Recommendation

Staff recommends that the City Council approve the classification specifications for Planning Assistant and Planning Associate as reviewed and approved by the Civil Service Board.

Background

A new full-time position in the Community Development Department was approved in the 1999/00 fiscal year budget. This position replaces a part-time temporary position. As there was no existing class specification for Planning Assistant a new specification has been developed. It was also appropriate to review and update the class specification for Planning Associate as it was outdated and to ensure it was consistent with the lower-level class of Planning Assistant.

Analysis

The attached class specification for Planning Assistant has been developed by reviewing the duties to be performed by this position, by surveying other local agencies for comparable classifications, and by reviewing the duties and functions of other existing classifications in the planning series.

There has been a need in the Community Development Department for a professional-level staff person to perform plan and zoning reviews. Previously, the City has relied on a part-time technician to perform some of the necessary functions. With the continued high-level of activity and the complexity of the City’s regulations, the full-time position of Planning Assistant was proposed and subsequently approved in the budget.

The Planning Assistant performs the more routine entry-level duties associated with the planning division. This classification performs work under more direct supervision and is differentiated from the classification of Planning Associate in the level of complexity of work performed.

Minor changes are proposed to the Planning Associate specification. The most significant change proposed is in the experience required to perform the duties of the position. The existing specification requires at least one year experience with two years experience preferred. Based on the level of duties and the requirements of comparable classifications in the industry, two years professional planning experience should be required.

Upon approval by the City Council, the Personnel Department will begin an open recruitment and examination process to fill the vacant position of Planning Assistant. This is a full-time budgeted position funded in the 1999/2000 budget.

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