LAND USE BOARD COORDINATOR

City of Columbia; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Columbia is seeking an administrative coordinator to support the Planning Commission, BoZA, U/DRC, HP/DRC, and City Council’s land use hearings. The role manages agendas, packets, staff reports, and exhibits, and maintains the official records for quasi-judicial proceedings.

The candidate will ensure compliance with state law, the Unified Development Ordinance, and FOIA while providing accurate minutes, training records, and archival support. Evening meetings are required occasionally.

Qualifications

• Associate’s degree in Public Administration, business, paralegal studies, planning or closely related field plus 5 years of relevant experience, or Bachelor’s degree plus 3 years of relevant experience.
• May be required to type 30 corrected wpm.
• Valid South Carolina Driver’s License.
• CMC or comparable certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary staff coordinator for land use boards and Zoning Public Hearing function.
• Coordinate meeting agendas, packets, staff reports, exhibits, and notices.
• Attend meetings and prepare official minutes with findings of fact and conditions of approval.
• Maintain the official record for quasi-judicial proceedings and case files.
• Coordinate public notice, affidavits, and notice compliance for hearings.

Skills

Office software proficiency

Knowledge of SC zoning law

Attention to detail

Public hearing procedures

Education

Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, planning, or related field

Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC) preferred

Tools

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Electronic records management systems

Permitting/land management systems

Office productivity software

Job description

This position performs specialized administrative and technical work coordinating the City’s land use boards and commissions and supporting the procedural integrity of the City’s quasi-judicial land use proceedings. Responsibilities include statutory and ordinance-required public notice, the official record of proceedings, board member training records, and the agenda, case management, and records systems supporting the Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals (BoZA), Urban Design/Development Review Commission (U/DRC), Historic Preservation/Design Review Commission (HP/DRC), and the zoning public hearing function of City Council. Work requires familiarity with State enabling law, the Unified Development Ordinance, and the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act, and the exercise of independent judgment in applying them to procedural questions, under general supervision.

The work is considered sedentary in nature and involves walking or standing some of the time and involves exerting up to 10 pounds of force on a recurring basis or routine keyboard operations. The work requires the following physical abilities to perform the essential job functions: fingering, handling, hearing, kneeling, mental acuity, pulling, pushing, reaching, repetitive motion, speaking, standing, stooping, talking, visual acuity, and walking.

Work is performed primarily in an office setting with exposure to no known environmental hazards. The position requires regular attendance at evening meetings and public hearings that may extend beyond normal business hours, and involves occasional exposure to contested public proceedings and to interaction with applicants, neighborhood representatives, and members of the public who may be dissatisfied with pending or completed decisions.

• Serves as the primary staff coordinator for the Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals (BoZA), Urban Design Review Commission (U/DRC), Historic Preservation Design Review Commission (HP/DRC), and the Zoning Public Hearing function of City Council;
• Coordinates the preparation and publication of meeting agendas and packets, assembling staff reports, applications, exhibits, and correspondence, and verifying that each packet is complete and published in advance of the hearing;
• Attends meetings of the Planning Commission, BoZA, U/DRC, and HP/DRC; prepares the official minutes, recording discussions, motions, findings of fact, conditions of approval, and actions taken in a form sufficient to support the record on review;
• Maintains the official record for quasi-judicial proceedings; compiles and organizes the record of each case, including the application, staff report, exhibits, correspondence, testimony, and written decision;
• Assembles and transmits the certified record on appeal in coordination with the City Attorney’s Office, and assists in responding to petitions for writ of certiorari and other challenges to board decisions;
• Coordinates statutory and ordinance-required public notice for land use hearings, including published, mailed, and posted notice; prepares and submits legal advertisements; maintains affidavits and proofs of notice; and verifies notice compliance prior to each hearing;
• Supports compliance with the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act as it applies to public bodies, including the annual meeting schedule, agenda posting, notice of special and rescheduled meetings, and executive session procedure;
• Responds to requests for information concerning Board and/or Commission activities;
• Coordinates the orientation and continuing education requirements applicable to local planning officials under Title 6, Chapter 29 of the South Carolina Code; maintains individual training records; and reports compliance status to the Director;
• Tracks board and commission appointments, reappointments, terms, and vacancies in coordination with the Clerk of Council, and advises management of pending vacancies and quorum concerns;
• Maintains conflict of interest, recusal, and ex parte communication disclosure records for board members;
• Serves as the department’s primary user and coordinator of the agenda management, case management, and electronic notification systems supporting the land use boards, and maintains digital case files;
• Documents and maintains standard operating procedures for board and commission processes, and identifies opportunities for process, technology, and automation improvements;
• Compiles recurring workload and activity reporting for the land use boards, including hearing volumes, cycle times, notice compliance, and case outcomes;
• Serves as a resource to department staff and board members on hearing procedure, findings of fact, and record requirements;
• Provides administrative support for special projects, such as grant activities, planning efforts, community meetings, etc.;
• Provides occasional backup coverage at the front desk as needed;
• Coordinates the archiving and retention of board and commission records in the City’s records management system, consistent with the applicable State records retention schedule;
• Receives and responds to inquiries, concerns, complaints and requests for assistance regarding areas of responsibility;
• Prepares reports and correspondence, maintains files and records, and performs administrative work in support of the areas of responsibility described above;
• Attends training, conferences, seminars, meetings, etc., to maintain job knowledge and skills; and
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO PERFORM WORK

• Associate’s degree in Public Administration, business, paralegal studies, planning or a closely related field and five (5) years of relevant experience OR a Bachelor’s degree in one of the above fields and three (3) years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience;
• May be required to type 30 corrected wpm;
• Valid South Carolina Class “D” Driver’s License.
• Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC) or comparable professional certification preferred.

• Skill in the use of standard office productivity software, including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and database applications, as well as agenda and meeting management platforms, permitting or land management systems, geographic information systems, and electronic records management systems;
• Ability to express ideas clearly and concisely both orally and in writing with excellent organizational and interpersonal skills;
• Knowledge of South Carolina zoning enabling law (Title 6, Chapter 29), the City’s Unified Development Ordinance, the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act, and the procedural requirements applicable to quasi-judicial land use proceedings;
• Ability to apply statutory and ordinance requirements to recurring and occasionally novel procedural questions, and to recognize and refer matters requiring legal review;
• Ability to maintain impartiality, discretion, and composure in contested public proceedings;
• Ability to coordinate or determine time, place or sequence of operations or activities based on analysis of data or information and may implement and report on operations and activities;
• Ability to provide information, guidance or assistance to people to directly facilitate task accomplishment; may give directions or assignments to helpers or assistants;

• Ability to perform coordinating work involving guidelines and rules, with constant problem solving;
• Ability to read journals, manuals and professional publications; speaking informally to groups of co-workers and special interest, staff in other organizational agencies, the general public, people in other organizations; presenting training; composing original reports, training and other written materials using proper language, punctuation, grammar and style;
• Ability to perform high level of specialized technical or entry-level professional work requiring general understanding of operating policies and procedures and their application to problems not previously encountered; application of specialized technical or professional principles and practices or the use of a wide range of administrative methods in the solution of problems; requires normal attention with short periods of concentration for accurate results and occasional exposure to unusual pressure; and
• Ability to guide others, requiring frequent decisions affecting co-workers and others who depend on the service or product; works in a somewhat fluid environment with rules and procedures but with many variations from the routine.