Landscape Technician

 PayThe work below is representative of the scope of work performed within this job classification. Individual job duties will vary based on work assignment.

*Maintain park grounds, public plazas, streetscapes, trees, urban & naturalized landscapes, roadway medians and right-of-ways and other public areas that the City is responsible for:

• Operate all hand and power tools, saws, light and heavy duty equipment, and various other grounds & tree maintenance equipment necessary to maintain assigned areas of responsibility.
• Perform grounds, landscape and tree maintenance tasks i.e. mow, fertilize, spray, prune, sweep, rake, dig, water, shovel, plant, snow removal, waste removal, etc., including formative pruning and integrated pest management.
• Perform activities associated with landscape creation including grading, site preparation, seeding, sodding, planting, retaining wall construction, plant material installation, site restoration etc.
• Plow and remove snow from parking lots, sidewalks and plazas and other properties.
• Install, operate and maintain irrigation systems and components.
• Perform necessary repair and maintenance of parks, plaza, buildings, facilities, infrastructure, furniture and equipment.
• Operate and maintain seasonal & decorative lighting fixtures and electrical services.
• Occasionally lead other team members and/or provide daily work direction for seasonal workers, volunteers and temporarily assigned City employees.

*Assist with other Park Department and Recreation facilities and divisions operations and maintenance activities, as needed, examples include: 

• Graham Arena Complex - assist with setting and removal of hockey boards, set up chairs and tables for events and perform maintenance in the buildings
• Golf Division - assist with clearing debris from courses, haul and distribute wood chips, sand and topsoil to courses

*Assist in non-departmental community events:

• Event set up and clean up – ie: Rochester Fest, Thursday's on First, Down by the Riverside, 4th of July Celebration, etc.
• Participation with providing operational support for activities at City Facilities ie: baseball/softball tournaments, Rugby tournament, Soccer events, etc.

Perform other duties as assigned.

*ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONSEducation and Experience
An Associate's degree or two-year vocational certificate in horticulture, arboriculture, landscape maintenance, natural resources, ecology or closely related field; AND six (6) months of experience:

• operating and maintaining landscape or other applicable maintenance equipment
• performing general grounds and landscape maintenance of out-door areas

OR 
An equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job.

Licenses and/or Certifications
Valid Minnesota Class B Commercial Driver's License (CDL) with tanker endorsement; and non-commercial pesticide applicator license categories A and E; within six months of hire as a condition of continued employment.

Desirable Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in horticulture, arboriculture, landscape maintenance, natural resources, ecology or closely related field.

Experience in sports field management; turf management; pesticide application and integrated pest management; and landscape design, installation and maintenance of outdoor areas including naturalized landscapes.*THIS POSITION MAY BE COVERED BY THE CITY'S RESPIRATORY PROTECTION PROGRAM (based on job assignment)
Employees in this position are required to use respiratory equipment and the City of Rochester will conform to all State and Federal requirements in administering this program.

*THIS POSITION MAY BE COVERED BY THE CITY'S HEARING CONSERVATION PROGRAM (based on job assignment)
Employees in this position are required to use hearing protection and the City of Rochester will conform to all State and Federal requirements in administering this program.

*THIS POSITION IS COVERED BY THE CITY OF ROCHESTER DRUG TESTING POLICY
The drug and alcohol testing policies and procedures of the City of Rochester will conform to all State and Federal requirements, including Minnesota Statutes 181.950 through 181.957; the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988; and/or the US Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

*Pre-employment and/or periodic testing may be required. 

THIS POSITION IS COVERED BY PARK AND RECREATION AREA RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT
In order to provide timely services, P&R has designated specific positions which must comply with an area residency requirement, based on job-related necessity where employees in such positions must reside within thirty (30) driving miles of their normally scheduled work reporting location.

New Hires 
Individuals hired for designated positions with P&R covered by an area residency requirement who do not meet this requirement shall be allowed no more than twelve (12) months, from their date of hire, in order to meet the thirty (30) driving mile requirement.

Current Employees
P&R employees in designated positions covered by the area residency requirement and who reside at a location that allows them to report to work within an approximate thirty (30) minute timeline from the time notified, prior to (1/1/2012), shall be deemed to comply with P&R's area residency requirement provided that they remain at their current address. If a current P&R employee in a designated position covered by the area residency requirement relocates, their new address/residence must be located within thirty (30) driving miles of their normally scheduled work reporting location and notice must be given to their immediate supervisor prior to relocating to ensure compliance with the area residency requirement.

Promotional Opportunities 
Job change opportunities pursued by the employee to designated P&R positions covered by an area residency requirement shall be withheld from employees whose address/residence is located more than thirty (30) driving miles from the normally scheduled work reporting location of their new position, with the exception of employees who are willing to relocate within 12 months from date of job change in order to comply with the thirty (30) driving mile area residence requirement; OR employees who immediately prior to their job change were in a designated position and resided at a location that allowed them to report to work within the approximate thirty (30) minutes (as noted under the Current Employee section) from the time notified.

Noncompliance with Residency Requirements 
In the event that an employee fails to comply with the residency requirement, the employee will be considered to no longer meet the minimum requirements of the position. In such instance, the City will take formal action, up to and including termination. An employee may be granted an extension if there is credible basis, as determined by the employer, for justification as to why the employee has failed to comply. Said basis shall consist of circumstances not caused or controlled by the employee.

PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the following represents the physical and environmental demands for this position. The employee must be able to perform the essential functions with or without accommodation.

In consideration of the overall amount of physical effort required to perform this position, the work is best described as Heavy Work: Exerting up to 100 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 50 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 20 pounds of force constantly to move objects.

Physical demands that may be required continuously (2/3 or more of the time), frequently (1/3 to 2/3 of the time), and occasionally (up to 1/3 of the time) are noted below:
Continuous demands: standing, walking, lifting, carrying, pushing/pulling, reaching, handling
Frequent demands: sitting, kneeling, crouching, bending, twisting, climbing, balancing, foot controls
Occasional demands: fine dexterity, crawling

Sensory requirements necessary in the performance of the essential functions of this position include: sight, hearing, touch, and smell.

Environmental conditions that may exist in the performance of the essential functions of this job include:
Extreme cold (below 32 degrees)
Extreme heat (above 100 degrees)
Noise (need to shout in order to be heard)
Vibration (exposure to oscillating movements of the extremities of whole body)
Exposure to dust/gas/fumes/steam/chemicals
Work outdoors (no effective protection from weather)
Walk on uneven ground (gravel, rocks, mounds, construction sites)
Work at heights (such as on scaffolding or ladders)
Working around moving machinery (fork-lifts, tractors, mowers)
Protective equipment required (respirator, mask, earplugs, gloves, eyewear, etc.)

Salary : $28 - $37