CLASS SPECIFICATION
PLANNING ASSISTANT
DEFINITION OF CLASS:
This is paraprofessional work in a planning specialization such as community
development, economic development, environmental planning, land use or transportation
planning. Contacts include applicants for various County programs/services to
determine eligibility; developers and contractors to explain program, collect
documentation, schedule work, discuss invoices and payments, and resolve client
problems; real estate agents to locate replacement housing for displaced persons
or establish/negotiate resale price of housing units; and department staff to
facilitate planning activities/services. Employees in this class provide personal
assistance to applicants for planning-related programs on demand and on an on-going
basis. The nature of the assistance involves providing applications to interested
County residents, explaining procedures, collecting financial documentation,
and determining applicant eligibility.
An employee in this class carries out assignments in support of a specific planning
area. The work requires analysis of factual material and financial documentation,
and the interpretation of program regulations to determine applicant eligibility
for benefits and services under County planning programs. This includes evaluating
applications for weatherization or residential rehabilitation loans; calculating
pricing of Moderately Priced Dwelling Units (MPDUs) for resale and reviewing
sales/rental agreements to assure compliance with affordable housing program
requirements; or the processing of license applications under the Landlord-Tenant
Affairs Program. The supervisor establishes priorities and deadlines, and the
employee independently plans and carries out assignments in accordance with
established policies, referring only unusual situations to the supervisor. The
work is reviewed for technical soundness and for conformity to assignment objectives.
Available guidelines, including Federal, State and County regulations and procedures,
are not completely applicable to the work and require interpretation and adaptation
on the part of the employee in modifying procedures or adopting different approaches
to non-standard situations. The complexity of the work is characterized by the
existence of conditions and elements that must be identified and analyzed in
order to render an appropriate decision, such as in the case of calculating
the value of improvements to MPDUs. The work is further complicated by the existence
of incomplete or conflicting data which must be reconciled, as demonstrated
by the task of establishing program eligibility based on incomplete applicant
documentation. The work involves resolving a variety of standard problems or
situations in accordance with established criteria, and impacts the operation
of segments of a planning program. The majority of the work is sedentary, performed
in a normal office environment, and is not generally associated with any unusual
hazards or physical demands.
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES: (Illustrative Only)
Explains affordable housing program requirements and procedures to applicants,
developers, leasing agents, and staff from other governmental agencies.
Collects loan, financial, and other related documentation from program applicants
and coordinates application processing through loan settlement.
Determines eligibility of applicants for income eligible housing and rehabilitation
programs.
Conducts inspections of MPDU residences to appraise individual home improvements
by measuring, describing, and assessing the value of the improvements.
Receives and reviews weatherization and rehabilitation applications for completeness
and financial documentation under various Federal, State and County programs
to determine applicant eligibility.
Confers with realtors, landlords and other agencies to gather information on
replacement housing for relocation purposes, and for licencing purposes.
Conducting rental facility surveys and compiling statistics.
Calculates prices of housing units and reviews sales or rental contractual agreements
to assure compliance with MPDU program requirements.
Conducts parking studies and field investigations related to parking facility
usage, operational characteristics, parking layout and meter installations.
Prepares traffic orders for traffic/parking control devices and arranges for
installation and removal of same.
Performs related duties as required.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Experience: Considerable (4 years) experience performing support work for
a planning specialization appropriate to the assignment of the position.
Education: Completion of 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.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Knowledge of the standard operating procedures used in a planning specialization
appropriate to the assignment of the position.
Knowledge of the Federal, State and/or County regulations affecting the assigned
area of specialization.
Ability to gather data and compile statistical reports.
Ability to apply eligibility requirements accurately and consistently.
Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
Ability to deal tactfully, effectively, and equitably with people.
Ability to attend meetings or perform work assignments at locations outside
the office.
PROBATIONARY PERIOD:
Individuals appointed or promoted to this class will be required to serve a
probationary period of six months, during which time performance will be carefully
evaluated. Continuation in this class will be contingent upon successful completion
of the probationary period.
MEDICAL PROTOCOL: Medical History Review
Class Established: January 1969
Revised: November 1970
April 1977
August 1987
August 1995 (M)
April, 2010