Job Opening: Planning Technician The Town of Plattsburgh
/The Town of Plattsburgh is accepting applications from qualified individuals for the position of Planning Technician. This position is a member of the Planning and Community Development team which is responsible for comprehensive planning, zoning, commercial development review, grants management, and community development & economic revitalization initiatives. Ideal candidates are creative, motivated to learn new skills, gain increased responsibilities over time, and possess strong communication skills. The position involves a wide range of municipal planning and community development activities performed under the supervision of senior Planning Staff. The Planning Technician will provide technical support to other Town departments as necessary to implement comprehensive planning objectives. A strong emphasis is placed upon the applicant’s knowledge and skills using geographic information systems (GIS) for data collection, mapping, and report generation. This position includes periodic work in the field and a valid driver’s license is required. Work is typically performed in a in a small office setting where respect and a positive environment is valued. Typical duties and requirements of the job include:
• Collect, maintain, and translate complex data into compelling reports and presentations
• Conduct public outreach, workshops, and educational programs
• Collect and create supporting materials for grant applications and grants management
• Work collaboratively with senior planning staff to review development proposals
• Contribute to the development and execution of Town programs and events
• Participate in the planning and implementation of community-based events and public initiatives
• Participate in community engagement events, surveys, and workshops
• Communicate complex ideas clearly
• Proficiently write draft reports and technical planning documents
• Stays organized and effective under tight deadlines
• Organized, strong time management skills
• Strong writing skills, both technical and for communications
• Personal discretion and sound judgement
• Ability to work in a small office environment and contribute to positive team building
• Ability to work independently and in a team
• Ability to speak and work diplomatically with members of the public, team members, developers, consultants, and partner agencies, in person, on the phone, and via email
• Ability to conduct on-site inspections of projects before, during, and after construction
• Ability to speak publicly
• Ability to occasionally work late to meet deadlines
• Ability to work occasional evenings for after-hours meetings
• Ability to work occasional weekends for Town events and programs Experience:
• Public facing customer service or public service experience is preferred Salary Range: $55,000-$61,000 with NYS retirement, deferred compensation option, and robust insurance plans. Contact: Please send your resume to hr@townofplattsburghny.gov and include “Planning Technician” in the subject line *Candidates are subject to compliance with Clinton County New York Civil Service regulations and requirements.
Clinton County
Jurisdictional Class: Competitive
Adopted: August 10, 1977
Revised: June 11, 2010
PLANNING TECHNICIAN
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS: The work delegated to employees in this class consists of basic professional assignments in keeping with the job level as well as the limited experience required of incumbents. Within this job concept, assignments may increase in complexity and responsibility as employees increase in professional competence. Occasional supervision may be exercised over non-professional help or other planning personnel. The incumbent does related work as required.
TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES: (Illustrative only)
Participates in studies involving research, investigation, and analysis of sociological, economic, and
environmental factors related to municipal, regional, or community planning;
Collects, tabulates, and analyses census data for use in population, housing, community development, and land use reports;
Assists in studies relating to parking, traffic, public transportation, and other facilities in a municipality or for subdivisions of government within a given region;
Prepares charts, drafts and other illustrative materials;
Prepares grant applications for Federal and State Agencies to obtain urban and community development related funds;
Prepares line drawings, charts, designs, and layouts to scale;
Obtains and collects statistical data relative to capital improvement programs covering such subjects as tax base, elements of municipal indebtedness, and sources of revenue;
Performs miscellaneous office work and maintains records of planning unit activities;
Reviews and critiques requests for zoning variances, housings redevelopment and rehabilitation, land use changes and subdivision plans, and assists in redesigning the residential, commercial, or industrial components to conform to the municipality zoning and subdivision requirements;
Performs project management responsibilities for at least one project among public transportation, agricultural district review, affordable housing, land use management, or environmental management;
Utilizes a computerized geographic information system (GIS) to prepare a variety of maps in response to project management activities or public inquiries.
FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES & PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: Working knowledge of the purposes, principals, terminology, and practices employed in municipal, community, and regional planning;
Working knowledge of the sociological, economic, environmental, engineering designs and research factors in
problems involved in community planning;
Working knowledge of the principles and practices of drafting, mapping, and graphic visual methods as applied to community planning;
Working knowledge of basic research methods and techniques;
Basic knowledge of current accepted methods of data collection analysis and interpretation of statistical data;
Ability to understand complex oral and written direction;
Ability to get along well with others;
Ability to communicate and deal effectively with others;
Sound judgment.
Planning Technician
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Either:
(a) Graduation from a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university with a Bachelor's Degree in Planning, Environmental Sciences, Geography, Civil Engineering, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, or closely related field; or
(b) Completion of sixty (60) semester credit hours at a regionally accredited or New York State registered college or university with a minimum of eighteen (18) credit hours in one or more of the following: Planning, Environmental Studies, Geography, Engineering, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Statistics, Government, or a closely related field; and two (2) years work experience in municipal, community, or regional planning.
NOTE: This class requires reasonable access to transportation to meet field work requirements in a timely manner during the ordinary course of business.
NOTE: Your degree must have been awarded by a college or university accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education/U.S. Secretary of Education. If your degree was awarded by an educational institution outside the United States and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. A list of acceptable companies who provide this service can be found on the Internet at http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm. You must pay the required evaluation fee.
