General Description

Under general direction of the Planning and Economic Development Manager, this position provides professional planning support, technical review and processing of development plans. Administers the planning, coordination, and implementation of a variety of complex economic development activities. Assists applicants and developers through the building department process for final building permit approval. This position provides high-level administrative assistance to the Planning and Development Services Director.

This position is exempt. Fair Labor Standards Act overtime provisions will not apply.

Per Florida Statute 295.065, certain servicemembers and veterans, and the spouses and family members of such servicemembers and veterans, receive preference and priority, and that certain servicemembers may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements, in employment by the state and its political subdivisions and are encouraged to apply for the positions being filled.

Primary Duties

Serves as a resource to the business community regarding building and development regulations.
Assists businesses in understanding and securing approvals through the Planning, Zoning, and Building Department processes and conducts possible site tours and presentations.
Develops plans, policies, and programs for businesses and other city departments to achieve sustainable and equitable economic development consistent with smart growth principles.
Assists and serves as city liaison for the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) and administers the grant program to business owners.
Prepares reports, makes presentations, and provides recommendations to Manager and Director.
Meets with prospective business clients including answering inquires and referrals, as well as providing detailed, technical information related to land development programs and operations.
Serves as the City liaison to the business community, Chamber of Commerce, economic development planning advisory boards, economic development agencies and governmental agencies.
Performs current planning activities including review of development applications (conditional use permits, planned unit developments, rezoning’s, and variances) and site plans.
Supports department in the development and implementation of long-range planning activities including updating and maintaining the comprehensive plan and the evaluation and appraisal report.
Reviews site plans, projects, and plats for conformance to the land development code.
Performs field inspections and assists code enforcement with possible zoning violations. Researches and develops proposed revisions to the land development code.
Writes and reviews conditional use permits and inspects sites to verify compliance with existing and new conditional use permits.
Reviews developments in Lake County for compliance with the joint planning area (JPA) agreement and inter-local service boundary agreement (ISBA).
Participates on Site Review Committee; and reviews development proposals and their consistency with the land development regulations.
Responds to inquiries, concerns, and requests for assistance regarding areas of responsibility.
Makes presentations to City Council and Planning & Zoning Commission.
Represents the City at meetings of civic, professional, and community organizations.
Attends and conducts various meetings.
Assists in the implementation of the Citizen Academy and Business Academy programs to increase understanding of City zoning ordinances and to reduce the need for code enforcement action through proactive education and communication.
Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Urban Planning or related field.
Five (5) years of relevant experience including economic development and planning.
Must have an understanding of city, county, and state incentives, taxes, permitting processes, and other topics pertaining to economic development.
Valid Florida Driver’s License.

In some cases, an equivalent combination of higher education and experience may be considered, provided that the education and experience is in a relevant and related field.

Essential Physical Functions & Environmental Conditions

Physical Demands

Continual light work and occasional heavy work.
Requires frequent walking and standing, climbing, stooping, reaching, bending,
Good finger/hand dexterity and hand/eye coordination,
Good eyesight, hearing and speech, and regular driving of vehicle.
Needs to be alert to safety hazards in the field when making inspections, posting sites, and taking photographs.

Work Environment

Works inside an environmentally controlled space, but will intermittently work in adverse environmental conditions (e.g., heat, cold, and rain) for moderate periods of time and exposure to construction and water/wastewater site hazards, traffic, and moving machinery during site inspections. It is essential that the Senior Planner is alert to safety hazards in the field.

The City of Clermont is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires the City to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are encouraged to discuss potential accommodations with management.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform all of the essential job functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions described herein. Job functions described are not to be construed as a complete statement of all duties performed. Employees may be assigned additional duties by management as deemed necessary. Duties not contained herein may be considered essential to performing this job successfully, just as though they were included in this job description.

The City of Clermont has the right to revise this job description at any time. This description does not represent in any way a contract of employment.

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