Tree Pruner II

THE POSITION

THIS POSTING WILL BE OPEN UNTIL FILLED

Application cut - off dates are: 3/31/24, 6/30/24, 9/30/24 and 12/31/24

To prune and remove trees along City streets and to perform other related maintenance duties.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
This is the third and full journey-level class in the Tree Pruner series. Incumbents work under direction and are expected to perform skilled tree pruning work. Work in this class is distinguished from that of Tree Pruner I by the greater complexity of the work and by the greater independence with which an incumbent is expected to operate. Positions in this class are flexibly staffed and are filled by advancement from the lower level class of Tree Pruner I. Appointment to the class of Tree Pruner II requires that the employee be performing substantially the full range of duties for the class and meet the qualification standards for the class.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED
Lead direction is provided by the Senior Tree Pruner class. No supervisory responsibilities are included in the duties.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all the listed duties and/or may be required to perform related duties as needed:

• Climb trees using ropes, cables, climbing saddles, and spurs and operate aerial tower truck to remove undesired branches, limbs, and trees; lower removed portions to the ground with bull ropes.
• Operate chain and hand saws, power or pole pruners, axes, and other hand tools for felling trees or cutting felled trees; operate chipper and brush truck.
• Remove overhanging branches and split or broken limbs after a storm.
• Prune trees for clearance of overhead utility facilities excluding high voltage line clearance.
• Sharpen and maintain tools, ropes, and other safety equipment.
• Participate in planting, transplanting and seeding of trees.
• Operate boom trucks, loaders, stump chippers, brush chippers, tractors, power saws, trucks, sprayers, and other equipment and tools.
• Clean, sharpen, and lubricate tools and equipment.
• Cut away dead and excess branches from trees, or clear branches around power lines, using climbing equipment or buckets of extended truck booms, and/or chainsaws, hooks, handsaws, shears, and clippers.
• Trim, top, and reshape trees to achieve attractive shapes or to remove low hanging branches.
• Prune, cut down, fertilize, and spray trees as directed by tree surgeons.
• Hoist tools and equipment to tree trimmers, and lower branches with ropes or block and tackle.
• Operate shredding and chipping equipment, and feed limbs and brush into the machines.
• Load debris and refuse onto trucks and haul it away for disposal.
• Collect debris and refuse from tree trimming and removal operations into piles, using shovels, rakes or other tools.
• Clear sites, streets, and grounds of woody and herbaceous materials, such as tree stumps and fallen trees and limbs.
• Remove broken limbs from wires, using hood extension poles.
• Trim jagged stumps, using saws or pruning shears.
• Operate a vehicle mounted work planning computer.
  

QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge of:

• Climbing techniques and proper use and care of tree pruning equipment.
• Common hazards incurred in climbing, pruning, and felling trees and safety precautions to be observed.
• Safety rules and practices used in operating and maintaining tree pruning equipment and trucks.
• Common knots and rope ties used in tree pruning work.
• Planting, transplanting, and seeding methods.
• Methods used to protect trees from fungi and insects.
• Common names and growth characteristics of trees grown in the City of Sacramento.
• Common insect and disease problems which affect trees in the City of Sacramento.
• Tree pruning techniques and practices used by the City Tree Section.

Ability to:

• Climb trees and work at heights, sometimes in precarious positions and under adverse weather conditions.
• Learn to use tree pruning and maintenance equipment.
• Follow oral and written instructions.
• Operate tree pruning equipment in a safe and efficient manner.
• Establish and maintain cooperative relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Maintain periodic updated CPR and first aid training.
• