Planning Technician- Planning and Development (Civil Service)

City of Dallas•Dallas, TX

2d•$24 - $27

About The Position

Under general direction, the Planning Technician provides accurate technical customer support and general planning assistance to citizens and City staff. The role provides drafting, graphics, and technical support to professional planners to illustrate and document planning and zoning studies. The position evaluates land-use applications, explains zoning and land-development procedures, prepares and maintains reports, graphics, and maps, and performs office support activities. It may also attend community and zoning change request meetings with senior staff to explain maps and graphs and record minutes.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Three years of heavy customer service experience and/or experience in plans review, zoning administration, building code issuance, or surveying.
Basic knowledge of City Codes related to zoning.
Knowledge of computer operating systems and software, including MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Adobe Acrobat Pro.
Knowledge of GIS and mapping graphics techniques and tools.
Knowledge of planning principles and practices, including relevant specialties, research, and data collection.
Ability to read and interpret maps, property surveys, aerial photography, and structural floor plans, and make reasonable interpolations from scaled drawings, legal descriptions, and digital records to non-dimensioned plans.
Skill in creating visual presentations from narrative descriptions, blueprints, plans, and field measurements.
Skill in building and maintaining accurate GIS databases with close attention to detail.
Strong oral and written communication skills with City employees and the public.
Ability to learn and proficiently use electronic processing systems, databases, and Department permitting systems.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with management, City officials, vendors, government agencies, employees, and the public.
Ability to manage multiple tasks, work in an environment of moderate ambiguity, and produce quality results under deadlines and moderate pressure.
Regular, reliable, and punctual attendance.

Responsibilities

Evaluate land-use-related development applications accurately and promptly, consistent with Department policies, goals, and customer service standards.
Perform receptionist activities and communicate with the public, employees, agencies, other City departments, and vendors about application and permit status, application deficiencies, land-use and platting regulations, and related procedures and rules.
Prepare, review, and proofread correspondence, memoranda, and reports for supervisor signature; update documents and train newer team members.
Gather information about land use and planning issues from multiple sources, provide technical support to planning professionals, and prepare reports describing findings.
Design and prepare graphics materials for planners and other City staff presentations.
Prepare, update, maintain, and print maps for City staff and in response to citizen requests.
Perform office support duties, including data entry, file management, form completion, log maintenance, money collection, cash reporting, and data organization.
Sort, order, and distribute incoming inter-office and U.S. mail; process outgoing mail; deliver mail among City locations; and operate reproduction equipment.
Work independently and exercise initiative with minimal supervision in carrying out essential job functions.
Attend community and zoning change request meetings with senior staff to explain maps and graphs and record meeting minutes as needed.
Perform other work as needed or assigned.