Community Development Technician (Permit Technician)

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TECHNICIAN (PERMIT TECHNICIAN)

An excellent opportunity to join the City and be part of a dynamic and professional team making a difference in our community!

The City of Santa Rosa is committed to building a workforce reflective of our community and establishing a lasting culture of equity and belonging within our organization. Our collective talents and expertise contribute to high-quality public services that support a vibrant, resilient, inclusive City for our community and visitors. We celebrate a diverse workforce and welcome all qualified candidates to apply.

The Benefits of City Employment

In addition to offering a rewarding work environment, opportunity for career growth, and an excellent salary, the City of Santa Rosa provides a generous suite of benefits, including retirement through CalPERS, a competitive leave accrual package, a choice of health plans, a flexible spending program, employer contributions to a Retiree Health Savings plan, and top of the line employer paid vision and dental coverage.  Information about available benefits can be found on the City's Benefits Page and in the Unit 7 Memorandum of Understanding.

The Position

Community Development Technicians (sometimes called Permit Technicians) receive and process various land use, planning, building and encroachment permit applications and plans and specifications which are submitted to the City, both through the online permit portal, and in person, in accordance with the Santa Rosa City Code. They explain laws, ordinances, rules and regulations and provide other information of a general and technical nature to the general public and industry professionals; and perform research on a variety of planning, building, encroachment, and economic development topics.

Ideal Candidate

We are looking for candidates who have excellent interpersonal and customer service skills; ability to work in a fast-paced, digital environment; and experience in a public or private engineering, planning or building services office. ICC Permit Technician Certification and Spanish/English bilingual skills are highly desirable. Bilingual pay is available to those who qualify.

• Receive, review and process a variety of planning and use applications such as conditional use permits, tentative maps and map amendments, design review, home occupations, signs, lot line adjustments, tree removal, and outdoor sales;

 • receive, review and process a variety of building permit applications such as commercial, industrial, and residential new construction, additions, alterations, tenant improvements, and site grading and drainage;

 • provide information to the general public on the planning application process and requirements, including land use, codes and ordinances relating to the General Plan, and zoning;

 • provide information to the general public on the building permit application process, associated fees, and other development related requests;

 • assist professional planners and design professionals in the technical aspects of the planning process;

 • check and process applications for  zoning and use permits;

 • verify and approve simple planning applications, such as tree removal and sign permits;

 • verify and approve minor building permit applications over the counter;

 • use computer database programs and permit tracking systems for information, data entry and/or report information and to initiate and track building permit applications in the plan check process;

 • collect fees and issue planning building permits;

 • check building permit applications for required information;

 • review building permit plan submittals for proper content, format, and completeness;

 • confer with builders, engineers, contractors, architects and the public concerning building codes and permit requirements;

 • maintain a variety of records and files;

 • prepare written reports and correspondence;

 • conduct research for special projects as required;

 • receive and forward requests for code violation investigations;

 • assist in policy and procedure system development related to the permit intake process as requested;

 • reconcile end of business day cash and create bank deposits;

 • issue verify, and assign addresses

Knowledge of: Land use and general planning and zoning processes; building permit processes; building codes; methods and techniques of problem resolution and public contact; basic statistics and data gathering methods; basic organization and services of local government is desirable; procedures regarding the receiving and recording of cash payments; modern office practices, procedures, methods, and equipment.

Ability to: Deal effectively with builders, engineers, architects and the general public; read and interpret maps, construction drawings and blueprints; learn and apply a variety of zoning, land use and planning-related, and building code related requirements and code provisions; communicate clearly and concisely, orally and in writing; quickly and accurately review plans and calculate permit fees in accordance with established laws, ordinances and policies; respond tactfully to a variety of questions, inquiries and complaints, use computer database programs, such as Accela, for data entry and report generation; collaboratively work with other counter technicians and respect input of other staff in decision making.

Experience and Education: Any combination equivalent to experience and education that could likely provide the required knowledge and abilities would be qualifying.

A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be: Experience

• Sufficient years of public contact experience, including face-to-face contact, preferably in a public sector engineering or planning office, which demonstrates possession of the knowledge and abilities listed above; Education

• Equivalent to completion of the twelfth grade, preferably supplemented by college level courses in urban planning, engineering, construction technology, construction management, or other related fields.

License and/or Certificate: This classification requires the ability to perform work at various locations.

 Individuals must be physically capable of operating a motor vehicle safely and possess a valid, Class C, California Driver License, or be able to demonstrate the ability to travel on scheduled or unscheduled visits to various City facilities or work locations which may or may not be reachable by public transportation. Possession of International Code Council Permit Technician certificate desirable.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

Incumbents within this classification are expected to be able to communicate orally, in person or via the telephone, with members of the general public, other City employees, or employees of outside companies and other agencies.  Much of the work is performed in a crowded and noisy office setting and consists of entering data into and retrieving data from personal computers and terminals via keyboards and is performed while standing or sitting for extended periods of time with the ability to move about at will. Incumbents may also be required to move objects weighing up to 20 pounds, such as construction plan submittals, for distances of less than 50 feet.

The Selection Process

The first step in the selection process will consist of a review of each applicant's employment application and supplemental questionnaire for minimum qualifications. Depending on the number and breadth of experience of the of applicants, the next step may consist of an online skills examination and/or a thorough evaluation of training and experience as presented on the applications and responses to supplemental questions. Applicants scoring highest in this process will be invited to interviews.

Please complete a thoughtful, thorough Supplemental Questionnaire submission. As part of the selection process, your responses to these questions will be scored using criteria specific to this position. Responses such as "See Resume" may be cause for disqualification from the process.

Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply, depending on the duties and responsibilities of the position. If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer is contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter.

The City of Santa Rosa

• A Wonderful Place to Call Home

A charter city incorporated in 1868, Santa Rosa is the county seat of Sonoma County, one of California's premier wine growing regions, and is the gateway to tourist destinations in the redwoods and on the coast. Santa Rosa is the 26th largest City in the state.

It occupies 41 square miles and serves a population of 170,000. The City has a historic preservation program and has environmental diversity.

The City of Santa Rosa provides a full range of services including police and fire protection; construction and maintenance of streets and other infrastructure; water, storm water, and wastewater utilities; housing services through its Housing Authority; economic development; transit; parking; and recreation, parks, and cultural services, including a municipal golf course. The City of Santa Rosa's residents work in a well-balanced mix of management, professional, manufacturing, sales, tourism, transportation, construction, and service jobs. The City also plays an important role in supporting the agriculture and tourism industries of California's north coast.