Job Description

Classification Title: Neighborhood Planner

Department: Community Planning & Development

Pay Grade: 108

FLSA Status: Exempt

Reports to: Manager of Planning

Supervisory Responsibility: No

Travel Requirements: Yes

GENERAL STATEMENT OF JOB

The purpose of the class is to develop and maintain the County’s Neighborhood Improvement Program and to administer the Neighborhood Improvement Fund; to integrate neighborhood planning with the County’s comprehensive land use planning process, and to perform related professional and administrative work as required. This class works within broad policy and organizational guidelines and does independent planning and implementation, reporting progress of major activities through periodic conferences and meetings.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential Functions:

• Conducts a continuing planning program for the physical, social, and economic development and redevelopment of Richland County neighborhoods.
• Assists with the development and implementation of small area master plans for communities within Richland County that outlines the vision, goals, and desired outcomes for those communities.
• Establishes policies and procedures for neighborhood improvement program development and implementation.
• Collaborates with neighborhood residents, community leaders, and appointed and elected officials to develop neighborhood improvement plans.
• Conducts comprehensive surveys and studies of existing conditions and probable future development, including recommended means of implementation.
• Compiles data for and creates, publishes, and distributes maps, plans, reports, and recommendations to County administration, Planning Commission, County Council, and the general public.
• Administers and maintains accountability for the disbursement and use of Neighborhood Improvement Funds. Manages N.I.P. (millage agency), including adoption and implementation of neighborhood master plans, administration of neighborhood matching grants, and production of neighborhood leadership training and annual neighborhood planning conference.
• Contributes and assists with updates to the County’s comprehensive land use plan and related implementation tools.
• Facilitates interagency and interjurisdictional planning for community infrastructure.
• Assists co-workers with projects and assignments as necessary.
• Participates in department marketing and public relations efforts; makes public presentations to inform the public about department projects and programs and to receive public input; conducts public meetings.
• Represents the department and County to various civic, professional, community, and other organizations.
• Receives and responds to inquiries, concerns, complaints, and requests for assistance regarding areas of responsibility.
• Performs general administrative/clerical work as required, including but not limited to preparing reports and correspondence, copying and filing documents, entering and retrieving computer data, preparing spreadsheets, answering the telephone, etc.
• Attends training, conferences, seminars, meetings, etc., to enhance job knowledge and skills.
• Provides direction to Neighborhood Intern.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND TRAINING

• Bachelor’s Degree in Urban or Regional Planning, Landscape Architecture, Public Administration, or closely related field.
• No prior experience required.

-or-

• Any combination of education and experience that meets the requirements for performing the essential functions of this job.

Licenses/Certifications/Other:

• Must possess a valid state driver’s license.
• American Institute of Certified Planners Certification desirable.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS REQUIRED

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Data Involvement Requires synthesizing or integrating analysis of data or information to discover facts or develop knowledge or interpretations; changes policies, procedures or methodologies based on new facts, knowledge or interpretations.
• People Involvement: Requires persuading or influencing others in favor of a service, point of view, or course of action; may enforce laws, rules, regulations or ordinances. Continuous interaction with general public concerns.
• Involvement with Things: Requires handling or using machines, tools or equipment requiring brief instruction or experience, such as computers for data entry, fax machines, copiers, telephones or similar equipment; may service office machines, including adding paper and changing toner.

• Reasoning Requirements: Requires performing work involving the application of principles of logical thinking to diagnose or define problems, collect data and solve abstract problems with widespread unit or organizational impact.
• Mathematical Requirements: Requires using algebra working with such factors as exponents, logarithms, linear and quadratic equations; concepts of analytic geometry, differentiation and integration of algebraic functions; statistics, applying such functions as frequency distribution, reliability, validity and correlation techniques; finance and economics using financial and econometric models.

• Language Requirements: Requires reading professional literature and technical manuals; speaking to groups of employees, other public and private groups; writing manuals and complex reports.
• Mental Requirements: Requires doing professional-level work requiring the application of scientific, engineering, accounting or legal methods in the solution of technical, administrative or legal problems; requires extensive understanding of operating policies and procedures and ability to apply these to complex problems; or the coordination of sub professional work in these disciplines; requires continuous, close attention for accurate results and frequent exposure to unusual pressures.

Computer Requirements Must be proficient in use of Microsoft Office.

• Judgments and Decisions Decision-making is a significant part of the job, affecting a large segment of the organization and the general public; works in a dynamic environment; responsible to assist in developing policy and practices.

Physical Requirements

• The work is sedentary work which requires the person in this position to occasionally exert up to 10 pounds of force to grasp, lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:

• Crouching Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
• Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.
• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Handling: Picking, holding, or otherwise working, primarily with the whole hand.
• Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound.
• Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles.
• Manual Dexterity: Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
• Mental Acuity Ability to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
• Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Repetitive Motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
• Speaking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.
• Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Visual Acuity: Have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; and/or extensive reading. Including color, depth perception, and field vision.
• Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

May be required to work hours other than the regular schedule including nights, weekends, and holidays. This position requires regular and reliable attendance and the employee’s physical presence at the workplace. The job may risk exposure to bright/dim light, dusts and pollen, extreme heat and/or cold, wet or humid conditions, extreme noise levels, fumes and/or noxious odors, traffic, etc., during site visits. Work is performed in a safe and secure work environment that may periodically have unpredicted requirements or demands.

EEO AND ADA MESSAGE

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions described herein. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were written out in this job description.

Richland County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA requires the County to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.

Richland County has the right to revise this job description at any time. This description does not represent in any way a contract of employment.

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