The Assistant to Town Planner

TOWN OF GRISWOLD

ASSISTANT TO TOWN PLANNER

JOB DESCRIPTION

NATURE OF WORK:   This is responsible administrative work providing high level administrative and clerical support to the Town Planner and Land Use Commissions.  Work involves a wide range of typing, scheduling, reception, processing, and customer service functions for the Town Planner.  Work involves typing a variety of materials from copy or rough draft including confidential items, keeping accounts and records, maintaining records of financial transactions, and processing forms such as requisitions and applications.  The position also has the responsibility for making secretarial, administrative and work priority decisions.  The work requires that the employee have considerable knowledge, skill and ability in secretarial, general administrative and office procedures, and good knowledge of the department’s policies, organization, operations, and services.  The position requires the exercise of independent judgment, confidentiality, initiative, and accuracy.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED:   The Assistant to Town Planner works under the general supervision of the First Selectman and the direct supervision of the Town Planner.  For all Inland Wetlands issues such as Notices of Violations and Cease and Desist Orders and other Inland Wetlands issues and correspondence, the Assistant to Town Planner answers to the Wetlands Enforcement Officer.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED:   None.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Maintains up-to-date files for the department and for all land use boards and commissions.

Assists the public with land use inquiries and land use applications.

Reviews, accepts and processes land use applications.

Accepts applications and site plans for review by the Town Planner prior to Planning and Zoning Commission and Inland Wetlands Meetings.  Accepts applications and site plans for review by the Zoning Board of Appeals public hearings.

Schedules meetings, composes letters, processes various requests.

Researches and assembles information from various sources.

Prepares statistical and/or narrative reports.

Assembles and coordinates materials for Land Use Commission meetings.

Prepares purchase orders and payment requisitions for Land Use Commission expenses incurred to comply with the Connecticut General Statutes.

Monitors Land Use Commission members' term expiration dates.

Prepares correspondence for the Town Planner and Land Use Chairman on land use issues, special meetings and workshops.

Attends mandatory night meetings for the Zoning Board of Appeals, Planning and Zoning Commission, inland wetlands and Watercourses Conservation & Aquifer Protection Area Commission as well as any special meetings scheduled for each of the Land Use Commissions.

Types or word processes correspondence, information forms, documents, and reports from copy, rough draft, or own compiled information.  Composes routine and specialized correspondence and documents for the Town Planner and land Use Chairman on Land Use issues; to the Town Land Use Attorney regarding land use issues, and for special meeting and workshops.

Files correspondence, cards, invoices, receipts, and other records in alphabetical or numerical order or according to the filing system used.  Locates and removes material from file when requested.

Establishes and maintains files and filling systems for the department, including filing and storing documents on computer hard drive or disk.

Receives, sorts, opens and distributes incoming mail.  Processes outgoing mail and sends facsimiles.

Answering the telephone, taking messages, and forwarding any other calls to the proper department.

Performs recordkeeping of cash receipts and creates monthly reports for the Finance Department.  Submits quarterly reports to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for all land use applications.

Performs administrative work relating to the Griswold Plan of Development, the Borough Zoning Regulations, and the Town of Griswold Zoning Regulations.

Attends mandatory Night Meetings

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with Town officials, public officials, other departments and agencies, supervisors, coworkers and the general public.

Regular attendance is a requirement of this position.

OTHER JOB FUNCTIONS

Performs related work as required.

*****The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed.  The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position.*****

QUALIFICATIONS PROFILE

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of secretarial and clerical requirements and the ability to learn the operating policies and services of the department.

Thorough knowledge of secretarial principles and practices of office procedures and techniques for the development of filing, recordkeeping and reporting systems.  Experience creating charts, tables, spreadsheets is required.

Considerable knowledge of business English, grammar, and punctuation.  The ability to compose complex correspondence and reports.  The ability to recognize arithmetic errors while using calculators and spreadsheets.

Thorough knowledge of the use of standard office machines.  Computer skills in Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Adobe Acrobat, facsimile machine and photocopier.

Considerable ability to follow oral and written instructions and to organize and express thoughts and ideas through oral and written communications.

Ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

Ability to 1) perform multiple tasks with interruptions, 2) meet deadlines, 3) perform duties promptly with attention to detail and accuracy, 4) learn the special laws and regulations pertaining to assigned work, 5) prioritize and organize work, and 6) organize and express thoughts and ideas through written and oral communication.

Ability to maintain confidentiality and make routine office decisions in accordance with established policies and procedures.

Considerable ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with Town officials, public officials, other departments and agencies, supervisors, coworkers and the general public.

Education, Experience and Training

High School diploma, vocational school diploma, or GED and three years’ experience, or any combination of education and experience which provides a demonstrated ability to perform the duties of the position.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DEMANDS

The physical/mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to speak; hear; sit; walk; and stand.  The employee must have the ability to routinely use hands, fingers and wrists for repetitive motion; to use hands to finger, handle, feel or operate equipment, objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms.  The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance, stoop, kneel, or crouch. The employee must be able to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Specific vision abilities required for this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.  Hand-eye coordination is necessary to operate computers and various pieces of office equipment.  The employee must be able to hear normal sounds with the presence of background noise, as in hearing using a telephone.  The noise level in the work environment is moderately quiet in the office.

The employee must be able to work harmoniously, cooperatively and courteously with others at all times.  The employee must be able to interact well with people who are under physical and emotional stress as well as the ability to maintain a calm manner in stressful and emergency situations.  The employee must be able to respond to difficult situations, ease tensions and address disturbances.

******The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirement of the job change.***** 

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