Urban Forestry Technician en Cosumnes Community Services District, CA

About the Department

The Cosumnes Community Services District is seeking to hire a full-time Urban Forestry Technician in the Park Operations Division. This position may be required to work a variety of shifts including, but not limited to, weekends, holidays, and after-hour emergency calls. The Urban Forestry Technician classification is represented by Teamsters Local #150.

Position Description
Under general supervision, performs a variety of duties related to the day to day maintenance of and care for district maintained trees; plants, prunes, removes, and waters trees; coordinates tree maintenance activities with other staff and volunteers; operates and maintains tree care equipment; responds to requests for tree services from management and the public; performs plant and pest diagnosis and implements appropriate corrective measures; and performs related work as required.

Salary Information
The salary range for the Urban Forestry Technician classification is between $23.86- $34.14 hourly. The District typically appoints new employees at step 1 of the salary range. Consideration for an appointment higher than step 1 will be based on experience, education, or the need for unique skills or knowledge and shall be no more than mid-point of the salary range.

Position Duties

The following duties are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that maybe performed. The omission of a specific statement on duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position. Each individual in the classification does not necessarily perform all the duties listed. Employees may perform other related duties at an equivalent level as required.

• Plants and stakes new trees and applies mulch to the base; waters newly planted trees utilizing a portable watering tank; waters non-irrigated district-owned trees; and loads and transports trees.
• Performs tree care functions including tree trimming and pruning, tree removal, and related tasks.
• Drives, operates, inspects, and maintains tools and equipment used for tree maintenance programs, including, but not limited to, chippers, stump grinders, chainsaws, hand tools, and tractors.

• Performs plant and pest diagnosis and implements appropriate corrective measures; provides advice on proper care of trees and possible remedies for disease or pest problems to property owners.
• Receives work orders; prepares, maintains, and inputs detailed logs, records, and reports of maintenance and repair activities via mobile and stationary digital devices into automated software systems.
• Responds to tree emergencies including uprooted trees and broken limbs; clears trees and limbs from avenues of transportation; notifies management accordingly regarding any damage from the tree emergency.
• Maintains contact between the District’s Urban Forestry Program, park personnel, residents, and volunteers including, but not limited to, planting, education, and young tree care.
• Attends workshops and conferences to maintain industry certifications. Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Any equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required skills, knowledge, and abilities may be considered qualifying at the sole discretion of the District. The education or experience requirements may be modified or waived at the sole discretion of the General Manager. At least one of the education or experience requirements must be met; however, both requirements cannot be modified and waived. A typical way to obtain the knowledge, skills, and abilities:

Experience:

• Two (2) years of responsible experience in tree maintenance, tree planting, and tree care.

Education and Training:

• High School diploma or equivalent supplemented by specialized training in tree maintenance, trimming tasks, or a related field.

Special Requirements:

• Possession of a valid California class "C" driver's license, with a satisfactory driving record as determined by the District insurance carrier and maintain it throughout employment.
• Possession of, or the ability to obtain, First Aid and CPR/AED certification within the first thirty (30) days of employment; certification must be maintained through employment.

Knowledge of:

• Local trees and plant species common to the region.
• Insects and diseases that infect regional trees and plants, including appropriate treatments and corrective action. 
• Professional standards and best practices in arboriculture and tree care.
• Safe work practices, including the use of safety equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) required for tree care operations.
• The operation and maintenance of a variety of hand and power tools, vehicles, and equipment used in tree care.
• Practices arboricultural techniques utilized in performing tree maintenance in urban areas including parks, trails, streetscapes, and facilities.
• Principles and practices of accurate record keeping and documentation.
• District and mandated safety rules, regulations, and protocols
• Techniques for delivering a high quality level of customer service and effectively dealing with the public, vendors, contractors, and district staff.
• The structure and content of the English language, including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Modern equipment and communication tools used for business functions and program, project, and task coordination, including computers and software programs relevant to work performed.

