Assistant / Associate Planner

The City of Salida Community Development Department is seeking an Assistant Planner/Associate Planner to join our team!

Salida is a fast-growing small city of approximately 6,500 residents located along the Arkansas River in south central Colorado, and is the county seat of Chaffee County (population approximately 22,000). It has been described by The New York Times as “The Outdoors Life, With No Attitude.”  Salida was also recently named the best “Unsung Mountain Town” by Outside magazine. Situated at 7,000 feet at the southern edge of the Upper Arkansas River Valley, it is surrounded by fifteen 14,000+ foot peaks and ample public lands. Its historic downtown (the largest historic district in the state) is home to a thriving community of restaurants, art galleries, and retail establishments. As a popular jumping-off point for rafting “the Ark” in the summer, skiing Monarch Mountain in the winter, and a plethora of other outdoor recreation activities throughout the year, the city is a destination, but also a true community of dedicated, fun-loving locals.

The Assistant Planner/Associate Planner is primarily responsible for implementing the Land Use Code through review of land use and building permit applications. Although the position is focused primarily on current planning tasks, it also involves occasional long-range planning project work. Specific duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: reviewing and evaluating development proposals of varying complexity; reviewing building permit, sign permit, and vendor permit submittals; providing information regarding land use matters to the public; preparing staff reports for various committees and boards; performing occasional professional and technical work in collecting, analyzing and presenting information relative to City planning and community development functions and activities; occasionally acting as a liaison to consultants, developers and staff of other agencies; investigating a wide range of issues/activities for code compliance; assisting in code compliance actions; occasionally assisting with the development of guidelines, policies, ordinances and procedures pertaining to land use planning; and occasionally assisting with maintaining and updating the City’s Comprehensive Plan and other plans relating to the orderly development/growth of the City. See the full job descriptions for both levels linked below for additional details.

Position level of Assistant or Associate Planner will be determined by successful applicant's experience and qualifications. 

Assistant Planner Salary Range $55,868 to $83,803 Annually.  Hiring range up to $69,846 Annually. 

Associate Planner Salary Range $63,585 to $95,368 Annually. Hiring range up to $79,476 Annually.

The City offers a full benefits package for this position including medical/dental/vision insurance plans, 401(a) and 457 retirement plan options with employer match, Personal Time Off accrual, life insurance, short-term and long-term disability benefits, and a swim benefit at the Salida Hot Springs Aquatic Center.

Employment application, resume and other materials may be emailed to jobs@cityofsalida.com (preferred) or delivered to City Hall at 448 E 1st St, Suite 112. Applications will be accepted through 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 22, 2024.

The City of Salida is an Equal Opportunity Employer.