Website City of Woodland
Local Government in Northern California
Posting Date: November 9, 2023 Final Filing Date: December 4, 2023
THE CITY OF WOODLAND INVITES YOUR APPLICATION FOR
JUNIOR / ASSISTANT PLANNER – FULL TIME
The City of Woodland offers a competitive total compensation package including:
Starting income ranging from $5,101.52 to $7,366.57 per month based on skills and years of experience, with incremental pay increases.
Robust Retirement Program including CalPERS defined benefit pension plan, Retirement Health Savings Plan & 457 Deferred Comp plans with a 3% City match
Low-Cost & No-Cost Health Benefits, including choice of CalPERS Medical plans, and City-paid Dental Insurance, Vision insurance and Employee Assistance Program
Paid Training & Career Development, including City-paid Professional Growth Incentive, City-provided training, and professional advancement opportunities
Home-Life Balance, inclusive work environment and predictable work schedule, as well as paid holiday, vacation, sick and administrative leaves
THE POSITION
To perform routine professional and technical planning duties. The purpose of this recruitment is to fill a current vacancy, as well as establish an eligibility list for future vacancies.
IDEAL CANDIDATE
The City of Woodland has a full-time, permanent opportunity for an entry-level professional position to serve as a Junior or Assistant Planner, depending on qualifications. This position offers a tremendous growth opportunity for a candidate interested in a wide range of experience including current and advanced planning, zoning, and environmental analysis. The Junior or Assistant Planner position involves professional level duties and judgment, including interpretation and implementation of zoning and other land use regulation, processing of current planning applications and assisting the public at the front counter, and assisting senior staff with both current and advanced planning analysis and projects. The Junior Planner Ideal Candidate should have a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree with major course work in urban planning or a related field.
Woodland is a dynamic community with a population of 60,000. The City of Woodland has a strong sense of community rooted in its history and small town feel and exemplifies the best in community and livability. At its center is a Nationally Registered Historic Downtown where the California Honey Festival, C-10 Intervention Truck Show and Yolo Brewfest annually draw over 50,000 visitors to the community. With over 100 years of local farming history, combined with the recent adoption of the 350-acre Woodland Research and Technology Park Specific Plan area, the City of Woodland is emerging as a center for research and technological innovation in the food, ag and health space. The Specific Plan area is located just 7 miles north of UC Davis, the #1 university in the U.S. for both agriculture and forestry and veterinary medicine. Over the past 5 years, the City has experienced significant reinvestment along its Main Street central commercial corridor including the addition of three new hotels, a new Ford Auto Dealership, a new Sprouts Market, several residential infill projects and commercial redevelopment. It is anticipated that Woodland will grow by 19,000 new residents (7,000 new housing units) by 2035. The City is located just 16 miles west of Sacramento, 10 miles from the Sacramento International Airport, and close to Napa, San Francisco and Tahoe affording easy access to a wide range of cultural, educational and recreational attractions.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
Junior Planner: This class is the entry level in the professional planning series. Work assigned to incumbents is typically reviewed during work process and upon completion, and performed with less supervision with increased experience. Under the training concept, positions assigned to the class of Assistant Planner which become vacant may reasonably be filled at the Junior Planner level, with the understanding that future reassignment to the Assistant Planner classes in most cases is to be expected.
Assistant Planner: Incumbents in this class perform a variety of professional planning tasks of moderate difficulty with a minimum of supervision. Duties require the equivalent of professional planning experience. Work is normally reviewed on completion and for overall results.
The following are typical illustrations of duties encompassed by the position, not an all-inclusive or limiting list:
Review and approve department proposals, site plans, design and landscape plans, sign plans, and business licenses for compliance with appropriate regulations and policies. Assume responsibility for moderately complex planning projects or significant portions of complex projects involving land use, demographics, economic activities, housing, transportation, and related subjects. Assist in compiling, arranging, analyzing, and interpreting data; conduct field surveys/inspections; prepare research studies, maps, charts, statistical analysis, and report recommendations regarding land use, zoning, urban design, population trends, environmental analysis, community needs, transportation, housing and urban characteristics. Provide general information to the public, development community and other government agencies pertaining to General Plan and specific plans, land use, zoning, redevelopment, historic resources, and planning and development policies, procedures, and standards; make authoritative interpretations of applicable laws, regulations, and policies. Regular and consistent attendance. Work cooperatively with others.
