Our mission is to join with our community to make Concord

a city of the highest quality. We do this by providing responsive, cost

effective and innovative local government services.

City of Concordinvites qualified applications for

Planning ManagerAnnual salary up to $147,867 and is supplemented by a generous benefits package.

Concord, California is located 29 miles east of

San Francisco, adjacent to beautiful Mt. Diablo.

With 124,000 residents, it is the largest city in

Contra Costa County, covering 31.13 square

miles. Neighborhoods are important to the

City’s family-oriented lifestyle, which balances

Concord’s gracious early California heritage

with well-planned development. Concord offers

a range of housing options and prices, from

apartments to executive residences. Quiet

neighborhoods, numerous parks and large

preserves of open space add to the quality of

life for all residents. A significant number of major

corporations and technology-based companies

have chosen to locate in Concord, citing a well-

educated workforce, convenient location and

employee amenities as driving factors.

Diverse public and private educational

opportunities await students of all ages. A full

range of academic offerings is available from

preschool to graduate study and adult education.

The Mt. Diablo Unified School District along with

private and parochial schools provide education

for grades K-12. California State University, East

Bay – Concord Campus, and other colleges offer undergraduate and graduate degrees.

A dynamic, high-rise business core, regional shopping centers and a vibrant, entertainment-driven downtown have created a growing and sustainable economy. Downtown Concord offers many opportunities for dining, shopping and entertainment as well as a thriving environment for business. Historic Todos Santos Plaza, the heart of the downtown, is the community gathering place for special events such as the Farmer’s Market, Music at Noon, Music & Market Series, and holiday celebrations.

Named Tree City USA for 29 years, the City of Concord has long been known for its extensive park system offering something for everyone from toddlers to active seniors. The City has 31 parks consisting of 367 acres of developed parkland. These parks

provide 14 soccer and 21 baseball / softball fields, 14 playgrounds, eight group picnic areas, 17 tennis courts, handball and basketball courts, 12 bocce courts and one community swimming pool. There are 52 acres of award-winning landscaped medians. Additionally, there are two dozen school sites with playgrounds and ball fields. Concord and the surrounding Mt. Diablo foothills boast 685 acres of open space for Concord residents and visitors to enjoy. Trails for hiking, biking and equestrian uses wind through Concord and connect to existing regional trail networks, including those in Mt. Diablo State Park.

THE COMMUNITY

The City operates under a Council/ Manager form of government. Five members of the City Council are elected at-large to overlapping terms of four years. One of the members serves as Mayor. The City Council is the legislative body responsible for the overall policies and direction of the City. The City Council appoints the City Manager and City Attorney. The City Treasurer is directly elected. The City’s total operating budget of $140 million reflects a regular full-time staf f of approximately 400. Through long-range planning and a mature performance based budgeting system, the City has the ability to project and plan for its financial needs, and respond quickly to new challenges. The City of Concord provides an extensive array of services including police, engineering, transportation, maintenance, parks and recreation, af ter school and lifelong learning programs, building, planning, economic development and code enforcement services, along with the regular administrative internal management support services. The City owns and contracts for the operation of the Diablo Creek Golf Course and the nationally recognized Concord Pavilion where many well-known entertainers perform. The City Council, sit ting as the Local Reuse Authority, has adopted a Reuse Plan and Climate Action Plan for the former Concord Naval Weapons Station (CNWS). The CNWS area is approximately 5,170 acres or approximately 8 square miles.

CITY GOVERNMENT

The Community and Economic Development Department is supported by a staff of 39 and an annual general fund budget of $21.2 million. The Department is currently organized across five divisions: Building, Planning, Economic Development and Housing, Engineering, and Transportation. The Planning Manager, like all Division Managers within the Department, reports to the Community and Economic Development Director.

The Planning Division is responsible for supporting the Planning Commission, the Design Review Board, and the Zoning Administrator function. The Planning Division includes a total of seven full time professional staff, as well as other staff augmentation when needed.

