Part-time Forestry and Horticulture Maintenance Staff

POSTING WILL REMAIN OPEN UNTIL FILLED. FOR CONSIDERATION, PLEASE ENSURE YOUR APPLICATION IS COMPLETE.

Additional Parks, Athletics & Weekend Operations, Open Space, and Forestry & Horticulture jobs are also available. Please check the Town of Erie job page to view additional opportunities. Candidates are welcome to apply for one or more jobs in which they are interested.

Part-time Forestry and Horticulture Staff perform a variety of entry level Forestry and/or horticulture related maintenance activities including planting or transplanting trees, shrubs, and flowers, tree removals, watering, mulching, weeding operations, irrigation repairs, and other urban forest or ornamental landscape bed maintenance activities. This position may also occasionally support other work groups within the Parks and Open Space Division including work in Parks Maintenance, Athletics, and/or Open Space and Trails.

ANTICIPATED WORK SCHEDULE:

Work is traditionally performed Monday-Friday with some evenings and weekends as needed. Part-time staff may work up to 40+ hours per week and must be available a minimum of 16 hours per week. Flexible scheduling options may be accommodated based on work group needs. Employees in this classification are limited to 1,560 hours per year with no termination date.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Under supervision, assists higher level technicians and performs a variety of routine to complex maintenance and construction activities such as

• Arboriculture assignments including planting and transplanting of trees, site preparation, installation, backfilling, staking, pruning, watering, and mulching and tree removal.
• Horticulture assignments including planting of shrubs and flowers, site preparation, installation, pruning, watering, and mulching.
• Weeding of tree rings, perennial shrub beds, and/or annual flower beds.
• Assisting with landscape bed renovations.
• Performing a variety of light and heavy laboring activities utilizing pickup trucks, trailers, wood chippers, backpack blowers, hedge trimmers, stump grinders, and various hand tools and other powered maintenance equipment.
• Performing snow removal activities either by hand, small equipment, or heavy equipment as assigned.

Assist with other duties to include

• Cleaning and organization of shop area.
• Open space and trails maintenance including mowing and trimming, trash collection, fence installation and other related light construction activities.
• Turf maintenance, playground maintenance, hardscape maintenance, irrigation repair, and other related assignments.
• Athletic field maintenance including infield skin work, clay, field prep, and painting athletic surfaces.
• Applying herbicides and pesticides in accordance with prescribed guidelines; maintaining usage records.
• Performing other appropriate duties as assigned.

Assist to maintain a safe working environment to include

• Safety checks of equipment and minor maintenance activities on vehicles and equipment.
• Following all safety protocols for working in traffic and congested areas.
• Working in ditches and confined spaces and all other work environments.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must be available to work a minimum of 16 hours per week.
• Must be a minimum of 18 years of age.
• High school diploma or equivalent. Associate degree preferred.
• A combination of education and experience may be considered.
• Valid Colorado Driver's License and satisfactory driving record.
• Must be able to work weekends, as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES REQUIRED:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The requirements listed below representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or ability required:

• Ability to use or learn to use hand tools and light equipment.
• Ability to read and comprehend simple instruction, short correspondence, and memos and carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals.
• Ability to read maps and drawings.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationship with employees and the public.
• Ability to use desktop or handheld computers, office equipment, phones and two-way radios
• Ability to work weekends for selected special events and sports tournaments.

Environmental Factors:

The majority of work will be performed outdoors in all weather conditions, including extreme conditions. Work performed indoors will be limited to approximately 5% of the workday. While performing the duties of this job, there will be frequent exposure to vibrations and electricity when using equipment such as hand tools, chain saws, hedge trimmers, drills, impact drivers, painting equipment, mowers, tractors, trucks, skid steers, and backhoes. Frequent use of color discrimination, peripheral vision, near and far visual acuity is necessary. The ability to hear for backup alarms and warning alarms will be a crucial aspect to complete tasks, hearing protection will be provided. The employee will constantly be required to walk/travel on uneven surfaces and will need to enter confined spaces in rare circumstances for up to 30 minutes. There will be frequent exposure to chemicals, fumes, and gas due to herbicide use, equipment maintenance, and dust. Work will frequently be performed in public rights of way and road medians.

Physical Factors:

While performing to duties of this job, the employee will be required to walk for up to eight hours a day. Sitting and standing during the workday will be minimal (up to two hours during the shift). The employee will spend up to eight hours per day on repetitive motion activities such as mowing and operating power tools and loading equipment into vehicles. Bending down to floor level, twisting at the waist, and kneeling to the ground for up to 30 minutes will be frequent. Climbing a supported ladder up to 24 feet off the ground will be necessary for some tasks. Time spent grasping objects that may weigh up to 100 pounds, including power tools, vehicle steering wheels, and hand tools will be frequent, often as much as 5-8 hours per day. The employee will frequently be required to lift, reach for objects weighing between 5-30 pounds, and infrequently items weighing up to 100 pounds. Most reaching will occur within an arm's length, and will be at shoulder height, waist height or at ground level. Pushing and pulling objects weighing between 5 and 100 lbs. is required often.

BENEFITS: 

Part-Time employees receive the following benefits: 

• Free membership to the Erie Community Center 
• Access to the Town's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) 
• Colorado Sick Leave (1 hour of accrued, paid leave per 30 hours worked, up to 48 hours per year) 

Eligible part-time employees may participate in the following additional benefits: 

• Robust Medical, Dental and Vision plans 
• Supplemental Accident, Critical Illness and Hospital Plans 
• Employee Discount Program through Benefits Hub 
• Employer sponsored wellness program, including employee-based fitness classes 

EEOC: The Town is dedicated to the principles of equal employment opportunity in any term, condition or privilege of employment. Applicants, employees and former employees are protected from employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age (40 or older), disability and genetic information (including family medical history), veteran status, marital status or any other status protected by federal, state or local law. This prohibition includes unlawful harassment or discrimination based on any of these protected classes. Unlawful harassment includes verbal or physical conduct, which has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual's work performance or creating a severe, intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment. This provision applies to all employees, including directors, supervisors, co-workers, and non-employees such as residents, members of all boards and task force groups, contractors, vendors, consultants, etc.