Compliance Technician-Land & Resource Management

Douglas, County of • Mn 56308, MN

17h • Hybrid

About The Position

This role supports Douglas County Departments and partner agencies with compliance and public education efforts related to the Zoning, Parks and Trails, and Lodging Ordinances. This position investigates potential violations, conducts site inspections, and works with property owners, contractors, and businesses to achieve compliance with applicable regulations governing land use, structures, and environmental standards.

Requirements

• High School Diploma/GED and a minimum of 3 years of related work experience in law enforcement, code/ordinance management/enforcement, city/county/state related to land/building codes and use.
• OR An Associate’s degree in law enforcement, zoning administration, public administration, planning, construction inspection or management, natural resource management, environmental science, or a related field.
• Currently possess a valid Class D Minnesota State Driver's License, or the ability to obtain one upon start of employment.
• Knowledge of: Investigative methods, including gathering, verifying, and documenting information.
• Local zoning ordinances and land use regulations, and building/construction practices.
• Minnesota land use, shoreland, and environmental regulations.
• Inspection and enforcement procedures.
• Skills in: Verbal communication, including interacting professionally with the public, property owners, contractors, and coworkers.
• Conflict resolution and maintaining professionalism in challenging situations.
• Report writing, correspondence, and documentation.
• Time management and independent fieldwork.
• Interpreting and applying codes and ordinances.
• Ability to: Ability to work independently, stay organized, and manage multiple tasks or inspection assignments.
• Ability to follow proper procedures for collecting information and evidence to determine compliance with codes and ordinances.
• Ability to operate a vehicle safely for field inspections.
• Read site plans, legal descriptions, and construction drawings.
• Conduct detailed field inspections in various conditions.
• Communicate regulatory requirements clearly to the public.
• Exercise sound judgment in enforcement situations.

Nice To Haves

• A Bachelor's degree of coursework in law enforcement, zoning administration, public administration, planning, construction inspection or management, natural resource management, environmental science, or a related field.
• Certified Zoning Administrator (CZA).
• Building Official or Inspector certifications.
• Experience in a Minnesota county or municipal setting.
• Familiarity with septic, shoreland, or environmental regulations.

Responsibilities

• Respond to, investigate, and track complaints and potential violations related to zoning, solid waste, park usage, and private vacation rental lodging.
• Conduct field inspections of properties and document findings following standard procedures that include interviewing occupants, owners and/or contractors, and the general public.
• Collect evidence that includes times, dates, measurements, descriptions, involved parties, photographs, and other details related to potential ordinance, permit, or license infractions.
• Draft written reports on potential violations including photo-documentation, maps, site drawings, descriptions, identification of parties involved, and citations of relevant ordinances, rules, and/or statutes.
• Submit reports in a timely manner to the appropriate department staff, including county attorney’s office.
• Conduct reviews of issued conditional use (CU) permits, private vacation rental properties and web-based advertising/reservation platforms, for compliance with zoning ordinance standards as well as conditions applied to CU permit approvals.
• Draft correspondence to responsible parties seeking correction of violations, and/or issue notices of violation, correction or stop-work orders where appropriate.
• Conduct follow-up inspections on violations with set compliance timelines, stipulation agreements, and court orders to ensure correction of infractions and compliance with ordinances.
• Assist with preparation of cases for planning commission, board of adjustment, or legal proceedings.
• Provide testimony in administrative or court hearings as necessary.
• Educate residents, contractors, local businesses, and guests regarding zoning and lodging regulations, and license and permit conditions or requirements.
• Assist LRM technical staff in other capacities.
• Comply with all rules and policies to maintain a safe work environment.
• Demonstrate reliable, predictable attendance and punctuality.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Access to Non-Public Data. In this job, you may come across private or confidential information about people we serve. This data is protected by law and should only be viewed or used when it’s truly needed for your work. You are expected to only look at private data when your job duties require it. Keep it secure and make sure others who don’t need to see it don’t have access, stop accessing the data once your task is done, and store or dispose of it properly, following the rules in Minnesota’s Data Practices Act (Chapter 13). If your job duties change and you need access to different private data, that access should also be limited to only what you need to do your job.

Benefits

• No-cost/low-cost health insurance plan options.
• Douglas County contributes to a Health Savings Account.
• PERA pension plan.
• $40,000 of life insurance at no expense.
• Supplemental life insurance coverage is available for you, your spouse, and your dependents.
• Paid holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Veterans’ Day, Thanksgiving Day, Day after Thanksgiving (in place of Columbus Day), Christmas Eve Day, Christmas Day, Personal Floating Holiday.
• Sick Leave/Earned Safe and Sick Time: An employee shall be credited with 1 day of sick leave for each month of service, accumulative to 90 days.
• Vacation accrual based on years of service (10-30 working days).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED