Job Announcement: Tree Care Specialist
The Public Works Department for the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea seeks a highly-motivated, service-oriented team member for the full-time role of Tree Care Specialist. The selected candidate will perform routine and semi-skilled tree care duties including planting, watering, trimming, pruning, and removing trees and stumps in addition to completing a variety of forestry, parks, and beach maintenance duties.
Why Carmel?
Located in Monterey County along the Pacific Ocean, Carmel is a city rich in coastal resources, cultural heritage, and history. It boasts a unique urban forest of over 10,000 public trees, a world-class beach, sensitive habitats, and a variety of parks, trails, and open spaces including the 8-acre North Dunes and the 34-acre Mission Trail Nature Preserve. The City also has a significant amount of unimproved right of way, a linear greenbelt and over 80 acres of parks throughout the City. More information can be found at: https://ci.carmel.ca.us
Essential Functions:
Essential duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Climb, trim, and prune trees, plants, and shrubbery to promote health, correct damage of disease, improve appearance, provide a safer environment, and/or to provide clearance of streets, sidewalks, signs, and lights.
- Remove fallen trees, dead limbs, and other debris resulting from storm damage and other conditions.
- Diagnose and treat tree insect and disease problems.
- Install, inspect, and maintain tree cables and braces.
- Inspect for safety, operate, and maintain forestry equipment including climbing belts, spurs, flip lines, ropes, hand saws, power saws, boom lift truck, chipper, pruners, loppers, and related equipment.
- Use high ranger vehicle to access upper tree canopies.
- Determine limbs to be removed; rig ropes in trees and determine placement of ropes for easiest and safest removal of limbs; check location of power lines, personnel, equipment, pedestrians, and traffic before cutting limbs.
- Grind and remove stumps.
- Participate in the selection of equipment and plant materials needed for work assignments.
- Inspect citizen requests for service to determine urgency and needed maintenance, evaluate work being performed, and respond to questions or complaints from the public.
- Advise public concerning plant or tree questions on private property including plant identification, insect and disease problems, and pruning, trimming, and care techniques.
- Inspect other City grounds including parks, trails, street trees, landscaped median islands, playground equipment, park signs, and barrier rails; perform corrective safety and other actions.
- Install and remove holiday lights and decorations.
- Plant trees, shrubs, and flowers; water and fertilize in accordance with standard procedures.
- Apply herbicides, pesticides, growth regulators and fertilizers; conduct spraying tasks involving insecticides.
- Perform grounds maintenance or other public maintenance work when not assigned to tree trimming duties.
- Perform other job-related duties and responsibilities as required.
Essential functions, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include any of the above representative duties, knowledge and skills. This is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and duties performed by incumbents of this class. Employees may be assigned duties which are not listed above. Reasonable accommodations will be made as required.
Minimum Qualifications:
Any combination equivalent to experience and training that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge, skills, and abilities would be:
- One year of work experience involving tree maintenance including tree trimming and climbing experience.
- Completion of twelfth grade supplemented by specialized training in tree care or landscape maintenance.
- Possession of, or ability to obtain, an appropriate, valid driver's license and a Pesticide Applicator license.
Please note: In terms of the work schedule for this position, it will normally be 40 hours, Monday – Friday each week with the daily work hours determined by the supervisor. However, the City will maintain the flexibility to schedule weekend work in lieu of, or in addition to, the normal Monday – Friday schedule as operational needs dictate.
To Apply:
To be considered, please submit an on-line application at https://www.calopps.org/city-of-carmel-by-the-sea . Applications will be screened in relation to the criteria indicated in this announcement.
Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications and whose qualifications most closely align with those needed will be invited to interview.
This recruitment is open-until-filled with the first review of applications to begin Monday, August 12.
Benefits:
Retirement
Retirement is through the California Public Employees Retirement System (PERS).
- The formula for "Classic" members hired by a CalPERS-participating agency before 11/1/11 is 2% @ 55 with a total employee contribution of 10% per payroll for FY19-20.
- The formula for "Classic" members hired by a CalPERS-participating agency on or after 11/1/11 and prior to 1/1/13 is 2% @ 60 with a total employee contribution of 10% per payroll for FY19-20.
- The formula for "MISC-PEPRA" members hired by a CalPERS-participating agency on or after 1/1/13 is 2% @ 62 with a total employee contribution of 9.75% per payroll for FY19-20.
- The total employee contribution percentage is based on CalPERS' annual valuation and can change. More information can be found at: www.calpers.ca.gov.
Deferred Compensation Plan (IRS 457)
Participation in a governmental 457 deferred compensation plan (City contribution of $25.00/month with City match of up to $50.00/month)
Health Insurance
- Fully-paid employee and dependent dental plan
- Fully-paid employee and dependent vision plan
- Fully-paid Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance
- City-paid CalPERS medical coverage (80% of monthly premium)
Vacation & Sick Leave
- 96 hours of accrued annual sick leave
- 80 hours (pro-rated to hire date) of accrued annual vacation leave for first 1-4 years and thereafter up to maximum accrual rate of 176 hours annually
Holidays
Other
- Direct deposit
- Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for healthcare and childcare expenses
Location: Public Works Building, City of Carmel-by-the-Sea, 93921
Recruitment Contact: Jane Wilson
T (831) 620-2017 E jwilson@ci.carmel.ca.us
Carmel-by-the-Sea is an equal employment opportunity employer and encourages all qualified individuals to submit an application for this opportunity. The information contained within this announcement may be modified or revoked without notice and does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract.
