The Permit Specialist performs a wide variety of complex engineering-related duties, technical and administrative tasks, and customer relations responsibilities in support of the permit services within the Commission.
Essential Functions* Responsible for performing pre-screen (acceptance/rejection) of all project submittals to DSG (an average of 1100 projects annually for the group)
•Reviews, approves, and processes a variety of complex residential and non-residential service applications and verifies compliance with certain WSSC Water design specifications, plumbing and gas fuel code regulations, policies/resolutions, and applicable legal requirements
•Reviews complex, multi-phase engineering/construction drawings integrated with HPA, SEP, site utility, minor site utility, developer-built and relocation plans, county planning and zoning preliminary plans, plumbing and related site plans to determine type and size of water/sewer services required, confirm pipe/property configuration, ownership, legal constraints, bonding and permit parameters
•Approves property and connection design criteria for compliance with related aspects of the WSSC Water plumbing & fuel gas code, the WSSC Water Standard Details, and the WSSC Water pipeline design manual and release plans for final DSG plan approval
•Provides broad technical assistance and policy/procedural guidance to government officials, engineers, developers, builders, attorneys, the plumbing community, the general public, and other Commission offices
•Tracks developer-built and WSSC Water-built projects using various databases to ensure accuracy of project information and confers with development planning managers, contract managers, inspection managers, customer care supervisors, other Commission offices, and various external stakeholders
•Confers with WSSC Water contract, design and construction managers, inspectors, other Commission offices and external stakeholders to ensure onsite plumbing permit and project-related conditions are properly coordinated
•Schedules field investigations
•Coordinates and tracks the completion of the release for service process, manages and examines all documents (e.g. physical acceptance letter, maintenance bond, reports, certified release of liens, release for service form)
•Ensures all final release checklist items are complete, all outstanding conditions are met and issues the release for service letter to the applicant
•Responds to inquiries regarding the size and location of existing and proposed water and/or sewer mains, service availability, service categories, hydraulic grade information and other types of information pertaining to the development services division (DSD) process
•Manages all documents associated with projects according to the established procedures of the DSD from application to final release
•Assures that all documents necessary for the WSSC Water acceptance of the system are in order and properly executed
•Researches, examines, interprets, and evaluates preliminary/site plans and engineering drawings to perform conceptual reviews for availability, special connections such as non-abutting and in response to government agency referrals
•Manages all developer-built, WSSC Water-built and site utility projects using e-Plan review, CMS, and other WSSC Water database systems to accurately track project information, facilitate timely customer communication, and ensure cycle times meet DSD levels of service standards
•Researches, analyzes and responds to unusual complex technical, property, legal and/or administrative problems relating to service connection, special connection, proposed and existing water/sewer mains, developer-built, site utility and metering requirements, and a wide variety of engineering-related and plumbing questions to determine alternative solutions for stakeholders
•Prepares complex refunds (e.g. SDC/CIP impact fees refunds on an average of $50,000 to $750,000 dollars) and maintains various accounting, disbursement and project logs
•Computes and levies a wide variety of fees including systems development charges (SDC) and issuance of approved exemptions and credit vouchers frequently for development projects with multiple phases which span several years
•Coordinates and performs critical/complex data corrections which are applied directly to Commission database records in multiple systems (PPIS, AIS, CSIS, MMIS and others)
Other FunctionsPerforms other related duties as required.
Work Environment And Physical DemandsBusiness casual office environment.
Required Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities* Full knowledge in reading and interpreting all phases of complex engineering plans, conceptual design plans and a variety of maps used throughout the development services (DS) process such as plats, 200-foot sheets, covenants, right-of-way documents/easements, topography maps, RODES/PRODS and as-builts
•Working knowledge of engineering practices pertaining to water and sewer service or other infrastructure systems
•Working knowledge of M-NCPPC and various other county agencies land development policies/procedures
•Familiar with county or other agencies/utilities service category process and other county/state/federal procedures involving the development/permitting process
•Excellent project management, analysis, judgment, coordination and communication skills
•Ability to gain full knowledge of the use of existing WSSC Water information systems such as PPIS, CSIS, AIS, MMIS, CMS, GIS, ERISA, online permitting applications, microfilm records or other similar systems outside of WSSC Water
•Ability to utilize external database systems such as MD Assessments database, Maryland land records, Prince George’s and Montgomery County’s water and sewer plan amendments or other federal, state, county or local government land use system to effectively read, research and comprehend legal descriptions for properties
•Ability to gain full knowledge of site utility, developer-built and relocation processes and requirements, various service constraints, SDC or impact fees and deferred payment resolutions, certain WSSC Water or other certified plumbing and gasfitting regulations, etc., pertaining to the processing of a variety of service applications and review of developer-built, relocation and site utility plans
•Ability to accurately compute and levy a variety of fees and charges in accordance with Commission or other agencies/utilities approved fee schedules
•Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing to deal tactfully with officials and the public and intelligently discuss or resolve most technical problems
•Ability to perform various calculations necessary for flow determination, sewer inverts, required easement widths, SDC (impact fees) exemption computations, etc.
Minimum Education, Experience Requirements* High School diploma (or equivalent)
•5+ years of sub-professional engineering or technical experience in reading and interpreting engineering drawings, plans and plats, or related permit or project administration experience (OR 40 college level credits in engineering-related courses)
•3+ years of experience in the use of software applications (i.e. Word, Excel, Outlook)