Planner I

Position Description
Job Title: Planner I
Location: City of Polson, MT
Job Type: Full Time
Rate of Pay: Starting $22-26 DOE
Overtime: Paid as compensatory time as needed
Department: Planning and Building Departments
Reports To: Community Development Director
GENERAL PURPOSE
This full-time position will play an essential role in shaping land use, transportation routes and
priorities, as well as municipal infrastructure planning. This position demands an understanding of
planning principles and land use regulations, and involves a broad range of responsibilities
including technical reviews, public interaction, and administrative duties. The ideal candidate will
be adaptive, eager to learn, and ready to engage in transformative departmental practices to
enhance efficiency and improve customer service.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
• Zoning and Land Use Management: Provides assistance with zoning enforcement and
interpretation to guide land development projects.
• Comprehensive Permit Review: Perform assessment and review of various permit
applications, including but not limited to, zoning conformance, building, lakeshore,
floodplain, excavation, fence and sign permits.
• Fee Assessment: Calculate and assess appropriate development fees, including building
and zoning permit fees, subdivision review fees, impact fees, and fees for the connection
• Application Tracking: Oversee the tracking of all permit applications from submission
to approval and project completion.
• Customer Service: Provide frontline customer service including front counter, email and
phone regarding zoning, land use, and permit processes. Assessing, handling and
receipting of permit and application fees will be required along with accounting best
practices and principles.
• Administrative Support: Handle day-to-day administrative tasks to support building
and planning operations such as application intake, appointment scheduling, and records
maintenance.
• Community Engagement: Participate in community meetings and workshops to gather
public input and explain planning initiatives.
• Software and Procedural Adaptability: Willing to learn new software, adapt to and
participate in procedural changes aimed at streamlining departmental processes.
• GIS Engagement: Utilize ArcGIS in planning and development projects to analyze data
and produce spatial representations of land-use proposals.
DESIRED MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Experience:
• Associate or bachelor's degree in Planning, Geography, Public Administration, or a closely related field;
• An alternative combination of formal education and work experience that provides the professional expertise necessary to perform essential functions of position.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
• Comprehensive understanding of land use principles, policies, and regulations.
• Understanding of accounting best practices and principles.
• Familiarity with GIS, Microsoft Office, and other planning-related software including the willingness to learn new software, adapt to and participate in
procedural changes.
• Effective verbal and writing communications skills.
• Effective customer service and conflict resolution skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
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. Reasonable accommodations may be
made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Work is performed mostly in an office setting. Hand-eye coordination is necessary to operate
computers and various pieces of office equipment.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk;
talk or hear; use hands to finger, handle, feel or operate objects, tools, or controls; and reach with
hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; stoop, kneel,
crouch, or crawl.
The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities
required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth
perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
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.
SELECTION GUIDELINES
Formal application, rating of education and experience; oral interview and reference check; job
related tests may be required. The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the
various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does
not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the
position. The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the
employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer
and requirements of the job change.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
The City of Polson is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of
race, religion, color, creed, national origin, sex, marital status, family status, religious beliefs,
age or mental/physical disability unless such disability effectively prevents the performance of
the essential duties required of the position and which are bona fide occupational qualifications
that cannot be accommodated without undue hardship to the City of Polson. By signing this
document, the employee acknowledges the duties and responsibilities contained within as well
as has received, read and understands the contents of this document. The job description does
not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to
change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the job change.
Employee
Signed ________________________________________________ Date__________________
Printed Name _____________________________________________
Signed_________________________________________________Date__________________
Printed Name ____________________________________________
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