Maintenance Worker - Horticulture

Description

At the City of Plymouth, we all work together to add quality to life. This mission and our guiding values – CIVIC: customer focus, integrity, visionary, inclusion and connection – shape our work as we advance the City Council’s strategic priority to be a city of choice. We are seeking candidates who are eager to adopt and champion our mission and values.

The Maintenance Worker - Horticulture will perform a wide variety of semi-skilled and skilled horticulture tasks independently or as a team member. Tasks involve the maintenance, repair, and construction of horticulture areas, turfgrass, prairies, and rain gardens using equipment and tools designed for recreation and city facilities, including the landscapes of the Plymouth Community Center, Millennium Garden and the Hilde Performance Center.

Essential Functions

• Interact with others in a manner that is professional and inspires open communication
• Help to create and maintain a respectful workplace culture and champions equity and inclusion
• Participate in citywide training designed to strengthen competencies in areas such as communications, leadership, decision-making and problem solving

• Prepare planting sites and install materials according to design
• Establish new plants, garden areas, and turfgrass through hand watering, watering with a tanker truck, or utilizing an irrigation system
• Maintain prairies, rain gardens, open spaces, wetlands and other natural areas
• Water, weed, transplant, thin, mulch, new and established plant beds
• Fertilize, spray, prune, cultivate and maintain plants and turfgrass
• Prepare sites with tools and chemicals
• Trim, prune and water trees and shrubs
• Remove trees and clean up damaged trees
• Perform routine trail and boulevard trimming to assure safety

• Repair or replaces irrigation sprinklers, valves, and piping as necessary.
• Conduct routine irrigation audits to ensure proper operation of irrigation assets

• Plow, sweep, shovel and flood ice rinks
• Remove snow from trails, walks, parking lots and streets

• Perform minor electrical, plumbing, carpentry, painting, fencing, earthwork and concrete work
• Assist in ordering supplies, repair parts and materials
• Pick up and dispose of debris, refuse, litter and recyclables
• Perform scheduled inspections and maintenance on bridges, boardwalks, playground, beaches, hard surface courts, retaining walls, trails and other park amenities
• Inspect and repair play areas
• Maintain communication with manager regarding inspections and repairs
• Maintain appropriate records

• Plan for the event including equipment and supply acquisition, site preparation and other duties
• Provide event support as duties become apparent
• Dismantle site and event equipment and supplies

• Request repairs using the Vehicle Repair Form
• Report all equipment damage or accidents immediately in writing

• Constructively exchange information with co-workers and manager
• Keep immediate supervisor promptly informed of developments in areas of accountability to foster coordinated program efforts
• Respond to citizen inquiries, requests and complaints

Qualifications

• Six months horticulture maintenance experience or equivalent.
• Must have a valid MN driver’s license upon hire; must obtain a Minnesota Class “A” commercial driver’s license with tanker endorsement within one year of first day of employment.
• Demonstrated ability to perform in accordance with the City of Plymouth’s CIVIC values (customer focus, integrity, visionary, inclusion and connection) and comfort with supporting and advancing the city council’s strategic priorities.
• Must obtain non commercial pesticide applicators license within one year of the first day of employment
• Must have knowledge of the tools, methods and materials used in general maintenance work and skill in operating hand, power, motorized and mobile equipment.
• Must have basic technology skills including ability to use MS Office Suite, mobile telephones with internet and email capabilities; aptitude to learn inspection and other parks and forestry mobile applications.
• Must demonstrate the ability to understand and follow oral and written instructions, as well as to communicate effectively orally.
• Must demonstrate the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with supervisor, other employees and the public.
• Must demonstrate the ability to perform basic mathematical calculations
• Must demonstrate the ability to make sound decisions and independent judgments on projects assigned.

• One year experience related to horticulture maintenance
• Two year degree in horticulture.
• Irrigation training or experience
• Turfgrass management training or experience
• Chemical application training or experience
• Must dempnstrate the ability to operate any and all types of park and forestry maintenance equipment and hand tools, (including sprayer, fertilizer spreader, hedge trimmer, chain saw, mower, sod cutter, field groomer, aerial bucket truck, wood chipper, pick-up truck, one-ton dump trucks, front end loader, Toolcat, backhoe and plow truck), effectively and efficiently to complete assigned work functions.
• Must demonstrate the ability to read and interpret plans, specifications, schematics, instruction manuals, blueprints related to the development and maintenance of gardens, park structures, trails and athletic play surfaces.
• Must have mechanical aptitude to perform routine maintenance on equipment.

Supplemental Information

• Very Frequent (frequently required to perform the job): standing, walking, lifting, pushing/pulling, carrying, climbing, kneeling (bending leg at knee and resting on knee), reaching (extending hands and arms in any direction), handling objects (grasping, turning or otherwise using hands or hand), use of arm muscles over extended periods, repetitive hand motion.
• Frequent (usually required to perform the job): sitting, crawling (moving about on hands and knees), crouching (bending at knees), bending at waist, use of leg muscles over extended periods, overhead work (over shoulder height
• Occasional (sometimes required to perform the job): stationary desk or bench work with neck bent forward are usually required to perform the job.

• The employee must have the ability to frequently lift and carry objects weighing up to 50 pounds and to occasionally lift and carry objects weighing up to 100 pounds (with others or with the assistance). The employee must be able to lift/carry objects such as tools, ladders, buckets, branches, logs, paint, fencing lumber, 50lb bags, seed, fertilizer, blocks.

• Working outdoors, in varying weather conditions; working indoors; operating forklifts, machinery, or vehicles; working with chemicals; working near fumes/vapors; driving city vehicle or personal vehicle; wear/use respirators and other required safety equipment.