Position/Program Information

EXAM NUMBER
R4430E-R

Click to apply

FIRST DAY OF FILING
MONDAY, JUNE 4, 2018 @ 8:00 A.M. (PST)
 

This examination will remain open until the needs of the service are met and
is subject to  closure without prior notice.
 

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT
OPEN COMPETITIVE JOB OPPORTUNITY

________________________________________________________________________________

DEFINITION:
Participates in planning studies, analyses and research; communicates with the public concerning planning issues, and engages in other planning and zoning activities.

CLASSIFICATION STANDARDS:
This is the journey level in the Regional Planning Assistant class series. Positions allocated to this class receive technical and administrative supervision from a planning supervisor, and are assigned duties in a planning section, such as the issuance of zoning permits, land divisions, land use regulatory enforcement, plan review, geographic information systems, and research studies, for which they are expected to carry out their assignments independently; or be responsible for an element of a specialized research or planning study.

All duties assigned require familiarity with basic planning concepts, the content of local general plans, planning and zoning laws; and the application of planning techniques.  Incumbents of the class must communicate and present planning concepts, ideas and theories, and the County's planning policies and administrative procedures to the public, orally and in writing.

Essential Job Functions

Participates in the research, writing, and public discussion regarding the adoption of the County's general plan, area, coastal, community, and neighborhood plans, and other specialized plans and studies.

Participates in the research and drafting of zoning, subdivision, and other land use regulations.

Participates in the analysis of complex planning problems, the preparation of population and other planning projections, public property acquisitions and disposal, highway alignments, housing needs, and parking studies.

Responds in writing or orally to inquiries from the public on General Plan policy, and subdivision and zoning regulations.

Processes applications for subdivisions, zone changes, variances, and conditional use permits.

Evaluates applications for consistency with General Plan policy, and compliance with zoning and subdivision regulations.

Conducts field inspections, prepares staff reports and public notices, coordinates with other public agencies, and follows all other necessary procedures for public hearings.

Analyzes, reviews and prepares environmental documents including Initial Studies, Negative Declarations, and both the draft and final versions of the Environmental Impact Reports.

Explains County and State environmental regulations to the general public and project applicants.

Investigates and analyzes property ownership, recorded property ownership and zoning histories; gathers and consolidates data from public records and other sources to assist in the development of written staff reports in support of recommendations for official action.

Investigates violations of zoning regulations, and discusses alleged violations with property owners, the District Attorney, and other enforcement agencies, and may make court appearances.

Prepares and makes oral presentations of planning development applications, zoning and other planning related information to the Regional Planning Commission, and civic, community, governmental, professional, and other interest groups.

Prepares graphics, exhibits, maps, and other audio-visual illustrations to present findings and critical issues of planning studies in support of the department's recommendations.

Uses computer programs or planning applications to prepare reports, maps, spreadsheets, data bases and/or graphics in carrying out planning activities.

Requirements

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:
Option I:  *A bachelor's degree in Urban or Regional Planning from an accredited four-year college.
Option II:  *A bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university, with specialization in Environmental Studies, Geography, Urban Studies, Public Administration, or Landscape Architecture, with 15 semester or 22.5 quarter units of upper division courses in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Urban or Regional Planning, Cartography, Urban Geography and/or Environmental Planning.
Option III:  *A bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university and one year of urban or regional planning experience in a city or county government.

LICENSE:
A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.
 

PHYSICAL CLASS:
2 - Light: Light physical effort which may include occasional light lifting to a 10 pound limit, and some bending, stooping or squatting.  Considerable walking may be involved.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION:
*In order to receive credit for any degree such as a Bachelor's, Master's, or course work, you MUST include a legible copy of the official diploma, official transcripts, or official letter from the accredited institution which shows the area of specialization with your application at the time of filing or within fifteen (15) calendar days from application submission.  Candidates expect to qualify under Option II, MUST provide a copy of their official college transcript to indicate the course work.

Applicants who will be receiving their Bachelor's Degree within six months from the date of filing may compete in this examination; however, the names of such candidates, if successful in the examination, will be withheld from certification for employment until they present original documentation that they have satisfied all the requirements for a Bachelor's Degree.

