Planner I & II

The Planner position administers short term planning actions, land-use petitions and permit issuance, and short subdivision applications, performs or assists in a wide variety of other technical or administrative tasks to manage the current community land use plans, regulations, and procedures.  

Grade/Salary Schedule: Planner I:  Grade 15 / NB75                                             Planner II: Grade 16 / NB75

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE JOB                                                                                                     
PLANNER I

• Learns principles related to land use and planning including code enforcement, policy development, and physical inspections all under the supervision and guidance of senior planners.

PLANNER II

• Coordinates with the Building Division, and other relevant County departments, to enforce County Code violations, taking a lead role in actions related to violations of the Franklin County land-use and zoning Codes.
• Represents Franklin County, as assigned by the Director, on a variety of boards, commissions, and advisory groups.
• Acts as Planning and Building Director, when the Director is absent or when assigned, regarding short-term land-use review and permit approvals.
• As assigned by the Director, acts as the lead agent in the research and development of recommendations for improvements to the Franklin County land-use policies and regulations, as well as other long-term planning and economic development policies, standards, and/or projects.

 
PLANNER I AND II

• Provides customer service and performs department functions by responding to requests, inquiries, questions, or appeals by researching, reviewing, analyzing, tracking, or reconciling and communicating policy interpretation, sharing detailed and/or technical information, making recommendations, and providing advice, reports, answers, and presentations within scope of knowledge or authority or referring to appropriate individual. 
• Working with Permit Center staff, reviews applications and submittals at the counter for completeness and compliance with County submittal requirements.
• Performs field inspections prior to preparing final reports to determine pre-project site
   conditions and perform post-permit issuance inspections to monitor compliance with the conditions of approval.
• Assists with the general administration of the Code Enforcement program including providing code interpretation, communication to property owners, site investigations, and presentations at public hearings. 
• Assists with developing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating, and making improvements to performance standards, processes, policies, procedures, ordinances, building codes and standards, or database due to new trends, innovations, federal, state and local rules, laws, regulations, legislation, codes, and ordinances as they relate to the assigned areas and responsibilities.
• Pursues self-development and continuing development of skills and knowledge by attending ongoing educational workshops, reviewing professional or technical publications, and establishing personal networks. 

 
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Proficient knowledge of relevant legislation, and modern principles, methods, and practices in planning and code enforcement. Knowledge of state and local planning, zoning, development, and building codes. (General knowledge required for Planner I)
• Proficient knowledge of, and ability to apply, techniques and related tools, equipment, and technology as they relate to area(s) of assignment according to current department and County practices. (General knowledge required for Planner I)
• Proficient skills in troubleshooting and resolving issues or problems by analyzing   problems, identifying alternative solutions, interpreting compliance documentation, projecting consequences of proposed actions and implementing recommendations in support of goals. (General knowledge required for Planner I)
• Proficient time management and mental and physical organization skills that support the ability to focus, have clarity, and use strategy to fulfill a variety of tasks successfully. (General knowledge required for Planner I)
• Proficient computer skills in Word, Excel, Outlook, and the internet for research. Proficient skills in Access, Adobe, Publisher, and the ability to learn and develop proficient skills in the current County-wide resource planning and Geographic Information System (GIS) software. (General knowledge required for Planner I)
• Ability to write and speak clearly and concisely and to express ideas and recommendations effectively orally and in writing. 
• Ability and willingness to establish and maintain communication and working relationships with peers, representatives from other agencies, vendors, public officials, and the general public using courtesy, tact, and good judgment. 
• Ability to effectively present information, findings, proposals, training, or other information to a variety of audiences by clearly articulating, engaging the audience, assessing the needs of the audience, and using appropriate materials to help audience understand the message.
• Ability to work independently and take advantage of opportunities, organize and prioritize several ongoing and frequently changing assignments to meet deadlines.

 
WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
 

• Work may be performed in the following environmental conditions:
  • constantly: in an office environment, and 
  • occasionally: wet, humid conditions (non-weather), fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, outdoor weather conditions, extreme cold or heat (non-weather), risk of electrical shock, dirt, dust, and shavings. 
• The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate, a typical office environment and occasionally loud when on active construction project sites.

 
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

• Required to be on call and able to work nights, weekends, and holidays as needed to attend meetings, complete work, or respond to emergencies. 
• Required to travel frequently within the County for meetings and field work and occasionally in the state for affiliate or associate meetings or training and conferences which may require an overnight stay.

 
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
 
The person in this position must be able to

• spend the following amount of time in an activity: 
  • constantly: talk or hear, sit for extended periods of time, and use hands, fingers to handle or feel, or operate equipment or tools, and
  • frequently: stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms, and
  • occasionally: climb, pull, push or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. 
• frequently carry or transport up to 10 pounds and occasionally up to 50 pounds. 
• have the following vision abilities: depth perception, peripheral vision, ability to adjust focus, and have close and distance vision (from one inch to 20 feet or more). 

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in Urban/Regional Planning or a closely related field.
• Two years of land use planning, economic development, or related experience. (Planner II)

OR 

• Any combination of education and experience which would provide the applicant with the desired knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the job.

 
LICENSES, CERTIFICATES, AND OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

• Employment at Franklin County is contingent upon the results of a background check and eligibility for coverage by the County’s liability insurance carrier.  Depending upon the position, background checks may include personal and professional references, social security verification, education and professional licensing verification, financial history, and criminal history.
• Valid driver’s license if driving a vehicle for County business.

OTHER DUTIES DISCLAIMER
The statements herein describe the principal functions of this job, level of knowledge and skills typically required, scope of responsibility, work requirements and working conditions, but are not all-inclusive. Individuals may perform other duties and Franklin County, Washington reserves the right to modify, add or remove duties, and assign other duties as necessary, including work in other functional areas to cover absences or relief, to equalize peak work periods, or to otherwise balance the workload.

Salary : $52,026 - $76,850