Permit Technician I/II at City of Kennewick, WA

About the Department

CORE VALUE STATEMENT
The City of Kennewick will provide excellent public service and ensure the safety and wellbeing of our community and one another through the empowerment of each employee. We value integrity, inclusiveness, stewardship, and communication. We are accountable to our community for innovative and collaborative efforts that anticipate needs, leverage resources, and deliver solutions.

SAFETY STATEMENT
We expect our employees to ensure compliance with all applicable safety practices and policies, including those established by OSHA/DOSH regulations and by the City’s Accident Prevention Plan. This includes but is not limited to actively identifying and correcting potential hazards that may affect employee and public safety, including those identified by co-workers; leading by example to promote a positive culture of workplace safety through everyday action; and emphasizing safe completion of work throughout all aspects of developing and carrying out work plans.

CLASSIFICATION SUMMARY
This position plays a critical technical role while providing a high level of customer service, both to internal staff, City Departments and outside agencies while being primarily focused on the needs of the public and development community. The incumbent operates from a centrally located and very public desk where he/she works to minimize the number of times customers need to interact with the City to obtain services and information, provides follow through until customer needs are satisfied and issues are resolved, works with staff and others inside and outside the organization to resolve issues, and deals with as many of the customer’s needs as possible at one time.

WORK SCHEDULE
The initial work schedule for this classification will be full-time, Monday through Friday. Early mornings, evenings, and weekend work may be occasionally required. Overtime may be occasionally required. This classification is non-exempt under the FLSA.

Position Duties

This position is a two-level series. The Permit Technician II is distinguished from the Permit Technician I by the increased complexity of assignments, the greater degree of independence of with which it operates, and/or the experience required to perform the work. 

The following list reflects the essential job duties and responsibilities of this classification but is not all-inclusive. The incumbent will perform other related duties as assigned.

Level I & Level II

• Responsible for being the initial representative for the City; providing customer service at the front counter and over the phone to customers with information regarding permit requirements, application process, calculating and assessing all appropriate fees and processing inspection requests. 
• Process, receive, accept, route, review and issue permits; including but not limited to, Building and Land Use permits and inspections; acting as a liaison for the Planning, Building, Code Enforcement, and Community and Economic Development Departments. 
• Respond to inquiries from owners, contractors, developers and the public concerning building codes, permit regulations and inquiries relative to the City's policies and procedures; resolve issues when possible. 
• Provide information to internal and external customers about development and construction regulations, including zoning, building, land use, and critical areas; and other pertinent planning information to the public without the need for additional assistance. 
• Handle messages and complaints from citizens in a polite and professional manner; determining the nature of message or complaint and, if it cannot be resolved, refer it to the appropriate staff member. 
• Perform specific plan check review procedures, review applications for accuracy, completeness and compliance with local, state and federal regulations to assure application is technically complete prior to acceptance by the City, including all required exhibits and fees. 
• Coordinate the process for review and approval of land use matters, permits, variances, and other related procedures. 
• Monitors temporary Certificates of Occupancy to ensure compliance and deadlines are met.
• Research and track permit application status into an automated system, record and log permit activities, update permit records and files and resolve data errors. 
• Assists with public records requests involving building and planning.
• Contribute to ongoing improvements to service delivered throughout the organization by providing input on methods that will enhance the mission of the City in delivering exceptional customer service; encourage consistent customer service delivery across the organization; and promote a positive and professional public image of the City.
• Perform fee payment and cashiering duties in accordance with established rates, policies, and auditing requirements. The incumbent operates equipment, ten key, cash drawer, and credit machine as needed to process transactions; calculates fees owed; reconciles transactions and resolves out-of-balance conditions; processes work in a manner that results in a complete and evident audit trail; and prepares comprehensive and accurate documentation of transactions and adjustments.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Level II Additional Responsibilities

• Review and process over-the-counter applications and other minor building and planning permits including, but not limited to: wall sign permits, commercial fence permits, parcel consolidations and engineered residential accessory structures.
• Issue periodic statistical reports for governmental agencies and department heads when required. 
• Track and analyze information and provide reports on permit activity. The incumbent maintains integrity of systems and databases that capture relevant customer service data; coordinates with staff in collecting data and using databases; evaluates information generated to identify trends or problems; recommends solutions to ensure service responsiveness; and performs other miscellaneous data entry, data retrieval, and computer operations.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Regardless of level, the Permit Technician I/II must meet the following minimum qualifications:

• Must obtain a Permit Technician Certification within 12 months of employment and maintain the certification throughout employment with the City of Kennewick.
• Must pass a criminal background investigation.
• Must maintain a level of mental and physical fitness required to perform the essential functions of this classification.
• Must maintain regular attendance and punctuality.

Level I:
This position requires a high school diploma or GED and two years of experience working in a permit, planning or similar department or office, including at least one year in a customer service role handling difficult and varied customer issues, or any combination of relevant education and experience sufficient to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties listed above.

Level II:
This position requires a high school diploma or GED and at least three years of experience working in a permit, planning or similar department or office, including two years as a permit technician or equivalent.

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