Job Specifications

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

Under general supervision, performs a wide variety of technical planning office work pertaining to land use and zoning ordinances, advises the public on general zoning and land use regulations and building permit procedures, checks building plans for conformance with zoning and land use regulations, conducts zoning or building research, and does other related work as required.

This is the entry-level paraprofessional class used to train for the professional planning series. The Planning Technician provides the public with a variety of technical information related to general zoning and planning ordinance requirements, zoning violations, environmental review procedures and application filing procedures. Supervision is received from a Principal Planner, as well as a Supervising Planner. This position is distinguished from the Planner series in that the latter adds the element of analysis of zoning and building applications as well as providing analysis of the more complex questions.

Provides information to the public on general zoning and land use regulations and building permit requirements. Assists applicants in filing building applications. Performs the initial zoning plan checking for all building applications for such things as setback, height, and location on site, access, and mapped constraints. Advises applicants on corrections needed. Refers the more complex plans to the planning staff, may sign off on the more routine plans submitted. Calculates fees, assigns application number. Conducts zoning or building research by looking up zoning, general plan and resource/constraint information for parcels and/or reviewing previous zoning and building permits for a given parcel. Prepares rural matrixes for review by supervisor and others. Maintain the Assessor's Parcel Map file.

• Working knowledge of office practices and procedures, including preparation of business correspondence, reports and filing.
• Working knowledge of business English, spelling, grammar and punctuation.
• Some knowledge of the principles practices and trends of public planning.
• Some knowledge of building plans or building technology.
• Some knowledge of zoning and planning ordinances, environmental reviews and permit application procedures and requirements.
• Some knowledge of construction drawings and blueprint reading.

Ability to:

• Maintain record keeping and filing systems.
• Write correspondence.
• Learn and explain various zoning and planning ordinances, environmental review and basic permit application procedures and requirements.
• Read and interpret construction drawings, blueprints, plans and specifications.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those encountered in the course of work.
• Locate property on an assessors parcel map and from property descriptions.
• Input and access data using a computer.
• Review building permit applications for completeness and correctness.
• Organize work and establish priorities.
• Execute a variety of sequential tasks in a timely manner.
• Follow oral and written instructions.

Training and Experience: Any combination of training and experience, which would provide the required knowledge and abilities list, is qualifying. A typical way to obtain these knowledge and abilities would be:

Two years of clerical support experience, which relates to land use regulations, the building process, construction, drafting, or mapping that included six months of experience involving public contact.

OR

Twelve semester units of college coursework in planning, urban studies, environmental sciences, architecture, engineering, construction technology, map reading or closely related field, AND six months of experience involving public contact.

Bargaining Unit: 41

EEOC Job Category: 03

Occupational Grouping: 28

Worker's Comp Code: 0053