Community Development Assistant

City of Forest Lake; Forest Lake (MN); On-site; USD 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Forest Lake seeks a Community Development Assistant to provide administrative and technical support to the Community Development Department, including intake and permit review. You will assist the public, city staff, and officials by providing information on codes, procedures, policies, and application requirements.

Responsibilities include handling routine permit applications, data logging, reviewing submissions for completeness, and maintaining property/development records.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; two years of related post-secondary education or experience preferred.
• Experience in administrative support, customer service, permitting, municipal government, or related field is beneficial.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and PDF editing tools is expected; familiarity with LaserFiche and CMS systems is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Provide customer service to the public by phone, email, and front counter regarding permits, zoning, inspections, and general information.
• Receive, log, review, and process routine administrative and zoning permit applications per checklists and procedures.
• Review land use submittals for completeness and route non-routine items to staff.
• Retrieve and provide property/development information from city records and systems.
• Maintain land use, zoning permit, and code enforcement data and retention records.

Skills

Customer service

Detail-oriented

Communication

Office procedures

Multitasking

Education

High School Diploma or GED

2 years post-secondary education or 2 years related experience

State driver's license

Tools

Microsoft Office

Adobe Acrobat Pro

CivicPlus

LaserFiche Document Imaging System

Job description

The Community Development Assistant is responsible for general office and project organization and providing administrative and technical support to further the efforts of the Community Development Department, including the intake process and permit review. As a primary service counter contact, the position assists the public, other City employees, and officials by providing information regarding established codes, procedures, policies, and application requirements.

• Provides customer service and referrals to the public by phone, email, and front counter regarding permit application, development processes, inspections, zoning, property information, code compliance, complaints, and general Community Development information.
• Receives, logs, reviews, and processes routine administrative and zoning permit applications in accordance with established checklists and procedures. Refers non-routine matters to appropriate professional staff.
• Receives, logs, and assists with the review of land use application submittals for completeness in accordance with established checklists and procedures.
• Retrieves, compiles, and provides available property and development information from City records and established information systems, including zoning information, permits, variances, surveys, site plans, and related records.
• Maintains land use, zoning permit, and code enforcement and property information tracking systems, including department records and data retention systems in accordance with the Data Privacy Act.
• Coordinates scanning, filing, organization, and electronic retention of department records using the City's Laserfiche document imaging system and established departmental workflows.
• Prepares correspondence, forms, notices, bulletins, agendas, reports, mailing lists, and other departmental materials from drafts, instructions, or established procedures.
• Coordinates meeting logistics for the Planning Commission, Economic Development Authority, commissions, advisory boards, committees, and public hearings, including agendas, notices, mailings, meeting materials, and meeting minutes; attends evening meetings as required.
• Maintains department forms, applications, supplies, webpages, and filing systems.
• Performs detailed clerical and administrative functions, including compiling data, calculating information, preparing reports, and maintaining records.
• Assists with the preparation and maintenance of Community Development communications, informational materials, webpages, and outreach activities.

Other Duties:

Performs additional duties and related tasks as required, or as directed by the Assistant Community Development Director and/or Community Development Director.

Education

• High School Degree or GED Certification.
• Two (2) years of post-secondary education in a related field or two (2) years progressively responsible experience in administrative support, customer service, permitting, municipal government, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• State driver's license.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Ability to deal tactfully and effectively with City staff, outside agencies, and the general public.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Knowledge in general office procedures, answering and directing phone calls, messages, ordering supplies, filing, etc.
• Ability to operate office machines and run various software packages, including (but not limited to) Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat Pro for editing, combining, organizing, and preparing PDF documents, content management systems.(CivicPlus), LaserFiche Document Imaging System, and any other software utilized by the department.
• Ability to apply established procedures, checklists, and objective standards to routine permit and zoning reviews and recognize when an issue requires referral to professional staff.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience

• License/certification/training at vocational school, related on-the-job experience or an associate or bachelor’s degree in related field.
• Previous experience in municipal government, planning and zoning, engineering, building permitting, development services, or a related field is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of City jurisdiction boundaries and mapping.
• Ability to administer and review the proper forms for publishing public hearings.
• Ability to multitask; effectively manage workload and time commitments.

• Ability to independently accomplish assigned tasks with only general direction.

Work is primarily performed in an office setting and includes reviewing plans and applications, processing permits, preparing records and materials, and providing customer service. The role requires regular walking, standing, bending, and occasionally lifting up to 30 pounds. Occasional site visits, meetings, or other work outside City Hall may be required.

The City of Forest Lake is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. We comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. We encourage all qualified candidates, including those from historically underrepresented groups, individuals with disabilities, and veterans, to apply.