Participate in the development and revision of community design guidelines, zoning, subdivision and other City planning policies, regulations, and procedures. Promote and maintain safety in the work place. Inspect properties and structures for compliance with current City zoning codes and regulations; recommend improvement and rehabilitation programs; identify corrective actions to be taken by owners. As assigned, serve as staff to the City Council, Planning Commission and other commissions and committees in planning related matters, including the preparation of reports and recommendations. Represent the City in the community and at professional meetings as required. May assume lead responsibility over beginning level professionals, interns, or paraprofessionals. Perform related duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Experience
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
Junior Planner
Education: Equivalent to a Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university with major work in planning, community development, urban design or related field.
Experience: Some urban planning experience is desirable.
License or Certificate: Possession of a valid California Driver’s License
Assistant Planner
In addition to the qualifications for Junior Planner above:
Education: A Master’s degree in planning or related field desirable.
Experience: One (1) year of technical and professional planning experience in municipal or regional planning administration.
License or Certificate: American Institute of Certified Planner Membership highly desirable.
APPLICATION
Apply with a City of Woodland application by visiting www.cityofwoodland.org/employment or the Human Resources Office, City Hall, 300 First Street, 2nd Floor, Woodland, CA 95695, by 5:00 PM on Monday, December 4, 2023. Supplemental questionnaire must be submitted with application by the final filing date to be considered. Résumés and cover letters are encouraged but will not be accepted in lieu of the application form. Postmarks will not be accepted.
Review Process: Based on the information provided in the application documents, the best qualified applicants will be invited for further examination. All applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination. Depending upon the number of applications received, the examination may consist of an application screening, written and/or practical exam, oral interview or any combination thereof.
If you have a disability that requires accommodation during the selection process, please notify Human Resources at least seven (7) days prior to the event.
Panel interviews are tentatively scheduled for the week of December 11, 2023.
CURRENT SALARY
Junior Planner
$5,101.52 – $6,510.98 /month
$2,354.55 – $3,005.07 /bi-weekly
$29.43 – $37.56 /hour
Assistant Planner
$5,771.90 – $7,366.57 /month
$2,663.95 – $3,399.96 /bi-weekly
$33.30 – $42.50 /hour
BENEFITS
Retirement: CalPERS Retirement system (2% @ 60 Formula for Classic CalPERS members and 2% @ 62 Formula for new CalPERS members). The City does not participate in social security
Deferred Comp: Choice of deferred compensation plans (Traditional and Roth)
City will match up to 3% of employee’s base salary
Medical: CalPERS Medical Insurance Plans, including HMOs & PPOs
City gives an allowance toward the cost of insurance
Maximum Family Allowance for 2024: $2,195.79/Month
Dental/Vision: City paid Delta Dental and VSP Vision Insurance
STD/LTD: City paid wage protection for short- and long-term disabilities
Life Insurance: City provides $50,000 life insurance policy
Voluntary Benefits: Voluntary Supplemental Life, Cancer, Accident Only, STD/LTD, and Critical Illness insurances, and Flexible Spending Accounts available
Vacation: 7 hours per month during first 3 years of service
Sick Leave: 8 hours per month
Administrative Leave: 96 hours of leave time given each fiscal year
Holidays: 12.5 paid holidays (including two floating holidays)
Bilingual Pay: $200 per month upon certification
Prof. Growth Incentive: $625 per year for additional educational or professional activities
The City of Woodland hires only U.S. citizens and individuals lawfully authorized to work in the U.S.
The City of Woodland is an Equal Opportunity Employer
To apply for this job please visit www.calopps.org.
