Assistant County Counsel - Land Use

Company: Ventura County
Location: Ventura
Posted on: May 3, 2021

Job Description:

Assistant County Counsel - Land Use Print (/ventura/job/_bulletin.cfm?jobID=3040123&sharedWindow=0) Apply Assistant County Counsel - Land Use Salary $100,328.68 - $200,885.63 Annually Location Ventura, CA Job Type Full-Time Regular Department County Counsel Job Number 0039CC-21AA (MM) Closing Continuous + Description + Benefits + Questions Description Ventura County's Office of County Counsel provides legal advice and representation to County departments, officers and related entities in all civil law matters. The County Counsel's Office is distinguished from the District Attorney's Office and the Public Defender's Office, which handle criminal matters. THE DEPARTMENT The Office of County Counsel employs approximately 25 attorneys and 12 support personnel. The working title for line-assigned attorneys is Assistant County Counsel, although the formal Civil Service classifications for the position are Civil Attorney I/II/III and Senior Civil Attorney. Four attorney positions are assigned to management of the Office, including the County Counsel. The individual assignments of Assistant County Counsels are varied, reflecting the breadth of functions performed by the County, and can include litigation, advisory or transactional duties. THE POSITION An Assistant County Counsel position is available in the Civil Attorney II, Civil Attorney III or Senior Civil Attorney classification, depending upon candidate experience. Applications are sought from motivated attorneys with subject matter familiarity and experience in land use law in areas such as planning and zoning, oil and gas development, surface mining, housing, telecommunications, development project review, and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) compliance. Ideal candidates will also have experience drafting and interpreting land use ordinances, plans and policies; preparing and presenting cases before state and federal courts; and a solid understanding and knowledge of the Brown Act, Public Records Act, conflict of interest laws and general public law. APPROXIMATE MONTHLY SALARY: Civil Attorney II: $8,360.72 - $11,705.01 Civil Attorney III: $10,287.17 - $14,402.04 Senior Civil Attorney: $11,956.31 - $16,740.47 Civil attorneys receive management benefits and are exempt from overtime compensation. Examples Of Duties Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following: + Act as legal adviser to County officers, departments, boards and commissions; + Advise County officers, departments, and staff regarding land use matters, CEQA, interpretation and application of County zoning ordinances, plans and policies; + Draft land use ordinances, plans, policies and other legislative matters; + Prepare litigation documents including complaints, answers, demurrers/motions to dismiss, and appellate briefs; + Prepare formal written legal opinions to County officers and staff on legal questions; + Prepare and review contracts, leases and other instruments for legal sufficiency; + Perform other related duties as required. Typical Qualifications These are entrance requirements to the recruitment process and assure neither continuance in the process nor placement on an eligible list. EDUCATION AND LICENSING: All levels require graduation from law school and active membership in the State Bar of California. EXPERIENCE: Civil Attorney II - A minimum of two (2) years of professional legal experience. Civil Attorney III - A minimum of four (4) years of professional legal experience. Senior Civil Attorney A minimum of six (6) years of professional legal experience. NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Knowledge of and experience with land use law and CEQA compliance. DESIRED QUALIFICATION: Legal experience in the public sector or with public sector clients. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES: Thorough knowledge of: land use law and CEQA compliance; legal principles and their application; rules of professional conduct; rules of evidence; and legal research methods. Thorough skill and ability to: analyze difficult and complex legal problems; utilize legal research to find principles of law, statutes and cases on point; present statements of fact and argument clearly and persuasively in writing and orally; draft legal instruments and opinions; and obtain the confidence and respect of members of the legal profession, public officials and other persons. SPECIAL RESTRICTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS The County of Ventura Personnel Rules and Regulations prohibit County attorneys from engaging in the private practice of law for compensation. Pursuant to the Political Reform Act of 1974, the Assistant County Counsels must file a financial disclosure statement within thirty (30) days of appointment. Recruitment Process FINAL FILING DATE: This is a continuous recruitment and may close at any time; therefore, apply as soon as possible if you are interested in it. Your application must be received by County of Ventura Human Resources in Ventura, California, no later than 5:00 p.m. on the closing date. To apply on-line refer to web site: /jobs. If you prefer to fill out a paper application form, please call (805) 654-5129 for application materials and submit them to County of Ventura Human Resources, 800 S. Victoria Avenue, L-1970, Ventura, CA 93009. INFORMATION FOR TRANSFER CANDIDATES: If presently permanently employed in another "merit" or "civil service" public agency/entity in the same or substantively similar position as is advertised, and if appointed to that position by successful performance in a "merit" or "civil service" style examination, then appointment by "Lateral Transfer" may be possible. If interested, please clickhere (Download PDF reader) for additional information. NOTE: Sufficient information must be provided under the Education/Work experience portion of the application and supplemental