Part-Time Downtown Beautification Assistant

Maine’s premier City to work and live is becoming Maine’s premier municipal employer - welcome to Biddeford, Maine, where citizens are proud of their community and employees thrive!

The City of Biddeford, a beautiful, resurgent, coastal Maine community, is seeking dynamic people to join our award-winning team of professionals. As an employee in one of Maine’s youngest communities, you can become part of a team that is guiding its economic revival. You will need to be highly motivated, talented, with a strong desire to make a difference in the daily lives of citizens. The beautification of downtown Main Street, and several surrounding areas, continues to earn the City much credibility, particularly because we follow through with continual care and maintenance of the planters and hanging baskets.

Care for the flowers is handled by two part-time seasonal job-share employees and requires approximately 24-30 hours of work per week. The job-share team is made up of a lead person who reports directly to the Director of Public Works (PW) and their partner reports to the lead. A work schedule is defined between the job-share team and can be negotiated; however, weekend hours are required. Annual plants are planted at the Public Works Department around the third week of May, in preparation for planters to be transported downtown before Memorial Day weekend (weather pending). Planters are removed in early - mid October, depending on weather conditions and general health of the plants.

Responsibilities

January – May (primarily the lead employee, on an as-needed basis)

• Request For Proposal process
• Working with the garden center in selecting/ordering/scheduling delivery of plants
• Development of plans
• Creating a map for the placement of planters
• Meeting with the Director of PW as needed

Mid-May – October (both employees)

• Planting flowers, watering, fertilizing, and maintenance of plants which include:

o 40 hanging baskets and 100 sidewalk planters on lower Alfred Street and all along Main Street, from Water Street to Elm Street

o Planters at City Hall

o In-ground plantings throughout the City streets and parks

• Identifying any special needs to maintain plant health and care (i.e., fertilizer, pesticides)
• Deadheading, pruning, adding/replacing soil, replanting and/or replacing plants and fertilizing
• Removing trash that is sometimes left in, on, and around the planters
• Providing regular updates to the PW Director and responding to varying requests regarding planters
• Acting as ambassadors of the City
• Working with PW, City and Elected Officials, the Police Department, Heart of Biddeford, etc. (as needed)

Note: While a weekly schedule is established between the two employees, it’s difficult to ascertain a set number of hours required for the job, as watering and caring for the plants is heavily based on weather conditions.

Watering is done using a John Deere Gator with a 45-gallon water tank and watering wand attachment. The Gator is kept at Biddeford Public Works (BPW) to allow for indoor storage, maintenance, and access to gas. On an average day, watering of all the planters, hangers, and in-ground plantings requires several trips to the Fire Department Central Station, using a fire hose to fill the tank of the Gator, and continue watering.

Required Qualifications

• Valid Driver’s License
• Basic gardening skills
• A willingness to demonstrate a commitment to the City of Biddeford's work around diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion

Equal Opportunity Employer

The City of Biddeford’s mission is to cultivate and sustain a diverse, inclusive, equitable, welcoming, and belonging-based workplace where employees actively practice solidarity for the greater good of the work environment and employee experience.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, the City of Biddeford shall employ, develop, and work to maintain the best qualified person(s) available without discrimination to: age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, dimensions of gender, disability, citizenship, veterans’ status, ancestry, national origin, and/or political affiliation or any other status protected by law.

Equitable access to services and employment is available and those applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for this application and/or the interview process should notify the Deputy Director of Human Resources at 207.286.0589.

Job Types: Part-time, Seasonal

Pay: $19.00 - $21.00 per hour

Expected hours: 24 – 30 per week

Shift:

• Day shift

Ability to Commute:

• Biddeford, ME 04005 (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Biddeford, ME 04005: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $19 - $21