County Planner

Position
County Planner

Overview:
The Jefferson County Department of Engineering, Planning, and Zoning is seeking detail-oriented, experienced, and enthusiastic applicants for the position of County Planner. This position oversees, supervises, and is responsible for all aspects of the administration and enforcement of the Subdivision and Land Development Regulations ordinance, and other regulations related to land development. Other responsibilities include the supervision of other professional and clerical staff members engaged in administration and enforcement of the Subdivision and Land Development Regulations ordinance, as well as the site plan and land development project review and approval processes.
The County Planner also works under the guidance of State and Federal regulation, and County ordinances, regulations, policies and procedures.
Representation at various meetings/boards/commissions, including the Planning Commission, is required by the County Planner. Employee is required to perform all similar or related duties, as directed by the Chief County Engineer/Director.

Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, with at least five to seven (5-7) years related work experience; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job

Grade: VII
Grade VII Salary Range: $61,814-$98,902

Benefits
Excellent employee benefits package includes West Virginia Public Employees Retirement System plan; health/prescription, vision, dental insurance, and life insurance plans; reduced tuition rates for local partner schools; employee assistance program; paid vacation leave, paid sick leave, and thirteen to fifteen paid holidays per year.
Application Deadline: Monday, February 24, 2025 by 5:00 pm.
To apply, please e-mail resume to jobs@jeffersoncountywv.org, with the subject line: “County Planner” or send via US mail to the following:

Jefferson County Commission
Attn: Jessica James, CHRO/Assistant Deputy Administrator
PO Box 250
Charles Town, WV, 25414

FULL JOB DESCRIPTION 

Statement of Duties:  This position oversees, supervises and is responsible for all aspects ofthe administration and enforcement ofthe Subdivision and Land Development Regulations ordinance, and other regulations related to land development. Other responsibilities include the supervision

of other professional andclerical staff members engaged in administration and enforcement of the Subdivision and Land Development Regulations ordinance, as well as the site plan and land development project review and approval processes.

The County Planner also works under the guidance of State and Federal regulation, and County ordinances, regulations, policies and procedures.

Representation at various meetings/boards/commissions, including the Planning Commission, is required by the County Planner.  Employee is required to perform all similar or related duties, as directed by the Chief County Engineer/Director.

Supervision Required:   Employee works under the administrativedirection of the Chief County Engineer/Director to enforce the Subdivision andLand Development Regulations and administer land planning related functions forthe county.  Employee works from county policies and objectives; individual establishes short-range plans and objectives, own performance standards and assumes direct accountability for the planning staff results. Consults with supervisoronly where clarification, interpretation, or exception to county policy may be required. The employee is responsible for the development and implementation of office policies, goals, objectives and

budgets. The employee is also expected to attempt to resolve conflicts which arise and coordinate with others as necessary.

Supervisory Responsibility:  Employee, as a regular and continuing part of the job, is accountable for thequality and quantity of work done by subordinates and assures the accomplishment of the assigned work in theprescribed manner.  Supervisory functions typically consist of most of the following: plans, schedules and coordinates work operations to meet schedules, deadlines andpriorities; revises work schedules to meet changes in workload or availability of manpower; recommends and justifies to higher levels ofmanagement changes in theorganization ofwork, work methods or assignment of functions to positions that may affect staffing patterns, costs, work standards, etc.; assigns work based on varying capabilities of employees; assures that completed work meets the required standard of quality, timeliness and cost, taking corrective actions as necessary, including rejecting the work;  recommends promotions, reassignments, payincreases or other personnel actions; oversees attendance and leave, typically including approval of ordinary sick and vacation schedules; advises employees of performance requirements and prepares formal evaluations ofperformance; gives advice and instruction on both administrative and work matters; informs subordinates of organizational policies, goals and procedures; resolves employee complaints and effects disciplinary actions, such as oral warnings and reprimands; has substantial responsibility for technical soundness of subordinates’ work.

Confidentiality:  Access to some confidential information, not department-wide that is obtained during performance of essential functions,where the effect of any disclosure would probably be negligible or where the full significance of the overall confidential matter would not be apparent in the work performed.  Employee mainly has access to confidential law suit information and land development applicant’s confidential information and plans.

Accountability: The nature of the professional or technical work means that errors in analysis, techniques or recommendations would probably be difficult to detect.  Consequences of errors, missed deadlines or poor Judgment could result in excessive costs, delay of service delivery, or legal repercussions to the County.

Judgment: The work requires examining, analyzing and evaluating facts and circumstances surrounding individual problems, situations or transactions, and determining actions to be taken within the limits of standard or accepted practices.  Guidelines include a large body of policies, practices and precedents which may be complex or conflicting, at times.  Judgment is used in analyzing specific situations to determine appropriate actions.  Employee is expected to weigh efficiency and relative priorities in conjunction with procedural concerns in decision making. Requires understanding, interpreting and applying federal, state and local regulations.

Complexity: The work consists of the practical application ofa variety of concepts, practices and specialized techniques relating to a professional or technical field. Assignments typically involve evaluation and interpretation of factors, conditions or unusual circumstances; inspecting, testing or evaluating compliance with established standards or criteria; gathering, analyzing and evaluating facts or data using specialized fact finding techniques; ordetermining the methods to accomplish the work.

