ISD-Planning & Zoning-NU07-Senior Zoning Review Planner — File 205026

City of Somerville, Massachusetts Job Description OSPCD-Planning & Zoning-NU07-Senior Zoning Review Planner 1 Position Title: Senior Zoning Review Planner Grade Level: NU07 Department: OSPCD Date: 1/16/18 Reports to: Director of ISD / Director of Planning and Zoning FLSA Status: Exempt Statement of Duties This position is responsible for administration and review of projects under the Somerville Zoning Ordinance. Work duties include professional and technical work in planning, including project review, plan review for zoning consistency, site inspections for consistency with zoning approvals and special permit approvals. The Zoning Review planner also participates in development review, provides input into zoning amendments and serves as a liaison between the ISD building inspectors and the OSPCD planners to ensure streamlined review of development projects and consistent and fair application of the zoning ordinance. Essential Functions: The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type 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. (Note: not all duties are performed by all incumbents in each division).  Serves as the primary designee of the Inspectional Services Director for all compliance with the Somerville Zoning Ordinance.  Conducts reviews of project plans for consistency with the Somerville Zoning Ordinance, and serves as primary zoning review planner for complex projects.  Prioritizes assignments and balances zoning planner team schedules for field work and office duties.  Researches and analyzes data relating to work duties.  Manages events/initiatives relating to zoning and development.  Reviews plans going before the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), and/or Conservation Commission.  Reviews projects during construction and upon completion, for compliance with ZBA and Planning Board conditions.  . Provides written interpretation of the Somerville Zoning Ordinance for OSPCD and ISD upon request; sets standard for zoning interpretations and responsible for consistent application moving forward.  Serves as liaison between the Planning Division and ISD at OSPCD.  Participates in development review meetings with ISD staff and/or applicants.  Develops and recommends ordinance amendments  Provides information to public regarding City ordinances, state laws and regulations  Provides professional and technical administrative approval on City processes, in accordance with local and state regulations.

City of Somerville, Massachusetts Job Description OSPCD-Planning & Zoning-NU07-Senior Zoning Review Planner 2 Supervision Required Under administrative direction, working from municipal policies and objectives; individual establishes short-range plans and objectives, own performance standards and assumes direct accountability for department results. Consults with supervisor only where clarification, interpretation, or exception to municipal policy may be required. The employee is responsible for the development and implementation of departmental policies, goals, and objectives. The employee is also expected to attempt to resolve conflicts which arise and coordinate with others as necessary. Supervisory Responsibility . Employee, as a regular and continuing part of the job, leads other workers in accomplishing assigned work and also performs non-supervisory work that is usually of the same kind and levels as is done by the group led. The work leader is responsible to his/her supervisor for assuring that the work assignments of other workers are carried out by performing duties which typically consist of most of the following: distributes and balances workload among employees in accordance with established workflow and job specialization; assures timely completion of work; instructs employees in specific tasks or explains work methods to be employed and indicated applicable reference material and guidelines; checks work progress and reviews completed work to see that instructions have been carried out; answers questions and resolves problems that arise in the work; provides on-the-job training to new employees; reports to the supervisor on disciplinary problems, performance and training needs of employees; resolves simple, informal complaints of employees and refers others to the supervisor; may approve leave for a few hours or for emergencies. Accountability The nature of the professional or technical work means that errors in analysis, techniques or recommendations would probably be difficult to detect. Consequences of errors, missed deadlines or poor judgment could result in excessive costs, delay of service delivery, or legal repercussions to the municipality. Judgment Guidelines only provide limited guidance for performing the work. They may be in the form of administrative or organizational policies, general principals, legislation or directives that pertain to a specific department or functional area. Extensive judgment and ingenuity are required to develop new or adapt existing methods and approaches for accomplishing objectives or to deal with new or unusual requirements within the limits of the guidelines or policies. The employee is recognized as the functional area’s authority in interpreting the guidelines, in determining how they should be applied, and in developing operating policies and practices. Complexity The work consists of employing many different concepts, theories, principles, techniques and practices relating to an administrative field. Assignments typically concern such matters as studying trends in the field for application to the work; assessing services and recommending improvements.

City of Somerville, Massachusetts Job Description OSPCD-Planning & Zoning-NU07-Senior Zoning Review Planner 3 Nature and Purpose of Personal Contacts Relationships are constantly with co-workers, the public and with groups and/or individuals who have conflicting opinions or objectives, diverse points of view or differences where skillful negotiating and achieving compromise is required to secure support, concurrence and acceptance or compliance; OR one-on-one relationships with a person who may be under severe stress, where gaining a high degree of persuasion may be required to obtain the desired effect. The employee may represent to the public a functional area of the municipality on matters of procedures or policy where perceptiveness is required to analyze circumstances in order to act appropriately. Confidentiality Employee has access to confidential information obtained during the performance of the regular duties of the position. Recommended Minimum Qualifications Education and Experience: Bachelor’s Degree and five to seven (5-7) years’ experience; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Master’s degree in Planning or related field preferred but not required. Knowledge, Abilities and Skill Knowledge: Knowledge of planning, conservation, preservation, economic development, transportation and infrastructure is required. Abilities: Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with state and federal agencies, architects, contractors, developers, owners, supervisors, employees, and the general public; ability to read architectural plans, interpret and apply complex regulatory code; ability to make independent decisions based on established criteria and seek second opinion from manager as deemed prudent; ability to learn new computer interfaces, such as permit tracking and approval software; ability to travel to multiple City locations within the workday.. Skill: Proven skill at facilitating public presentations; demonstrated organizational skills managing multiple tasks and deadlines; excellent customer service and public speaking skills; database analysis skills essential (Excel); strong written and oral communication skills necessary with peers, consultants, contractors, and representatives of other agencies; bilingual or multilingual skills preferred but not required. Work Environment The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements. Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant. Employee may be required to work beyond normal business hours in response to attend evening meetings or complete work assignments. When in the field or attending meetings, the environment can be at construction sites and outdoors.

City of Somerville, Massachusetts Job Description OSPCD-Planning & Zoning-NU07-Senior Zoning Review Planner 4 Physical and Mental Requirements The physical 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 position’s essential functions. Physical Skills Minimal physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing. Work requires some agility such as moving in or about construction sites or over rough terrain. There may also be some occasional lifting of objects such as office equipment or photocopy paper (up to 30lbs.). When in the field, more physical skill may be required to accomplish the duties required. Motor Skills Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a telephone, personal computer and/or most other office equipment including word processing, filing and sorting of papers. Visual Skills Visual demands require constantly reading documents for general understanding and analytical purposes.