Stormwater Maintenance I

City-of-Albany,-o; Albany (OR); On-site; USD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

VEBA Trust contribution

Paid time off 8 hours vacations + 8 S/

Retirement benefits (OPSRP)

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

The City of Albany is seeking a motivated Stormwater Maintenance Worker I to join our team, performing hands-on outdoor maintenance of stormwater facilities, nursery operations, and wetlands in Albany. You will support vegetation, inspections, and basic repairs while contributing to the community’s environmental stewardship.

Responsibilities include plant care, waste removal, record-keeping, and collaboration with the Environmental Services Team.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent is required.
• Experience in landscaping, stormwater facilities, or related environmental work is preferred.
• Ability to perform physically demanding outdoor work in varying weather conditions.

Responsibilities

• Advise and perform basic maintenance of stormwater quality facilities and related natural systems.
• Plant, transplant, water, prune, and manage vegetation around facilities and wetlands.
• Maintain records of work in city systems and respond to public inquiries and issues.

Skills

Outdoor maintenance

Planting & vegetation care

Stormwater facility maintenance

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Landscaping tools

Job description

The City of Albany is seeking a motivated Stormwater Maintenance Worker I to join our team. This role offers the opportunity to work outdoors in a dynamic environment, helping to maintain and improve stormwater quality facilities, the Albany ShrubHub native nursery, and the Talking Water Gardens treatment wetland. This is crucial for the community.

From planting and caring for vegetation to maintaining public stormwater facilities and supporting water quality initiatives that protect our community, you’ll play an important role in keeping Albany green, healthy, and sustainable.

If you enjoy hands-on work, take pride in serving your community, and value environmental stewardship, we encourage you to apply.

Benefits include:

• Excellent medical, vision and dental benefit package for the employee and qualified family members with low monthly out-of-pocket cost. Employee-paid premium is approximately $59 per month for employee-only coverage up to a maximum of $170 per month for family coverage.
• City-paid contribution to a VEBA Trust account for out-of-pocket healthcare expenses. F Currently, the annual contribution is $1,000 for employee-only and $2,000 for employee plus dependent(s).
• Paid time off including:
  • 8 hours of vacation leave per month, with progressive increases
  • 8 hours of sick leave per month
  • 10 paid holidays and 3 floating holidays per year
  • No waiting period to use vacation and/or sick leave accruals
• Excellent retirement benefits:
  • City-paid participation in the Oregon Public Employee Retirement System (OPSRP and City pays 6% IAP contribution)
  • City-paid 0.5% contribution into pre-tax deferred compensation plan
• In addition, other benefits such as job-related college tuition and book reimbursement, employee assistance program, basic life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, and flexible spending accounts for healthcare and childcare expenses.

Performs a variety of basic semi-skilled and skilled maintenance, inspection, installation, planting, and repair duties of stormwater quality facilities, the Albany Shrub Hub native plant nursery, and Talking Water Gardens treatment wetland; uses a variety of manual landscape tools to maintain vegetated stormwater facilities supporting stormwater utility operations of stormwater quality facilities; and performs related work as required.

Distinguishing Characteristics

The Stormwater Maintenance I classification is part of a progressive series where an employee advances levels based on their level of experience, certifications obtained and demonstrated proficiency in the performance of job duties, skill, and responsibility. Differences in duties and certifications are outlined here.

The duties listed are intended only as illustrative examples of the various types of work that may be performed by individuals in this classification. Any of the following duties may be performed. These examples are not necessarily performed by all incumbents and do not include all specific essential functions and responsibilities the incumbent may be expected to perform.

