Zoning Assistant

Goodhue County is seeking qualified applicants for the Zoning Assistant position in the Land Use Management office.

The Zoning Assistant is responsible for interpretation, enforcement and updating of the Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Controls Ordinance. The Zoning Assistant has considerable interaction with Land Use Management staff members, other departments, advisory boards, commissioners, outside agencies and the general public.

The primary responsibilities of the Zoning Assistant include, but are not limited to:

• Initial review of all zoning permits applications for compliance with county zoning and subdivision ordinances.
• Performs site visits for zoning meetings, ordinance violations and noxious weed complaints.
• Determines correct zoning designation and if property and/or land use requires a conditional use permit, variance or appeal.
• Writes amendments to zoning ordinance and subdivision control ordinance.
• Utilizes the County’s GIS software to analyze, create, and maintain land use datasets, along with map creation for meetings.
• Prepares public hearing notices.
• Prepares agenda reports and packets for Planning Commission and Board of Adjustment meetings as well as taking detailed minutes for publication.

The ideal candidate:

• has exceptional written and verbal communication skills;
• demonstrates an impeccable attention to detail;
• has knowledge of land use concepts, principles and practices;
• is comfortable presenting complex information to large groups in public meetings;
• can correctly read and interpret complex maps;
• has the ability to think on their feet to respectfully respond to controversial or sensitive issues; and,
• is computer savvy and able to quickly learn new software programs.

Minimum Qualifications
This position requires a high school diploma and a two-year degree, with experience working in city, county, or regional land use management, zoning, environmental management, or related discipline. A bachelor’s degree in Land Use, Urban Planning, Urban and Regional Studies, Land Use Planning, or Community Development is preferred.

Compensation and Benefits
County employees receive competitive pay and a generous benefit offering. The Zoning Assistant is compensated at salary grade 109 and starting compensation is $28.56 - $29.99, hourly ($59,404 - $62,379, annually)-depending upon qualifications.

The County's comprehensive benefit package includes medical and dental insurance, health savings account, employer paid life insurance, short and long term disability, accident insurance, vision insurance, pre-tax flexible spending accounts, retirement plan, tax-deferred compensation, vacation and sick leave and 13 paid holidays per year. County employees are eligible for the Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.

Application Process
Interested candidates must submit a Goodhue County Employment Application. Posting will remain open until Thursday, May 1, 2025.

At Goodhue County we embrace diversity and equality in a serious way. We are committed to building a team with a variety of backgrounds, skills and views. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. Creating a culture of Equality isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s also the smart thing.