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Principal Planner

Category: Classified/Excluded
Pay Grade: C31
Job Code: 06154

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described.  Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description.

JOB SUMMARY

This is professional planning work supervising and/or carrying out complex planning projects or studies and community development strategies, projects or programs.  Employees in this class supervise professional planners and technical personnel in specialized studies concerning the physical, social, economic or community development of the county.  Responsibility includes developing, coordinating, presenting and maintaining planning programs.  A high degree of technical knowledge is required and work is performed with considerable independence and initiative.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS (examples, not all inclusive)

• Develops, plans and manages programs, projects and policy areas resulting in a major impact on the community;
• Plans, develops and conducts studies relative to land use and occupancy, road and arterial locations and usage, utilities facilities, transportation services, recreational or cultural needs and community development projects;
• Analyzes and evaluates pertinent data and prepares comprehensive reports and projections on the basis of such research;
• Develops, administers, and implements community redevelopment related programs and projects, including business outreach and support activities, and commercial and residential improvement projects.
• Organizes and coordinates projects and tasks associated with the managed growth of the county and coordinates support planning services associated with the Forward Pinellas, Countywide Planning Authority or other agencies;
• Develops, maintains and implements land use and/or transportation policy plans for Pinellas County;
• Coordinates and/or supervises the drafting, updating and implementation of the County’s Comprehensive Plan, neighborhood plans, form-based codes, land development codes, community redevelopment plans, and other similar land use and community-based plans;
• Oversees the zoning/land use application review and processing;
• Confers with the public and officials of the Pinellas Planning Council, Countywide Planning Authority and local government to define mutual planning problems, and effect uniformity beneficial to comprehensive plans;
• Correlates a variety of statistical and planning data for comprehensive plan proposals, and prepares or supervises preparation of projections of population growth and dispersal through pictorial or graphic illustrations of geographical areas;
• Reviews and obtains proper interpretations of laws, rules and regulations affecting planning functions;
• Administers the transportation impact fee ordinance and coordinates Developments of Regional Impact and related policy concerns;
• Prepares and delivers speeches to business, professional, civic and neighborhood groups and associations;
• May perform data processing related duties including using available statistical packages or programs, encoding data, data entry and retrieval, and routine computer terminal operations and programming/reprogramming;
• Performs related work as assigned or required.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience:

Bachelor’s degree with major course work in urban planning, government, law engineering, design, economics, social science, geography, statistics or a related field plus four (4) years professional experience in urban planning management; or Master’s degree with major course work in urban planning, government, law engineering, design, economics, social science, geography, statistics or a related field plus  two (2) years of professional experience as described; or an equivalent combination of education, training and/or experience.

Special Qualifications (May be required depending on area of assignment):

• Florida Driver’s License or Florida Commercial Driver’s License and endorsement, if any.
• Assignment to work a variety of work schedules including compulsory work periods in special, emergency, and/or disaster situations.
• Other knowledge, skills, abilities, and credentials required for a specific position.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of principles and practices of local and regional planning, methods of collecting and analyzing planning data and preparing planning reports and studies;
• Ability to interpret and administer within delegated authority, applicable legislation, rules and regulations;
• Ability to assist in preparing new rules and regulations and initiating research and physical planning techniques in local and regional planning;
• Ability to address civic organizations and committees and present ideas and findings clearly and concisely.

PHYSICAL/MENTAL DEMANDS

This work requires exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force to move objects.  Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:

• Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. The amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.
• Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
• Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
• Handling: Picking, holding, or otherwise working, primarily with the whole hand.
• Kneeling: Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.
• Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles.
• Pulling: Using upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.
• Pushing: Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward.
• Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Hearing ability: Sufficient to hold a conversation with other individuals both in person and over a telephone; and to hear recording on transcription device.
• Speaking ability: Sufficient to communicate effectively with other individuals in person and over a telephone.
• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Repetitive motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
• Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles.
• Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Work is performed in a safe and secure work environment that may periodically have unpredicted requirements or demands.