Work Environment: Thework environment involves everyday discomforts typical of indoor environments such as office settings, with infrequent exposure to outside elements.  Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant.

Nature and Purpose of Public Contact: Relationships are constantly with co-workers, the public, groups and/orindividuals such as civic leaders, peers from other organizations, representatives of professional organizations, and the news media. The employee serves as a spokesperson or recognized authority of the organization in matters of substance or considerable importance.  The employee on behalf of a department maycommunicate departmental practices, procedures, regulations orguidelines.  May be required to discuss controversial matters where tact is required to avoid friction and obtain cooperation.

Occupational Risk:  Duties of the job present little potential for injury. Risk exposure is similar to that found in typical office settings. Work is performed under tight deadlines at times.

Essential Functions:

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type

of work that may be performed. The omissionof specific statements of duties does not exclude  them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

1.  Responsible in the administration of land use regulations and ordinances and the

Comprehensive Plan for the County.

2.  Review and evaluate all Site Plans and Subdivision Plats, including Concept Plans, Community Impact Statements, and environmental assessments/determinations, for conformance with County Subdivision andLand Development Regulations and County Zoning and Land Development Ordinance.

3.   Coordinate land development project reviews with department staff, including the County Engineers, Ordinance Compliance Officer, and administrativestaff to ensure projects comply with county regulations, and to ensure projects aretracked throughout the review process. Conduct site visits for all projects and other planning endeavors.

4.  Prepare staff reports for all projects requiring Planning Commission or County Commission approval to provide analysis and recommendations forland development projects; creates written and visual documentation in the form of maps, reports, electronic/digital files, power point presentations, etc.

5.  Serve as Staff to thePlanning Commission in the review, presentation, and recommendation of all development applicationsat Planning Commission meetings. Attend regular night meetings at least twice monthly in addition to other special meetings as scheduled.

6.  Facilitate staff review meetings between staff and the consultants and developers for new land development projects in order to facilitate an efficient processing of projects. This includes coordination with staff engineers, other review agencies, and the applicant and presenting issues to the applicants, informing them of necessary paperwork and other pertinent documents needed and timelines for the application process.

7.  Assist the public, surveyors, engineers, and developers with questions regarding land-use regulations relating to properties and projects via meetings, letters, phone calls, and e-mail correspondence. This involves research of properties forprior land uses, subdivision, zoning, violations, and other pertinent data in order to provide the customers with accurate and thorough information.

8.  Give public presentations to boards and commissions including the Planning Commission and County Commission.

9.  Assist the Director, Zoning Administrator, andEngineering staff with other zoning and planning related duties and special projects.

10. Conduct research andanalysis forspecial projects and planning-related issues and provide recommendations and reports to various groups. Examples include analysis of planning theories, forms of zoning and other regulatory processes, growth trends, and planning policies of other jurisdictions in relation to Jefferson County.

11. Assist the Director and Zoning Administrator with updates of the ComprehensivePlan, Subdivision Regulations, and Zoning Ordinances by reviewing existing ordinances and plans and recommending changes for correcting inconsistencies and updating the documents to conform to the policies as dictated by the County Commission and Planning Commission.

12. Attend seminars, conferences, and meetings to keep abreast ofnew laws, research, technologies, and trends in planning, GIS, zoning, as well as more specific issues as they relate to Jefferson County and the region.

13. Establish and maintain professional relationships with colleagues in planning and other related fields in order to foster open communication and coordination of efforts as they relate to Jefferson County and the region.

14. Assist with other planning duties as needed bythe Director and Zoning Administrator.

15. Willingness to take on additional duties as needed in support of Departmental and County goals andobjectives.

Recommended Minimum Qualifications:

Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with at least five to seven (5-7) years related work experience; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential functions ofthe job.

Special Requirements:   Valid driver’s license required. Member in good standing of the

American Instituteof Certified Planners (AICP) preferred.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skill

Knowledge:  Common principles and theories related to land use and planning and zoning laws; department and office operations; laws and regulations pertinent to position functions; working knowledge of the Internet and Microsoft Office Suite in support of department operations.

Abilities:  Good judgment and decision making abilities; able to work independently with minimal supervision, able to communicate professionally with people of diverse backgrounds and levels of education.Must be an analytical thinker and detail-oriented. Supervise, assign, and evaluate the work of employees.  Ability to prioritize and complete work tasks in an efficient and timely manner. Ability to read construction plans, survey plats and maps, and interpret and enforce ordinances.

Skills:  Good writing and oral presentation skills, Strong writing skills, including experience in writing local land use ordinances; strong written and verbal communication, effective record keeping, time management skills and effective customer service skills are required.

Physical and Mental Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee

to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonableaccommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform theposition’s essential functions.

Physical Demands: Work requires some agility and physical strength, such as moving in or about construction sites or over rough terrain, or standing or walking most ofthe work period. Occasionally, work mayrequire lifting heavy objects and carrying them (upto 40lbs).  There may be need to stretch and reach to retrieve materials.  Usually, the work will require extended

physical effort over a significant portion of the work day.

Motor Skills:Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a telephone system,

computer and/or most other office equipment, typing and/or word processing, filing, and sorting.

Visual Demands: Visual demands include constantly reading documents, construction plans, and maps for general understanding and for analytical purposes.  Employee is required to distinguish colors.