• Maintains hundreds of public stormwater quality facilities throughout the city; assists in maintaining the Talking Water Gardens wetland.
• Performs routine maintenance by using landscaping tools to perform weeding, regularly removing debris and trash, grading/leveling of treatment areas, removing accumulated sediment, implementing Integrated Pest Management programs, planting, performing minor irrigation system maintenance, replacing/replenishing engineered soil, leveling treatment areas, mitigating erosion and channelization issues, repairing minor concrete issues, clearing blockages, and loosening compacted soil.
• Performs other landscaping maintenance functions as assigned to ensure the facilities operate as designed.
• Provides general plant care to vegetation including, planting, clearing, manually watering, removing leaves, removing dead, or dying vegetating, pruning, and transplanting.
• Identifies plants for use in stormwater quality facilities and wetlands. Identifies common planted species. Identifies invasive and noxious weeds; removes invasive and noxious weeds and applies Integrated Pest Management practices to prevent spread of weeds through planning and proper disposal.
• Assists City Arborist or certified arborist in pruning mature trees in stormwater facilities; assists with maintenance of trees on Citystormwater quality facilities.
• Implements Integrated Pest Management practices including assisting with spraying pesticides as needed.
• Uses built drawings, building records, and other records for use in plan review, facility assessments and inspections.
• Assists in the repairing, rehabilitating, and rebuilding of stormwater quality facilities.
• Assists in responding to, assessing, and documenting illicit discharges, spills, erosion, or other environmental issues in the community. Deploys spill containment and coordinates with other City departments to clean the area.
• Keeps detailed records of work in the City's Computer Maintenance Management System. Uses field data collection hardware and software, including iPads, cell phones and Windows PC Office software.
• Responds to citizen requests regarding pollution and pollution prevention in the City of Albany. Collaborates with the Environmental Services Team, responds and assists in mitigating illegal stormwater discharges.
• Works on special projects as assigned, such as invasive species removal, soil sampling, storm system maintenance, and stormwater revegetation projects.
• Performs all duties in conformance to appropriate safety and security standards and best practices.
• Represents the City of Albany by responding to the public, citizens, its employees, and others in a prompt, professional, and courteous manner while continuously maintaining a positive customer service demeanor. Regards everyone, internal and external, as a customer and deliver the best service possible in a respectful and patient manner.
• Works to create a high-performance work culture by demonstrating a positive attitude and modeling the City’s mission, vision, and values. Conducts self with high integrity, proactive in conserving City resources, and seeks and incorporates customer feedback for ongoing performance improvement. Demonstrates continuous effort to improve operations, decrease turnaround times, streamline work processes, and work cooperatively and jointly to provide quality customer service.
• Serves as a member of various City committees as assigned.
• Assists other staff in the performance of their duties as assigned; and may provide training and orientation to new assigned personnel.
• Maintains regular job attendance and adherence to working hours.
• Adheres to appropriate attire, grooming, and hygiene standards established for the position.
• Operates a motor vehicle safely and legally.
• Performs other related duties as required/assigned.

Works under the day-to-day guidance and supervision of the Natural Treatment System Supervisor and Wastewater Superintendent.

This is a non-supervisory position. Lead work/coordination of work of others is not a typical function assigned to this position. Incumbents in this position may provide training and orientation to newly assigned personnel.

Education and Experience

A high school diploma or its equivalent; and at least one year of experience related to landscaping, landscaping construction, stormwater facility maintenance, farming, horticulture, tree maintenance, municipal stormwater system maintenance, natural systems maintenance, riparian invasive removal, riparian planting; or an equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.

The position is focused on the maintenance of stormwater quality facilities, natural treatment systems, and related environmental field infrastructure. Experience in landscaping, landscape construction, farming, horticulture, tree maintenance, or similar fields may qualify; however, the experience should include skills directly transferable to the maintenance of stormwater facilities, natural systems, vegetation, erosion control, invasive species management, native plant establishment or maintenance, wetland or riparian areas, or other related environmental infrastructure.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of:

equipment, materials, and supplies used in landscape, and grounds maintenance; equipment and supplies used to do minor repairs; first aid and applicable safety precautions; tree care and horticultural activities; erosion control to recommend, repair and prevent erosion in stormwater quality facilities; arboriculture and landscape maintenance to recommend, plant, maintain and replace trees as part of stormwater quality facilities; and stormwater facility maintenance and construction to identify issues that would inhibit stormwater facility intent and function.

