Groundskeeper (#973030) $27.69-$33.66 Hourly / $4,799.77-$5,834.16 Monthly / $57,597.22-$70,009.87 Yearly Apply as a Reinstatement applicant
CLASS SUMMARY
Under general supervision independently performs grounds maintenance on lawns and landscaped grounds surrounding County buildings. This class performs a variety of grounds maintenance tasks to include mowing, edging lawns; trimming, pruning shrubs, hedges and trees; applying pesticides and herbicides; installing maintaining and repairing irrigation systems; planting, removing trees , shrubs, and other plants; and cleaning and picking up litter.
CLASS CHARACTERISTICS
This class is distinguished from the:
Groundskeeper (Supervising) class which plans, supervises and directs operations of the grounds maintenance section.
Supervision Received and Exercised
Supervision is provided by a Groundskeeper (Supervising).
No supervision is exercised over others.
Essential Duties
This class specification represents the core area of responsibilities; specific position assignments will vary depending on the needs of the department.
Performs a variety of grounds maintenance tasks at campuses and open spaces throughout the County such as the following:
operates a variety of ground maintenance equipment and machines, including lawn mowers, edgers, trimmers, etc. to mow and edge lawns and maintain and care for plant beds;
operates power shears, chainsaws, pole saws, pneumatic pruning equipment, etc. to trim and prune trees, shrubs, hedges, ground covers, etc.;
prepares planting area (to include digging holes with a power auger, rototilling and grading), plants, transplants, removes, grinds stumps, and fertilizes trees, shrubs and other plants in garden areas;
operates aerators, dethatchers, tractors, power and manual fertilizer and compost spreaders, etc. to aerate, seed, fertilize, grades, etc. lawns;
diagnoses and treats plant diseases and nutrient deficiencies and applies the appropriate pesticide, herbicide and fertilizer using chemical sprayers and spreaders;
installs, maintains and repairs landscape drainage systems;
checks sprinklers to insure lawns and landscaped beds are receiving the appropriate amount of water and programs irrigation systems using computerized irrigation software;
operates blowers, tractors, walk-behind vacuums, power washers, etc. to perform general ground clean up, including removing litter and debris, including fecal matter, and cleaning paths and walkways; and
transports landscape and other related debris to applicable disposal locations.
Installs, maintains, troubleshoots, and repairs irrigation systems to include electronic water controllers, electric valves, spray and drip sprinklers, etc.
Maintains and performs minor repairs to power and hand tools and landscape equipment.
Places barricades, safety tape and cones around work areas to maintain areas and to protect the public from potential hazards.
Maintains records related to equipment operation and maintenance, service requests and other ground maintenance activities.
Provides instructions on performing ground maintenance work safely and efficiently to extra-help seasonal employees and/or inmate crews and verifies satisfactory completion of work or provides oversight.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Knowledge of:
Lawn and plant care, to include irrigation, fertilization, and pruning methods and techniques.
Insect and disease control.
Tools and equipment used in grounds maintenance.
Equipment, maintenance, and operation.
Safety Data Sheets.
Centralized Irrigation Systems (CIS) or components.
Pesticides, herbicides and fertilization application.
Basic English composition, spelling, grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation for both written and oral communications.
Basic mathematics to compute land area, to determine the amount of a pesticide, herbicide and fertilizer to use, etc.
Basic sanitary procedures and techniques when dealing with bodily fluids.
Standard office procedures, practices, equipment, personal computers, and software, to include smart phones to receive work orders, text photographs for review of safety or plant/lawn issues, etc.
Skill and/or Ability to:
Safely and efficiently operate and maintain manual and power equipment used in grounds maintenance work, such as pruning shears, chemical sprayers, mowers, edgers, and blowers.
Use appropriate safety gear and protective safety equipment
Apply pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers.
Recognize and treat diseased and damaged plants, lawns and trees.
Operate, repair, and maintain irrigation and Centralized Irrigation Systems (CIS).
Work with and speak to various cultural and ethnic individuals and groups in a tactful and effective manner.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships.
Establish good relationships with the public, and internal customers.
Read and understand pesticide, herbicide and fertilizer application instructions, equipment manuals, information on plant diseases and on insects causing plant damage, etc.
Demonstrate tact and diplomacy.
Follow verbal and written instructions.
Maintain accurate records and document actions taken.
Use modern office equipment to include computers, smart phones, and related software applications.
Education and Experience
Education: High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent; AND
Experience: Equivalent to one year of full-time paid experience performing general grounds maintenance work for a commercial and/or governmental agency.
LICENSING/CERTIFICATION REQ
Applicants are required to possess a valid California Driver’s License, Class C. Note: The driver’s license must be kept current while employed in this class.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS :
Mobility and Dexterity: This class typically requires employees to perform the following: (1) balancing, stooping, kneeling, reaching, crawling, reaching, fingering, grasping, and repetitive motion; (2) climbing and working safely on ladders and step ladders with a total weight that does not exceed the weight capacity of the ladder; and (3) standing or walking approximately seven hours per day on uneven surfaces.
Lifting, Carrying, Pushing and Pulling – Heavy work: This class typically requires employees to perform the following: exerting up to 100 pounds with assistance of force occasionally, and/or lifting up to 50 pounds frequently, and /or up to 20 pounds of force constantly to move objects.
Vision: This class requires employees to have close visual acuity, with or without correction, to prepare and analyze data and figures, view a computer terminal, read, and to distinguish between normal and off shade colors and to read gauges and meters in dimly lighted areas etc. Employees are also required to have depth perception and good eye-to-hand coordination in order to operate a motor vehicle and to operate a variety of hand and power tools.
Hearing/Talking: This class requires employees to perceive the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction, and have the ability to receive detailed information through oral communication. Employees in this class are also required to be able to communicate to express or exchange ideas. Detailed or important instructions must occasionally be conveyed to others accurately, loudly, and/or quickly.
Other: This class typically requires employees to have sufficient sense of smell, and touch to observe equipment functions for normal and abnormal occurrences.
WORKING CONDITIONS:
Outdoor Work: Employees in this class will often be working outdoors and thus may be subject to exposure to intense noises, fumes, odors, pollens, dust, inadequate lighting, and to unpleasant field conditions including rainy, windy, cold, or hot weather; employees will be exposed to insects, rodents, snakes, bees, wasps, spiders, ants, etc.
Work in an Industrial Area: Employees in this class will often be working in an industrial area and thus will be subject to exposure to moving mechanical parts, electrical currents, toxic agents, fuel, oil, gases, smoke, fumes, odors, dust, and vibrations. Employees may be subject to injuries when working with hand and power tools and equipment.
Traffic Hazards: Employees in this class are required to operate a vehicle and thus may be subject to traffic hazards while driving.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
Background Checks, Reference Checks and Physicals: The County -will conduct a background check, a reference check and a physical on candidates prior to appointment to a position within this class.
Independent Travel: Incumbents are required to travel independently, for example, to drive to work locations, to pick up repair parts, etc.
Hours of Work: Incumbents may be required to work weekends, holidays, irregular hours, on-call, and after normal business hours.
Drug and Alcohol Testing: Candidates applying for positions in this class are subject to, drug and alcohol testing as required under the Federal Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act of 1991. Testing of incumbents includes post-accident, as well as random and reasonable suspicion testing as required by law.