The Planning Division is currently engaged in several exciting projects: 1. Planning and Development of the Concord Reuse Area. The City has adopted a Reuse Plan for the former Concord Naval Weapons Station, a 5,200 acre site within the City. The Reuse Plan envisions the development of a world class project that balances conservation and development in a manner that is economically viable and sustainable. )Over 60% of the site will be maintained as open space, with development of up to12, 200 new housing units, and as much as 8.5 million square feet of commercial and institutional building space. This project is managed through the City’s Base Reuse Office, with the Planning Division playing an important role on the project team. The Planning Division’s role will increase as the City moves into responding to developers and preparing zoning and development documents for the base, likely beginning in 2015 with the selection of a Master Developer and preparation of a Specific Plan for the 350 acre Phase I development area. For more information please visit www.concordreuseproject.org.

2. Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. The City of Concord faces a number of challenges in providing safe and accessible biking and walking facilities. The Concord Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan will address the City’s need for a safe and context sensitive bicycle and pedestrian environment that can promote livability, public health and economic stability throughout the community. In a joint effort, the City of Concord and Contra Costa County’s Department of Health recently applied for and was granted a Safe Routes to Transit (SR2T) grant to develop a plan to improve non‐motorized access,

taking steps to address many of the bicycle and pedestrian accessibility issues throughout the City. As the project is currently in the early stages, the selected candidate will be actively involved in moving this planning effort forward.

3. Downtown Concord Specific Plan. The Downtown Concord Specific Plan (Downtown Plan) is a community planning effort to guide the long-term improvement of Downtown Concord. Preliminary work began in 2013 and the Plan is scheduled for adoption by the City Council in Jun2 2014. The Downtown Plan explores ways to leverage proximity to BART to encourage walkable, higher density development and implementation strategies to jump-start development in the downtown. Policy guidance has been provided by a steering committee, a Technical Advisory Committee, and the community at large through a number of community workshops. The Downtown Plan timing has been on a parallel but slightly earlier timeline that the Housing Element, allowing the document to inform and be incorporated into the Housing Element Update process.

4. Housing Element Update. The City’s Housing Element Update for 2014-2022 is underway, utilizing the new streamlined Housing Element review and update procedure to simplify and shorten the process for both HCD and the City. After City Council review in June, the Draft Housing Element Update will be submitted to HCD for a 60-day review.

Additionally, the Planning Division has an active current planning function.

The Division takes pride in its strong customer service ethic and role helping to make the City a wonderful place to live, work, and play. The Planning Division is the central point for the review and processing of all discretionary development applications and must provide strong coordination amongst other divisions within the Permit Center, the public, and the applicant.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

Management & Leadership StyleThe ideal candidate for this position will display

strong leadership capabilities within the division, department, city-organization, community and

amongst regional agency representatives. He or

she will assert a positive presence, take initiative

and action, show good judgment, treat others

with respect, display an open and approachable

manner, and serve as a role model. He or she

will prioritize quality customer service. The ideal

candidate will also have excellent problem-

solving abilities and be proactive in anticipating,

dealing with and resolving problems.

The successful candidate will be someone

who excels at cultivating positive working

relationships with many constituents, including

elected and appointed officials, city management

and department heads, applicants, special

interest groups, and community members. He

or she will see themselves as a member of one

city organization, function as a collaborative

and supportive member of teams, and reinforce

a team-building ethic amongst staff. The ideal

candidate will adapt flexibly to change and

effectively facilitate change within the Planning

Division.

The individual selected for this position will be

proactively committed to driving efficiency and

controlling expenses within the division while

prioritizing service needs.

The Department is searching for a Planning

Manager who has outstanding people and project

management skills. The ideal candidate will be

someone who nurtures growth and progress

of the staff within the department, reinforces

accountability, and addresses personnel problems

quickly and effectively. He or she will also be

capable of directly and indirectly managing the

implementation of large, complex projects in

partnership with all whom are impacted. The

candidate will have a strong understanding of the

government decision making process, particularly

in the area of land-use.