questionnaire, if applicable, to thoroughly and accurately demonstrate your qualifications in order to determine eligibility. A resume may be attached to supplement the information in the above sections; however, it may not be submitted in lieu of the application. APPLICATION EVALUATION qualifying: All applications will be reviewed to determine whether or not the stated requirements are met. Those individuals meeting the stated requirements will be invited to continue to the next step in the screening and selection process. A first review of applications will occur on or around the week of April 26, 2021. SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE qualifying: All applicants are required to complete and submit the questionnaire for this examination AT THE TIME OF FILING. The supplemental questionnaire may be used throughout the examination process to assist in determining each applicant's qualifications and acceptability for the position. Failure to complete and submit the questionnaire may result in the application being removed from consideration. TRAINING and EXPERIENCE EVALUATION: A Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E) is a structured evaluation of the job application materials submitted by a candidate, including the written responses to the supplemental questionnaire. The T&E is NOT a determination of whether the candidate meets the stated requirements; rather, the T&E is one method for determining who are the better qualified among those who have shown that they meet the stated requirements. In a T&E, applications are either scored or rank ordered according to criteria that most closely meet the business needs of the Department. Candidates are typically scored/ranked in relation to one another; consequently, when the pool of candidates is exceptionally strong, many qualified candidates may receive a score or rank which is moderate or even low resulting in them not being advanced in the process. NOTE: The selection process will likely consist of an oral examination, which may be preceded or replaced with the score from a T&E, contingent upon the size and quality of the candidate pool. In a typical T&E, your training and experience are evaluated in relation to the background, experience and factors identified for successful job performance during a job analysis. For this reason, it is recommended that your application materials clearly show your relevant background and specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities. It is also highly recommended that the supplemental questionnaire within the application is completed with care and diligence. ORAL EXAMINATION 100%: All qualifying applicants, or those selected for further examination if there is a high number of qualified applicants, will be invited to an oral examination. Those applicants invited to the oral examination may be required to bring their law school transcripts and a writing sample showing their ability to research, analyze and apply the law. A panel of three persons will conduct the oral examination to evaluate and compare participating candidates' knowledge, skills and abilities in relation to those factors determined to be essential for successful performance of the job. ELIGIBILITY LIST: Candidates who score seventy percent (70%) or higher on the oral examination will be placed on an eligible list for one (1) year. If there are three (3) or fewer qualified applicants, an oral examination will not be conducted. Instead, a score of seventy percent (70%) will be assigned to each applicant, and each applicant will be placed on the eligible list. The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill existing and future regular, temporary, fixed-term, intermittent and extra-help positions within the office only. There is currently one (1) Regular vacancy. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: A thorough pre-employment, post-offer background investigation, which may include inquiry into past employment, education, criminal background information and driving record, may be required for this position. For further information about this recruitment, please contact Monika Maine by email to or phone (805) 654-2629. YOUR BENEFITS AS A COUNTY OF VENTURA EMPLOYEE MANAGEMENT In addition to your annual salary, the County of Ventura offers you an extensive benefits package, including: FLEXIBLE BENEFITS PROGRAM: You allocate the County's non-taxable biweekly Credit Allowance of $447.00 (Employee Only), $522 (Employee + 1), or $547 (Employee + 2 or more) among several benefit options. Regular part-time employees (4059 hours per pay period) hired or promoted to Management on or after April 1, 2001, receive a Credit Allowance of $313.00 (Employee Only), $365 (Employee + 1), or $383 (Employee + 2 or more). Medical, Dental, and Vision Plans for you and your dependents. Current premium amounts can be found on the Benefits website (/benefits). Flexible Spending Accounts which increase your spending power by reimbursing you with pre-taxed dollars for IRS approved dependent care and health care expenses. Pre-tax Salary Reduction available if the costs for the benefit options you select exceed the County's biweekly contribution. This saves you taxes by lowering your taxable income. Cash added to your taxable biweekly pay, depending on the selections you have made. EMPLOYEE HEALTH SERVICES CLINIC: Available to you for treatment of minor illness or injury. MEDICAL MAINTENANCE EXAMINATION: You may schedule a medical maintenance examination through Employee Health Services, at no cost to you, at the intervals stated: Once every 36 months if under age 40 Once every 24 months if between ages 40-44 Once every 12 months if over age 45 If you choose to have the examination through your personal physician, your department will reimburse you up to $1,200 for eligible expenses not covered by your medical plan. ANNUAL LEAVE: 208 hours earned each year (in lieu of vacation/sick leave), increasing to 288 hours after 5 years of service. After using a minimum of 80 hours of annual leave during a 12-month period, you may redeem a portion of the accrual annually. Earned annual leave hours are prorated for permanent part-time employees. MAXIMUM ANNUAL LEAVE ACCRUAL: The maximum number of hours that an employee can accumulate is 880 hours. 