Planner I

Planner I

Employment Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Non-exempt

Experience Required: Equivalent combination of education and experience in related field can substitute for minimum education requirements.

Minimum Education Requirements: Bachelor’s Degree in Urban Planning, Economic Development, Geography, or a related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Department: Growth Management Department Direct Supervisor: Planning Supervisor Supervisory

Responsibility: N/A

Primary Work Location: Works both indoors in an office environment and outdoors.

Certification: Valid State of Florida driver’s license. AICP Certification, Floodplain Manager Certification preferred.

Job Summary: Part of a small team of planners for the City of Fort Walton Beach. Will be involved in various aspects of planning, zoning, permitting and grant administration. Work is performed under general supervision of the Planning Supervisor

Essential Job Functions

An employee in this position may be called upon to do any or all of the following essential duties:

• Assists in development of elements of the City Comprehensive Plan (i.e., transportation, land use, housing, infrastructure, capital improvements, conservation and natural resources).
• Prepares studies, reports, and other material for the various boards/committees, and citizen groups.
• Assists in the preparation of transportation and economic development and redevelopment policies and strategies.
• Responds to public inquiries both orally and in writing concerning planning activities.
• Performs a variety of research work relating to all aspects of Planning/Zoning.
• Assists in the review and approval of proposed developments.
• Speaks with citizens and local/prospective businesses regarding development opportunities and regulations.
• Assists in the maintenance and updates of the Land Development Code (LDC).
• Attends public meetings of various boards, commissions, and committees; creates and presents reports on assigned projects and activities.
• Coordinates project and program activities with government regulatory or other government agencies.
• Assists citizens City-wide with all temporary business/special event inquiries including the reviewing and processing of all associated applications.
• Coordinates with other government and non-profit agencies regarding regional and local redevelopment planning efforts.
• Attends professional development workshops and conferences to keep informed of trends and developments in the field of planning and other related fields.
• Conducts field evaluations for various permitting/planning processes to ensure compliance with applicable statutes/ordinances.
• Assists in the implementation of the Community Development Block Grant Program.
• Performs other job duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA’s) for Position

An employee in this class must have the following knowledge, skills, and abilities upon application:

Knowledge

• Planning principles and practices, including pertinent specialties.
• Principles and practices of research and data collection.
• Effective writing techniques.
• Statistical algebraic or geometric knowledge and ability to apply such knowledge in practical situations.
• City’s functions, policies, and procedures.

Skills

• Strong written and oral communications and relational skills
• Public relations and customer service
• Follow and relay complex oral and written instructions, policies and procedures
• Operate a variety of office equipment, including computer terminal, printer, calculator, fax, and copier.

Abilities

• Solve problems by gathering relevant information to solve vaguely defined practical problems.
• Review plans and apply provisions of the ordinances and codes to determine compliance with such regulations and to apply regulations to field conditions.
• Work on several projects or issues simultaneously.
• Work independently on projects, reports, and research as needed.
• Work effectively in a team environment to accomplish tasks and achieve common goals.

Physical Demands

• The work is light work, which requires exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force to move objects. The following physical abilities are required:
• Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. The amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.
• Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.
• Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm
• Handling: Picking, holding, or otherwise working, primarily with the whole hand
• Hearing 1: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound.
• Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles.
• Mental Acuity: Ability to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
• Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Repetitive Motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
• Speaking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.
• Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Talking 1: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Visual Acuity 1: Have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; and/or extensive reading.
• Visual Acuity 2: Including color, depth perception, and field vision.
• Visual Acuity 3: Visual Acuity to determine the accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of the work assigned or to make general observations of facilities or structures.
• Visual Acuity 4: Have visual acuity to operate motor vehicles and/or heavy equipment.
• Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.

**This position description is a general guideline for work behavior and is not intended to be a comprehensive listing of all job duties. Therefore, it is also not, nor can it be implied to be, a contract of employment. The contents of this position description may be changed without notice, and employment may be terminated by either party, at will. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential tasks.