Associate Planner

Associate Planner

Join Our Community Development Team as an Associate Planner! The City of Larkspur is seeking a talented planning professional to support a wide range of current and long-range planning initiatives. This position offers the opportunity to work on impactful projects, provide outstanding customer service, and collaborate with colleagues and community members to enhance the quality of life in Larkspur. If you're looking for meaningful work in a welcoming and engaged community, apply today!

Under general direction, the Associate Planner performs professional planning duties in the fields of long-range planning, current planning, and building permitting; performs a variety of diverse professional planning assignments including technical reviews and evaluations of land use and permit applications, environmental impact documents, and construction projects; ensures compliance with all aspects of the City General Plan and related ordinances and laws; collects and analyzes data on zoning, subdivision design, housing design, and other land use issues; assists in conducting environmental impact reviews; prepares written and graphic reports; and performs related work as assigned.

This is the journey level class in the professional Planner series. Incumbents in this class are assigned a broad range of planning assignments from short-term and moderately sized projects to difficult and complex planning projects with latitude for initiative and independent judgment within organizational policy parameters. This class differs from the lower level of Assistant Planner in that the latter class requires direct supervision and works less independently and is considered an entry or training level classification in the planner series. Additionally, the Associate Planner may act as the Zoning Administrator and exercises a high level of independent judgment in that role. The Associate Planner may provide technical direction to administrative and technical staff members in the course of the City's daily operations.

Supervision is provided by the Planning and Building Director, and lead direction may also be received from other managers or mid-managers; or from higher level professional staff.

Examples of Duties

Essential duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Assist and answer public inquiries at permit information counter.
• Review building permits and business license certificates for conformance to current zoning regulations.
• Process administrative permit approvals (e.g. Exception Permits, Second Unit Permits)
• Review and complete residential resale forms.
• Analyze planning and planning-related development projects; ensure development proposals conform to City General Plan and other applicable plans and regulations; interpret planning and planning-related ordinances and advise citizens.
• Prepare, check and review important technical records involving the General Plan, capital improvement program, zoning ordinance, and other technical city planning records.
• Gather, interpret, and prepare data for permit application review process, studies, reports and recommendations; coordinate department activities with other City departments and agencies as needed.
• Provide technical and professional advice; make presentations to city council, committees, civic groups and the general public; respond to questions and concerns from the general public; provide information as is appropriate and resolve complaints.
• Attend City Council meetings, Planning Commission meetings, and other boards, commissions, and committee meetings as needed and represent the City to outside agencies; take notes and prepare summary reports.
• Perform field investigations and write reports on specifically assigned problems in the field of zoning, subdivisions, park and recreation areas, population movement and traffic, code enforcement and other land use studies.
• Assist in and perform research and analysis of economic and sociological problems as a basis for preparation of the General Plan, specific plans, and capital improvement program.
• Answer inquiries pertaining to zoning, street location and other city planning-related issues.
• Assist in preparing amendments to the General Plan, Municipal Code, and/or other policy and procedure documents as necessary.
• Monitor trends in current and long range planning, community needs and other factors in city planning.
• Respond to and resolve difficult and sensitive citizen inquiries and complaints
• Manage and participate in the development and implementation of goals, objectives, policies and priorities for assigned programs; recommend and administer policies and procedures.
• Use a variety of software to maintain and update the Department's website, and to create content as needed.
• Make continuing personal contacts with civic and business organizations and the general public in the explanation and interpretation of laws, ordinances, policies, rules and regulations relating to city planning activities; interprets and explains zoning ordinances and other city planning problems to the public.
• Perform related duties as required.

Typical Qualifications

Requirements Knowledge of:

• Applicable policies, procedures and work methods associated with assigned duties including Planning and Zoning Laws, the Subdivision Map Act, California Environmental Quality Act, and the City of Larkspur Municipal Zoning Ordinance.
• Advanced principles and practices of urban planning including current and long range planning programs and processes.
• The principles and practices of drafting and mapping.
• Zoning laws and comprehensive plans including their formation, process of adoption, and enforcement.
• The purposes, policies, and procedures of the City Council, Planning Commission, and other agencies concerned with public planning and community development.
• Current laws and trends in federal, state, regional, and local planning.
• Knowledge of computerized information systems and equipment typically used in land use planning activities
• Statistical and research methods and the sources of information and data relating to city and regional growth.
• Urban design, park and recreational area design, land subdivision, zoning and of legal descriptions and federal, state and local laws as they relate to city planning.
• Current professional best practices in the city planning and of methods for operating appropriate current and long range planning.
• Correct business English, including spelling, grammar and punctuation.
• Standard office practices and procedures, including records management and the operations of standard office equipment.

Skill and Ability in:

• Collecting, analyzing and interpreting data pertaining to planning and zoning situations.
• Preparing technical reports and presentations of data, plans and maps.
• Collecting, analyzing, and compiling data pertaining to planning and zoning functions.
• Interpreting planning codes and ordinances.
• Researching and interpreting recorded maps, plans, and legal descriptions.
• Prepare technical reports of moderate to high complexity.
• Developing workflow sequences and documentation and records maintenance procedures.
• Establishing effective working relationships with the general public, governmental officials, professional and technical specialists, and other employees.
• Communicating effectively orally and in writing with architects, contractors, developers, owners, supervisors, employees, and the general public.
• Providing technical training and direction to other employees.
• Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office suite; competence with databases, GIS programs and desktop publishing software.
• Proficiency in website maintenance for public information and access.
• Understanding and applying policies and procedures, and adhering to City standards and objectives.

Education and/or Experience: Sufficient experience and education related to professional land use planning to demonstrate the knowledge and skills listed and to perform the essential duties is required. A typical way of obtaining the required qualifications is:

• Possession of a Bachelor's degree or equivalent in urban or regional planning or a related field.
• At least two years of directly related experience in urban or regional planning or a related field.

In addition, qualified candidates must:

• Possess a valid Class C California Driver's License by date of appointment
• Be willing and able to work occasional evenings as needed for required meetings.

Supplemental Information

Physical working conditions:

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.

Position requires prolonged sitting, standing, walking; and occasional kneeling, squatting and stooping in the performance of daily activities. The employee will occasionally be required to climb or balance or crawl; and while occasionally inspecting project sites will be required to walk on uneven hillside terrain with natural obstacles and be exposed to outdoor weather conditions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to video display terminals. The position also requires repetitive hand movement and fine coordination in data entry and preparing reports using a computer keyboard. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. Acute hearing is required when providing phone and personal service. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 35 pounds. The employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts and may occasionally work with use of a City vehicle. The noise level in the