Ability to:

• Perform skilled tree trimming, tree pruning, tree removal, and related tree maintenance work.
• Perform proper tree planting, staking, and watering duties.
• Recognize and identify safety hazards, observe safety rules and laws, and use equipment safely.
• Operate and maintain equipment used in tree care functions.
• Research and identify pest diseases; recommend and/or take action.
• Maintain accurate records and prepare reports or documentation related to tree maintenance and work performed
• Coordinate work activities with other District departments and external agencies where needed.
• Organize own work, set priorities, and meet critical time deadlines.
• Effectively use computer systems, software applications relevant to work performed, and modern business equipment to perform a variety of work tasks.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing, using appropriate English grammar and syntax.
• Establish, maintain, and foster positive and effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Use independent judgment in routine situations, such as answering questions.

Physical Requirements

• Mobility: Frequent standing for long periods of time; frequent walking, standing, bending, stooping, squatting, kneeling, climbing ladders, crawling and twisting, while performing field work requiring stamina, and mobility to perform medium to heavy physical work, to work in confined spaces and around machines, to climb and descend ladders, to operate varied hand and power tools and construction equipment; frequent pushing, pulling or lifting objects up to fifty (50) pounds or heavier weights with the use of proper equipment and assistance from other staff.
• Vision: constant use of overall vision to detect shades of color, read printed materials and a computer screen.
• Dexterity: frequent repetitive motion to access, enter, and retrieve data using a keyboard or calculator; frequent grasping, holding and reaching; frequent operation of equipment such as, but not limited to, lawn mower, hedge trimmer, pressure washer, wire tracer, airless sprayer, irrigation controls, hand and power tools.
• Hearing/Talking: frequent hearing and talking in person and on the phone or radio.
• Emotional/Psychological: frequent decision making and concentration, frequent public and/or coworker contact; occasionally works alone.
• Driving: ability to use fine and gross motor coordination for driving a variety of vehicles and equipment such as, but not limited to, car, pick-up, equipment trailer, mowers, tractors, tillers, skip loader, front-end loader and trencher.  

Typical Working Conditions
Work is performed in a typical outdoor environment on a year-round basis in various types of weather and temperature including seasonal conditions such as extreme weather conditions including heat, cold, and moisture requiring frequent walking in operational areas to identify problems or hazards. Frequent exposure to loud noise, vibration, dust, dirt, chemicals, fumes, and other environmental substances. Depending upon assignment this position may require travel each day to multiple sites in a District vehicle. Some work is accomplished in an indoor office setting.  
May be required to work varied shifts, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and during emergencies.

Other Qualifications

THE PROCESS:

Application Review (Pass/Fail): All applicants must complete and submit an application by the final filing deadline. Applications will be reviewed for possession of minimum qualifications and evaluated according to the essential functions of the job and other needs of the position.

• Supplemental Questions: The supplemental questions are considered a part of the application process. All required questions must be completed before the application can be submitted. The supplemental questions will be used to evaluate the relevance, level, and progression of the applicant's education, training, and experience. Depending on the size of the applicant pool, the supplemental questions may be used as a part of the supplemental screening.
• Supplemental Screening: The district will review the responses to the supplemental questions of all candidates meeting the minimum qualifications. The most competitive candidates in the applicant pool will be selected to continue in the selection process.

Notification: Candidates will be notified of their status after completing the first interview phase.
Failure to meet these pre-employment requirements will be grounds for withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment.


Benefits For Full-Time Employees: 

• Full-time employees receive generous medical, dental, life, disability, and vision benefits.
• The District participates in the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS). New members in the CalPERS system will receive a retirement formula of 2% at 62. Applicants who meet the CalPERS requirements for a "classic member" will receive a retirement formula of 2% at 55.
• All employees of the District participate in the Medicare portion of Social Security.
• Full-time employees receive generous vacation, holiday, and sick leave allowances.

RIGHT-TO-WORK VERIFICATION
Documentation verifying the candidate's legal right to work in the United States will be required and shall be presented upon hire.

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