The ideal candidate will set and maintain

high standards of conduct for themselves, the

division, and the City. He or she will be willing to

make tough decisions with an emphasis on what

is right and consistent with the City’s Mission,

Vision, and Values. He or she will be someone

who incorporates ethics into day-to-day decision

making within the division.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT – PLANNING DIVISION

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE (Continued)

The closing date for this recruitment

is 11:59 p.m. on August 5, 2014. To be

considered, applicants must complete

a City application form online at http://

agency.governmentjobs.com/concord/

default.cfm before the final filing deadline.

Resumes submitted without the required

City application will not be considered.

All application materials received will

be screened in relation to the criteria

outlined in this announcement. Only those

candidates that best meet the qualifications

and needs of the department will be

notified and scheduled to continue in the

selection process. The selection process

may include one or more panel interviews

and other test elements determined to be

appropriate by the City. In conformance

with the Americans with Disabilities Act,

requests for reasonable accommodations

may be made to Crist ina Albers

(925) 671-3116. For administrative

purposes, requests should be made at

the time of application. The successful

candidate will be selected from the list of

those determined by the selection process

to be among the best-qualified.

APPLICATION & SELECTION PROCESS

The City of Concord is an Equal Opportunity / Veteran’s

Preference Employer.The provisions of this bulletin do not constitute a contract,

express or implied and any provisions contained in this bulletin

may be modified or revoked without notice.

The annual salary for the Planning Manager posit ion ranges up to $147,867 and is supplemented by a generous benefits package that includes but is not limited to:

Health InsuranceCity provides PERS Health, which includes a variety of plans from which to choose. Concord currently pays a portion of the Kaiser rate for employees and their eligible dependents. Employees will contribute 50% of future increases or decreases in the Kaiser rate. A cash benefit may be paid in lieu of coverage if candidate has coverage from another source.

Dental & Vision InsuranceEmployees and eligible dependents are covered by a dental plan that includes orthodontics. The City pays premiums for employees and their eligible dependents. Vision plan is available.

Retirement ProgramCalPERS 2% @ 62 formula based on one-year final compensation. Employees pay 50% of normal costs, currently at 6.25% employee contribution. Classic CalPERS members Tier II formula is 2% at 55, paying 7% employee contribution. Concord offers Employer Paid Member Contribution (EPMC) as part of final retirement compensation and retiree health insurance coverage analogous to active City employees.

Vacation & Sick LeaveVacation accrues at the rate of 15 days during the first year of employment and increases to 27 working days after 20 years of service (cash out only upon termination). Sick days are accrued at 12 days per year with no limit on accumulation. Administrative Leave – Executive and management employees may be granted up to 10 days.

Social Security/MedicareConcord participates in the federal Social Security and Medicare programs.

Life InsuranceCity-paid benefit; coverage at twice annual salary.

Long-term DisabilityLong-term and short-term disability protection provided by City.

Pre-tax Savings BenefitsSection 125 Flexible and Commuter Benefit Plans are available

Experience, Training & EducationSix (6) years progressively responsible

professional planning experience, including supervision of Planning staf f involved in General Plan, zoning, or development services. A minimum of three (3) years of experience administering a planning division, or managing a current or long-range planning program is required. A bachelor’s degree in urban planning, public or business administration, or related field is also required. A master’s degree and AICP certification is highly desirable. Advanced leadership training and education will be thoughtfully evaluated.

Candidates should have extensive experience in hiring, evaluating and counseling

employees. They should also have direct experience in preparing and administering budgets and demonstrated familiarity with and understanding of public sector budgets. Excellent oral and written communication skills are required.

Candidates should have experience working collaboratively with other divisions, city departments, the community, and regional agencies to accomplish comprehensive goals and resolve challenges. Candidates should also have a proven track record of proactively improving upon customer service and an understanding and mastery of technology tools used to enhance effectiveness in service and employee performance.