Planning Technician

Salary: $18.81 – $22.57 Hourly

Department: Development Services

Closing: 7/5/2019 5:00 PM Eastern

About us:
The City of Asheville is dedicated to providing quality service for the residents and visitors of our beautiful city, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina. Asheville, NC is a thriving mountain city that has a culture enriched in diversity.

The City of Asheville values and respects a diverse community, workforce and ideas, and is committed to promoting an equitable, fair, and just employment environment. Our organization seeks to create and provide access and opportunities to employees, residents and visitors to fulfill their potential through inclusive engagement practices. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status.

About our Opportunity:
The City of Asheville is seeking a full-time, non-exempt Planning Technician to join the Development Services Department. The purpose of this position is to perform a variety of office administrative work in support of the operations while working closely with the public on a regular basis to provide excellent customer service on planning and zoning issues.

Work Schedule: Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Answers questions from the development community and the general public regarding basic technical review requirements and development activity.
Maintains online systems and publicly available data to communicate regulatory process requirements and technical project details for site plan review.
Reviews applications for major development review for completeness and compliance with submittal requirements.
Processes and distributes online submissions of development applications for review by the Technical Review Committee.
Acts as the Development Services Department’s web content manager.
Conducts division specific administrative work on an as needed basis.
Coordinates review of Technical Review Committee applications by organizing and routing materials, questions and communications.
Guides customers of the Technical Review Process by coordinating pre-application meetings, providing timelines, facilitating contact with technical experts and acting as a point of contact for all review elements.
Monitor the workflow progress of major development projects that have been approved by the Technical Review Committee and coordinate final inspections
Provides administrative support to the Technical Review Committee by processing pre-applications, applications, managing records, and distributing information to staff and public stakeholders.
Provides as needed assistance to the general public to answer permitting questions and assists the general public with various forms and application pertaining to land use and zoning.
Assists with special projects as assigned.
Attends public meetings, assisting other planning staff as appropriate.
Assists in the maintenance of Geographic Information Systems and acts as the alternate for the City’s Emergency Addressing Coordinator.
Prepares public notices or property owner verifications.

Supplemental Functions:
Performs other similar duties as required.

Education & Experience:
Associate’s degree or two-year technical college degree with at least one (1) year of development review/zoning inspection experience.
Proficiency using Google Suite.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Working Conditions
Knowledge:
Knowledge of planning principles and practices, including pertinent specialties.
Knowledge of principles and practices of research and data collection.
Knowledge of effective writing techniques.
Statistical, algebraic or geometric knowledge and ability to apply such knowledge in practical situations.
Knowledge of computer hardware and software programs, which may include Google Suite, Internet applications, and GIS.

Skills and Abilities:
Ability to read, summarize and/or compare general workplace data and graphics, such as flow charts, maps, tables, etc.
Ability to conduct research of existing, internal policies and procedures
Ability to share information with direct supervisor or coworkers; no formal report compiled.
Ability to think creatively for work practices, programs and policies and is preferred for managing obstacles.
Ability to communicate effectively in spoken and written form.
Ability to analyze situations to pinpoint problems and assist with solving problems or identifying sources of obstacles.
Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships as required by work assignments.
Ability to work independently with limited supervision.
Ability to analyze and interpret policy and procedural guidelines and to apply this understanding to tasks.
Ability to bring resources together to resolve a problem or provide a solution.

APPLY ONLINE: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/ashevillenc/jobs/2484748/planning-technician

Benefits:
The City of Asheville offers a comprehensive benefit package and other programs, resources, policies and practices that integrate work/life strategies. Our programs have been designed to provide a variety of choices to best fit your needs and the needs of your family.
The City of Asheville provides eligible employees with access to a variety of benefit plans that promote health and wellness, in addition to helping you build financial resources for retirement. We offer the benefit plans you would expect from a leading employer—such as health insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, retirement and a variety of other voluntary programs that can be valuable for your specific needs.

Benefits offered include:
Health Insurance (choice of several plans) with pharmacy card included
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Health Services Clinic available during work hours (no co-pay needed)
Nationally recognized disease management programs
5% employer contribution to 401(k)
ICMA 457 – voluntary
Contributory retirement system (LGERS)
12 days vacation per year increasing with service to 20 days
12 days sick leave per year increasing with service to 15 days
11 paid holidays per year
Employee Assistance Program
Sick Leave Sharing Bank
Medical and Dependent Care Reimbursement Plans
Life Insurance (choice of several plans)
Long Term Disability
Tuition Reimbursement Program
Employee Discounts
College Savings Program (voluntary)
Long-Term Care Insurance (voluntary)
Cancer Insurance Plan (voluntary)