Planning Intern

$17.00 to $20.00 Hourly Depending on Experience

The Position

The City of Morro Bay's Planning Division is looking for a dynamic planning student to join us as a paid intern.

The Planning Division of the Community Development Department prepares and administers the zoning and subdivision ordinances and reviews development projects in compliance with the City's ordinances. The Planning Division ensures all projects comply with the California Environmental Quality Act and provides the community with long-range planning in order to coordinate and monitor growth and development. It is also charged with updating and implementing the General Plan.

There is a lot going on in Morro Bay! This is an exciting opportunity for a talented and motivated Planning intern to gain experience and develop work habits that will pay dividends long after launching a career in this highly-competitive profession.

Examples of Job Duties

The assigned intern will report directly to the Planning Manager and have the opportunity to work with all staff in the Community Development Department. The intern assignment will take place at City Hall Annex, 955 Shasta Avenue, Morro Bay, CA 93442. All assigned job duties will allow an intern to develop a perspective and provide insight in the interdisciplinary fields of work as a planner in a municipal agency. In addition to the day-to-day duties, there will be opportunities for the intern to attend Planning Commission hearings, which will help the intern experience the public hearing process. Staff will also take the intern on field/site visits to provide some basic tools for assessing site conditions and design schemes in order to understand the issues, identify the opportunities and constraints, and provide recommendations related to a project.

The selected intern will have the opportunity to be exposed to a wide variety of planning-related tasks in the Planning Division of the Community Development Department. The Planning intern would be assigned to perform and receive exposure to the following:

• Process discretionary projects such as administrative development reviews for additions to single-family residences;
• Process non-complex applications, such as routine business licenses, plan checks, patio covers, walls/fences, and sign permits;
• Assist customers at the front counter, on the phone and via email; and
• Conduct and compile research using available resources and have direct contact with other public sector agencies.
  
  

These duties provide the foundation to learn the City's zoning regulations, policies and procedures, project and file management, time management, and problem solving, and communication skills. The internship will also provide the opportunity to learn the nuts and bolts of land use administration, such as how to read site, grading and architectural plans; and checking for compliance with zoning regulations.

Some additional routine tasks may include the following:

• Administration - Purging and organizing closed planning files to support records scanning needs, etc.
• Current Planning/Discretionary Review - Serve as an apprentice to planners on their more complex projects.
  
  

Qualification Guidelines

Education: Currently enrolled college or university students that have attained Senior level status in the undergraduate Urban and Regional Planning degree program and graduate level students in the Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree program will be considered.

Experience: None required

The following skills, knowledge, and abilities are highly desirable for program participation:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to apply research techniques, survey methods, and data collection
• Flexibility and ability to handle multiple priorities
• Excellent customer service skills
• Ability to foster effective working relationships with all levels of staff and the public
• Computer experience with Microsoft Office
  
  

Apply Here: Individuals can apply through the city website at https://www.morrobayca.gov/832/Employment-Opportunities

Application Deadline: Position is open until filled with the first review of applications on 7/15/24

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. It is the City's policy to ensure equal employment opportunity for all persons seeking employment or promotion to assure equal employment opportunity based upon ability and fitness to all persons regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, childbirth, breast-feeding, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity, gender expression, genetic characteristics or information, military or veteran's status, and/or any other category protected by federal and/or state law.