Associate Planner

Position Overview

This position works in the Department of Planning and Community Development and is an intermediate level position within professional planning. This position is responsible for a variety of moderately complex professional and technical duties for the County's zoning, subdivision review, floodplain management, open lands and community development programs. The position provides technical assistance regarding zoning and subdivision regulations, processes subdivision applications, processes zoning applications and permits, conducts research, and performs other planning projects as assigned. The position reports to the Chief Planning Officer and does not supervise other County personnel.

Provides professional-level customer service to the general public and other customers of the Department of Planning and Community Development.

Provides information to the public regarding land-use, adopted development regulations, and plans.

Reviews or assists in the review of increasingly complex subdivision and zoning applications (e.g. subdivision exemptions, subdivisions, zoning amendments, site plans, conditional use permits, variances, land use permits, sign plans, zoning determinations, etc.) to determine conformance with applicable plans, and regulations.

When assigned, collaborates with the Compliance Department to develop potential remedies for regulatory violations.

Conducts site visits and performs research to compile information and perform analyses relevant to applications.

Prepares and presents detailed reports that summarize a specific application, identify applicable regulations, and provide other relevant factual information to inform advisory boards and decision-making bodies.

When assigned, conducts research, gathers data, and prepares summary reports on complex subjects relevant to land-use planning and community development (e.g. socioeconomic, demographic, and land-use trends; trends in application numbers; cross-jurisdictional Human Resources information; legislative history; case law; gathering planning-related information from other jurisdictions, etc.).

When assigned, develops planning studies and in-depth reports in support of new and updated plans, programs and regulations.

When assigned, assists in writing or writes policy, plans and regulatory documents.

Acts as liaison between community groups, government agencies, developers and elected officials in developing and administering plans and regulations.

When assigned, collaborates with interns, other departments, and consultants working on County projects.

Attends hearings, meetings, conferences, and trainings, including, when necessary, those held on evenings and weekends.

Other Duties as Assigned: Performs a variety of other duties as assigned by the Gallatin County Planning Director or others, including organizing and coordinating a variety of special projects; completing special reports or compiling specialized data; making presentations at hearings, meetings and conferences; attending continuing education and training; maintains databases necessary for accurate and timely tracking of application information; creates a variety of forms and policy documents related to the processing of applications and permits and performs a variety of other functions as needed. If the County Commission proclaims a local emergency due to an actual or threatened disaster such as an earthquake, fire, riot, flood, etc., County employees may be required to provide services during the emergency and for a subsequent period of assessment and recovery.

Qualifications

This work requires knowledge of well-developed planning principles, practices, methods and procedures associated with land-use planning, including direct experience with land-use regulations and plans. Position requires professional planning work of moderate difficulty and is characterized by increasing specialized knowledge of the planning field. Position must have the ability to effectively communicate complex technical information verbally and in writing to audiences with varying levels of technical knowledge; perform research and collect data; apply basic mathematical skills to practical situations; ability to use common computer software to develop reports and spreadsheets and maintain databases and familiarity with geographic information systems is desirable; work on several complex projects or issues simultaneously; work independently or in a team environment as needed; the ability to have creative problem-solving skills to gather relevant information to solve vaguely defined practical problems; the ability to review plans and apply provisions of the regulatory documents to determine compliance with such regulations and to apply regulations to field conditions and the ability to facilitate small group meetings.

Education & Experience

The required knowledge, skills, and abilities are typically acquired through a combination of education and experience equivalent to a Bachelor's Degree in Planning or a related field and two to four (2-4) years of experience in a planner position or a Master's Degree in a planning or closely related field and one to two (1-2) years of experience.