 

Additional Information

This examination will consist of THREE (3) parts:

Part I:  An online multiple choice test weighted 65% comprised of Reading Comprehension, Written Expression, and Data Analysis/Decision Making, Verbal Ability, Achievement, Confidence and Optimism, Independence, Influence, Reliability, and Professional Potential

Part II:  A multiple choice test weighted 15% covering Professional/Technical Knowledge.

Only candidates that achieve a passing score of 70% or higher on Parts I and II will proceed to Part III.

Part III:  A technical writing project weighted 20% consisting of Written Expression, Professional/Technical Knowledge and Critical Thinking.

Candidates must achieve a passing score of 70% or higher on each part of the examination in order to be placed on the eligible register.

MULTIPLE CHOICE TESTS ARE NOT REVIEWABLE BY CANDIDATES PER CIVIL SERVICE RULE 7.19.

NOTE:  Applicants may receive notice via email regarding the written tests and writing project and are responsible for providing a valid email address. Add fkumala@hr.lacounty.gov and 
info@governmentjobs.com to your address book and list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk mail.  Scores cannot be given over the telephone.

Candidates will be notified of their final test results via US mail.  Scores cannot be given over the telephone.

TRANSFER OF SCORES
Applicants that have taken identical test part(s) for other exams within the last 12 months, will have their written test responses for the identical test part(s) automatically transferred to this examination.

This examination contains test parts that may be used in the future for new examinations. Your scores will be transferred to the new examination and may not be allowed to re-take any identical test parts for at least 12 months.

TEST PREPARATION
Study guides and other test preparation resources are available to help candidates prepare for employment tests. You can access test preparation for the computerized portion of the test by going to http://www.shldirect.com/practice_tests.html. While the guides will help in preparing for the test, we advise you to review all related materials that you deem necessary.

While these practice materials will help in preparing for the test, we advise you to review ALL related materials that you deed necessary.


ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
The names of successful candidates will be placed on the eligible register of a period of 12 months.

Applications will be processed on an as-received basis and promulgated to the eligible register accordingly.

VACANCY INFORMATION
The resulting eligible register will be used to fill vacancies with the Department of Regional Planning.

Available Shift: Any

APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION
*In order to receive credit for any type of college degree, such as a Bachelor, Master, or Doctorate degree, you must include a legible copy of the official diploma, official transcripts, or official letter from the accredited institution which shows the area of specialization must be submitted at the time of filing or within fifteen (15) calendar days from application submission.

Applications must be filed online only. We must receive your application by 5:00 pm, PST, by the last day of filing.  Any or all required document(s) must be submitted within fifteen (15) calendar days from application submission. Any missing required documents not submitted by the deadline will result in your application being rejected as incomplete. Note: If you are unable to attach required documents, you may email them to fkumala@hr.lacounty.gov. Please ensure to reference your full name, the examination title and number on the subject of your email. Applications submitted by U.S. Mail, Fax, or in person will not be accepted.

Apply online by clicking on the "Apply" tab for this posting. You can also track the status of your application using this web site.

Provide any relevant job experience in the spaces provided so we can evaluate your qualifications for the job. For each job held, give the name and address of your employer, your job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, description of work performed, and salary earned.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

All information is subject to verification. We may reject your application at any time during the examination and hiring process, including after appointment has been made. Falsification of any information may result in disqualification or rescission of appointment. Utilizing verbiage from the Class Specification and Selection Requirements serving as your description of duties WILL NOT be sufficient to meet the requirements. Doing so may result in an INCOMPLETE application and you may be disqualified.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER: All applications must enter a valid social security number at the time of filing. Entering anything other than a valid social security number (i.e. 000-00-0000, 111-11-1111, etc.) will result in an automatic rejection of your application.

COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES: 
For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County.

NO SHARING OF USER ID AND PASSWORD: All applicants must file their application online using their own user ID and password. Using a family member's or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record.

California Relay Services Phone: (800) 735-2922
ADA Coordinator Email: adarequests@hr.lacounty.gov
Teletype Phone: (800) 899-4099
Alternate Teletype Phone: (800) 897-0077
Department Contact Name: Ferdi Kumala
Department Contact Phone: (213) 351-6451
Department Contact Email: fkumala@hr.lacounty.gov

Agency

County of Los Angeles

Website

http://hr.lacounty.gov

Address

******************

Los Angeles, California, 90010