Land Use Board Coordinator

This position performs specialized administrative and technical work coordinating the City’s land use boards and commissions and supporting the procedural integrity of the City’s quasi-judicial land use proceedings. Responsibilities include statutory and ordinance-required public notice, the official record of proceedings, board member training records, and the agenda, case management, and records systems supporting the Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals (BoZA), Urban Design/Development Review Commission (U/DRC), Historic Preservation/Design Review Commission (HP/DRC), and the zoning public hearing function of City Council.

Work requires familiarity with State enabling law, the Unified Development Ordinance, and the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act, and the exercise of independent judgment in applying them to procedural questions, under general supervision.

The work is considered sedentary in nature and involves walking or standing some of the time and involves exerting up to 10 pounds of force on a recurring basis or routine keyboard operations. The work requires the following physical abilities to perform the essential job functions: fingering, handling, hearing, kneeling, mental acuity, pulling, pushing, reaching, repetitive motion, speaking, standing, stooping, talking, visual acuity, and walking.

Work is performed primarily in an office setting with exposure to no known environmental hazards. The position requires regular attendance at evening meetings and public hearings that may extend beyond normal business hours, and involves occasional exposure to contested public proceedings and to interaction with applicants, neighborhood representatives, and members of the public who may be dissatisfied with pending or completed decisions.

• Serves as the primary staff coordinator for the Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals (BoZA), Urban Design Review Commission (U/DRC), Historic Preservation Design Review Commission (HP/DRC), and the Zoning Public Hearing function of City Council;
• Coordinates the preparation and publication of meeting agendas and packets, assembling staff reports, applications, exhibits, and correspondence, and verifying that each packet is complete and published in advance of the hearing;
• Attends meetings of the Planning Commission, BoZA, U/DRC, and HP/DRC; prepares the official minutes, recording discussions, motions, findings of fact, conditions of approval, and actions taken in a form sufficient to support the record on review;
• Maintains the official record for quasi-judicial proceedings; compiles and organizes the record of each case, including the application, staff report, exhibits, correspondence, testimony, and written decision;
• Assembles and transmits the certified record on appeal in coordination with the City Attorney’s Office, and assists in responding to petitions for writ of certiorari and other challenges to board decisions;
• Coordinates statutory and ordinance-required public notice for land use hearings, including published, mailed, and posted notice; prepares and submits legal advertisements; maintains affidavits and proofs of notice; and verifies notice compliance prior to each hearing;
• Supports compliance with the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act as it applies to public bodies, including the annual meeting schedule, agenda posting, notice of special and rescheduled meetings, and executive session procedure;
• Responds to requests for information concerning Board and/or Commission activities;
• Coordinates the orientation and continuing education requirements applicable to local planning officials under Title 6, Chapter 29 of the South Carolina Code; maintains individual training records; and reports compliance status to the Director;
• Tracks board and commission appointments, reappointments, terms, and vacancies in coordination with the Clerk of Council, and advises management of pending vacancies and quorum concerns;
• Maintains conflict of interest, recusal, and ex parte communication disclosure records for board members;
• Serves as the department’s primary user and coordinator of the agenda management, case management, and electronic…