CLASS SPECIFICATION

PERMIT TECHNICIAN III*

DEFINITION OF CLASS:
This is advanced paraprofessional engineering/technical work facilitating the building-permit, construction-inspection, and land-use regulation processes through direct interaction with construction/development professionals and the general public and through support of engineering, code-compliance, and investigatory staff. Contacts are with developers, engineers, architects, attorneys, builders, electricians, in-house professional and paraprofessional staffs, homeowners, and managers/employees of other agencies, both within and outside the County government, for such purposes as coordination, problem-resolution, document/plan review, legal/procedural clarification, and information-gathering. Public service and assistance is provided on demand for periods of moderate duration and involves interviewing clients to determine the nature of the assistance required, resolving or attempting to mitigate their anxieties about procedural requirements and time constraints, and facilitating service delivery. Once service needs have been identified, assistance can normally be provided.
An employee in this class determines, through the interview process and the basic review of construction documents, the need for and kind of services required; helps clients to assess/clarify their needs; advises them about procedural and legal considerations; performs technical work to expedite regulatory approvals; and follows up to assure service delivery after initial client counseling. An employee in this class performs advanced-level work assisting clients with complex permit issues and case management. An incumbent provides guidance and advice to lower level Permit Technicians. An employee at the advanced level has been fully cross-trained in all areas of the Department's permit processes, and can process any permit issued by the Department. A significant aspect of the work involves assisting clients to overcome impediments to permit-issuance and complaint-resolution through working with others involved in these processes. The employee, under minimal supervision, independently determines the scope of client interaction and document review, obtains necessary information, selects appropriate methods and procedures, and varies these methods and procedures to address case issues. Work is generally performed with reference to a multiplicity of laws, rules, codes, procedures, and guidelines which require frequent revision to accommodate legal/procedural change and technical innovation. The employee recommends changes to the content, availability, and effectiveness of these reference sources to improve client service. The complexity of the work derives from the diversity of client needs which must be addressed, the exigencies (financial, technical, emotional) associated with construction and land-use/development issues, the variety of regulatory requirements which impact service delivery, and the effort involved in making decisions after considering a number of variables/controlling factors. The decisions made by employees in this class can substantially affect the financial, physical, and emotional well-being of clients and the economic and development environments in Montgomery County. Work is usually accomplished in an office environment and is primarily sedentary. The work involves exposure to aggressive and unpredictable client behavior. The works requires long periods of standing/sitting in one position, considerable bending and stooping, and lifting heavy to moderately heavy equipment, supplies, and materials.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES: (Illustrative Only)
Assists clients to define service needs and to identify appropriate and acceptable courses of action. Assistance is provided by telephone and face-to-face contact, through electronic access, and through correspondence.
Provides guidance to lower level Permit Technicians on technical permitting issues and trains entry level Permit Technicians in job requirements.
Conducts case work on the most complex permitting assignments.
Assures that appropriate referrals are made to ensure service delivery.
Provides special information/interpretations related to construction practices, zoning requirements, permitting processes, and procedures for the appeal of regulatory decisions.
Selects the client-intervention strategy most appropriate to the client's expression of need, after considering a wide range of options.
Creates, accesses, and maintains databases designed to gather permit information, issue permits and regulatory notices, and track and respond to complaints.
Researches paper and computer files to obtain information to assist clients, facilitate service delivery, and prepare cases for appellate consideration, often in response to subpoenas.
Creates new forms and recommends changes to existing procedures/protocols to improve service delivery.
Reviews construction and site plans for procedural completeness and to determine design adequacy and zoning/code compliance. Design-adequacy/code compliance determinations involve paraprofessional review of structures such as fences, decks, small accessory buildings, stormwater/sediment control measures and driveways.
Consults with engineering/plan-review and field staff to resolve technical problems related to client needs.
Prepares correspondence and otherwise ensures that clients are correctly apprised of the statuses of their permit applications and of regulatory decisions.
Works to minimize client frustration and agitation by educating clients about regulatory requirements and by maintaining a calm and supportive demeanor.
Oversees and leads the work of interns/volunteers.
Facilitates the maintenance, order, and availability of paper and electronic files.
Performs related duties as required.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Experience: Five years of experience in client-advocacy work in a regulatory environment, at least two years of which must have been in a building-permit or land-use setting.
Education: Graduation from high school or High School Certificate of completion recognized in the State of Maryland.
Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.
Knowledges, Skills, and Abilities:
Knowledge of the procedures for the processing, approving, issuing, and releasing of permits, licenses, certificates and cash bonds, including the procedures of other agencies involved in these permitting processes.
Knowledge of building-code and zoning requirements for the construction of fences, decks, accessory buildings, and similar structures.
Knowledge of the procedures and requirements for the inspection of any and all activities related to land disturbance.
Knowledge of spreadsheet accounting and reconciliation of fees for record keeping and budget predictions.
Knowledge of basic plan-review techniques.
Knowledge of the procedures and requirements for the inspection of commercial and residential structures.
Knowledge of the procedures for filing and processing building and zoning complaints.
Knowledge of word-processing, complaint-tracking, and permit-processing or similar computer systems.
Skill in dealing with people in emotionally-charged circumstances.
Skill in basic mathematical applications.
Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.
Ability to maintain effective working relationships with associates, supervisors, the general public, and personnel of other agencies.
Ability to work effectively under time constraints and conflicting priorities.
Ability to attend meetings and perform other assignments at locations outside the office.

TRAINING/CERTIFICATIONS
The Department of Permitting Services maintains a listing of current Department-required training/certifications required of employees classified at this level.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD:
Individuals appointed or promoted to a position in this class will be required to serve a probationary period of six months. Performance will be carefully evaluated during the probationary period. Continuation in this class will be contingent upon successful completion of the probationary period.

MEDICAL PROTOCOL: Core Exam

Class Established: February, 1997
Revised: December, 1998
March, 2001
April, 2004
April, 2010

*Budget Level

Formerly titled: Housing Code Enforcement Inspector I.