Skill in:

operation of listed tools and equipment used in the operation and maintenance of stormwater facilities and related systems; and demonstrated effective verbal, written, presentation, and communication skills.

Ability to:

work independently and complete daily activities according to work schedule; lift heavy objects; walk and stand for long periods of time; perform strenuous physical labor under adverse field conditions; use equipment and tools properly and safely; communicate effectively, verbally and in writing; understand and carry out written and oral instructions; establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, other departments; work effectively under stressful conditions and within limited time constraints; and work with a variety of working styles and personalities.

Special Requirements

The Stormwater Maintenance I position requires:

• Possession of or ability to obtain a valid Oregon driver's license and a driving record that meets City standards at the time of job placement.
• Possession or ability to obtain Oregon Pesticide Applicators License for right of way spraying and Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead (CESCL) within one year of job placement.
• The individual shall not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of themselves or others.

Work Environment

In the performance of the job duties, is exposed to extreme cold, wet and/or humid conditions, and to toxic or caustic chemicals. The employee occasionally works in high, precarious places and is occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles, risk of electrical shock, and vibration. and is frequently exposed to toxic or caustic chemicals. When conducting fieldwork, may be exposed to rough, uneven terrain, noise, dust, mud, allergens, biting or stinging insects, construction activities, and varying weather. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderately loud. The position requires daily travel to various work sites around the city and may occasionally be required to work evenings and weekends.

Physical Demands

The factors described herein are representative of, but not all-inclusive of, those that must be met by an individual to successfully perform the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Detailed information may be available in a supplemental Job Task Analysis document.

• Balancing: sufficient to maintain body equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. The amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.
• Climbing: sufficient to ascend or descend ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Body agility is emphasized.
• Crawling: sufficient to move about on hands and knees or hands and feet.
• Crouching: sufficient to bend the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
• Feeling: sufficient to perceive attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.
• Fingering: sufficient to pick, pinch, type, or otherwise work, primarily with fingers rather than the whole hand as in handling.
• Grasping: sufficient to apply pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Handling: sufficient to pick, hold, or otherwise work, primarily with the whole hand.
• Hearing: sufficient to perceive the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound.
• Kneeling: sufficient to bend legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.Lifting: sufficient to raise objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles.
• Mental Acuity: sufficient to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive methods.
• Pulling: sufficient to use upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.
• Pushing: sufficient to use upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward.
• Reaching: sufficient to extend hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Repetitive Motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
• Speaking: sufficient to express or exchange ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.
• Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Stooping: sufficient to bend body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles.
• Talking: sufficient to express or exchange ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Visual Acuity: sufficient to observe violations of codes, to effectively operate standard office equipment; ability to read and write reports, correspondence, instructions, drawings, etc.; and to operate motor vehicles and/or heavy equipment, by both day and night.
• Walking: sufficient to move about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or move from one work site to another.

Tools and Equipment Used

In the performance of job duties, the employee will operate hand and small power tools, including shovels, rakes, pruners, loppers, dibbles, saws, string trimmers, horticultural/arboricultural tools, power washers, and sprayers; trucks and trailers, including vactor trailers, bark blower trailers, wood chipper trailers, and water trailers; mowers; and other related tools and equipment. The employee may also operate larger equipment, including forklifts, scissor lifts, man-lifts, and boom trucks. The employee may use a computer and various software programs; motor vehicles; calculators; digital cameras; portable radios; phones; copy and fax machines; and other related tools and equipment.

Safety Equipment

This is not an exhaustive list. Hearing protection (including earmuffs), safety glasses, steel toed boots, gloves (nitrile, latex, leather), hardhat, knee pads, respirators and dust masks, traffic cones, safety vest, fall-restraint equipment when required. Develops safe work habits and contributes to the safety of self, co-workers, and the public.