11 PAID HOLIDAYS: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Day After Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and one floating holiday. Paid holiday time is prorated for permanent part-time employees. TEXTBOOK AND TUITION: The County may reimburse you up to a maximum of $2,000 per fiscal year ($1,000 for Confidential Clerical) for tuition and books for educational endeavors when courses have a reasonable potential for resulting in more effective County service. This benefit is prorated for part-time employees. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: The County will pay up to a maximum of $200 for membership fees to a job-related professional organization. EDUCATIONAL INCENTIVE: The County may provide up to a 5% incentive pay for educational attainment if not specifically required for your job. You may receive only one form of incentive pay or premium pay and will receive that which provides the greatest incentive. MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT: If required to use your personal vehicle on County business, you will receive mileage reimbursement at the standard rate established by the IRS for each mile driven. Some job classifications also receive an automobile allowance. DEFERRED COMPENSATION: You may elect to contribute to one or both of the County's deferred compensation plans (established under Internal Revenue Code Sections 401(k) and 457). If you participate in the County sponsored 401(k) plan, the County will match a part of your contribution up to 3% of your salary, on a pay period basis. You must be regularly scheduled to work at least 40 hours each pay period to be eligible to participate in the 401(k) plan. These plans enable you to build long-term savings while deferring current federal and state income taxes. In addition to pre-tax contributions, you are also able to make after-tax contributions through the Roth option available in the 457 plan. RETIREMENT/SOCIAL SECURITY: Both the County and you contribute to the Ventura County Employees' Retirement Association (VCERA) and Social Security. VCERA is a defined-benefit pension plan that provides a lifetime retirement after being vested and meeting eligibility requirements. Benefits vest after 5 years of service. Employees hired to work less than 64 hours biweekly participate in a Safe Harbor retirement plan in lieu of VCERA and Social Security. FAQs (l/sjRJxh) LONG TERM DISABILITY INSURANCE PLAN: The County provides you with a disability plan which provides benefits for up to 5 years for a disabling illness or injury, in an amount of 66 2/3% of base salary. Limitations and exceptions are outlined in the certificate of insurance. You must be regularly scheduled to work at least 40 hours biweekly to participate in this benefit. OPTIONAL WAGE SUPPLEMENT PLAN: You may purchase short-term disability coverage in weekly benefit amounts of $45 or $80. You must be regularly scheduled to work 40 hours or more each pay period to participate and must enroll within 90 days of employment. LIFE INSURANCE: The County provides you with a fully paid $50,000 term life insurance policy. The policy contains an accidental death and dismemberment rider equal to the face value of the policy. OPTIONAL GROUP LIFE INSURANCE: If you are a regular County employee with a regular work schedule of at least 40 hours per pay period you may purchase term life insurance coverage for either $10,000 or one times your annual base salary, without evidence of insurability, if you enroll within your first 90 days of eligibility. You may also be eligible to purchase term life insurance at group rates for two or three times your annual salary, subject to evidence of insurability. Dependents life insurance is also available for employees who purchase optional life insurance coverage. DEATH BENEFIT: Your department will provide a $1,000 death benefit payable to your designated beneficiary in the event of your death if you are enrolled in the Flexible Benefits Program. OTHER BENEFITS: The County also offers an Employee Assistance Program, as well as a Wellness Program, and a Work/Family Program which includes child care and elder care referrals. This Summary is informational only and cannot modify or affect your benefits in any way, nor shall you accrue any rights because of a statement or omission from this summary. Please refer to Plan Brochures and Management Resolution for details. These documents are available in your department. Link to Management Resolution - June 2020 (/HR/docs/policies/Management/_Resolution/_20200609.pdf) Union Codes: MB3, MB4, MS, MT, MCC, MU 01 Please describe your experience representing public entities detailing entities represented, types of issues and departments assigned, and the nature of your legal experience as to those entities and departments. 02 Please describe your knowledge, training, skills and continuing education in the areas of planning, zoning and other land use law, CEQA, and land use and environmental litigation. 03 Please describe your experience advising public entity boards and commissions in the areas of land use law and CEQA. 04 Please describe your experience with administrative and judicial proceedings detailing your role in representation, the type and number of cases worked on, types of issues addressed, and case outcomes. 05 Are you currently an active member in the State Bar of California? + Yes + No Required Question Agency Ventura County Address 800 S. Victoria Avenue LOC. #1970 Ventura, California, 93009 Phone (805) 654-5129 Website Apply Please verify your email address Verify Email

Keywords: Ventura County, Ventura , Assistant County Counsel - Land Use, Other , Ventura, California