to other staff and leading planning teams on large, complex assignments.

As assigned, work may include: reviewing applications, proposals, bids, plans, and reports for land use and zoning ordinance compliance; conducting field investigations; preparing and presenting reports; maintaining databases; coordinating city agency reviews, including determining review criteria; designing and developing comprehensive community and neighborhood development plans; determining project compliance; analyzing effects of plans on land use, redevelopment, and rehabilitation; and providing technical assistance.

Exercised: This classification typically does not supervise other employees, but may serve as lead worker, assigning work and monitoring work completion.

Received: This classification typically reports to a Planning Supervisor or team lead.

Note: Other reporting relationships may apply.

• Reviews documents such as land use applications and development proposals, prepares staff comments, and communicates with applicants/developers.
  60%
• Assists the Planning commission through providing technical expertise, preparing staff reports, and presenting applications..
  20%
• Assists with special projects such as census updates, the City's Master Plan, HUD-funded projects, Cell Tower Environmental Impact reports, GIS-based maps, and visionary small area plans and reports. 5%
• Communicates with members of the community. 5%
• Conducts site visits and takes measurements for purposes such as to develop site plans, floor plans, elevations, and 3D renderings. 5%
• Organizes and conducts meetings. 5%

Knowledge (some combination of the following):

• Proficiency in rezoning and special use permit processes, including plan review, public hearings, and legislation
• Proficiency in the Plan of Development Review Process and Subdivision Review Process Understanding of all phases of a project's lifecycle from pre-design through construction administration
• General understanding of architectural history terms, and styles.
• Graphic design
• General knowledge of:
  Planning Commission procedures; urban planning and design; federal preservation laws and regulations; preservation planning; zoning ordinances; historic preservation principles; master planning; traditional neighborhood development; transportation planning; ordinance preparation; land title surveying; and civil engineering principles Expertise with some combination of the following computer programs:
  Microsoft Office Suite; GIS;
  Ener Gov;
  Legistar;
  Blue Beam;
  SharePoint; word processing programs;
  AutoCAD;
  Sketch Up;
  ArcGIS; IRender nXt; and Adobe Creative Suite (i.e. InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop)

Skills (some combination of the following):

• Providing excellent customer service, including dealing with unhappy customers
• Being a clear and effective facilitator, including public speaking skills and defending recommendations/positions
• Managing databases Composing documents
• Negotiating and balancing the needs of citizens with economic demands, health and human service needs, goals of private corporations, and land use regulations
• Assessing and evaluating a project's conformance with Commission of Architectural Review Guidelines Utilizing a large-scale printer/plotter
• Preparing documentation according to state and federal standards Photographing sites for clarity and documentation
• Conducting research
• Reading and understanding building plans Leading effective meetings
• Conducting site inspections

Abilities (some combination of the following):

• Analyze information
• Learn new programs quickly
• Communicate planning and local government policy issues to a range of audiences Interact and work with different groups of people
• Undertake complex projects with multiple deadlines and stakeholders Adapt to unique variables (i.e. physical, regulatory, political)

• Bachelor's degree in urban planning, civil or environmental engineering, landscape architecture, or a related field
• Three years of experience or an equivalent amount of graduate level training.
• An equivalent combination of training and experience (as approved by the department) may be used to meet the minimum qualifications of the classification

• None required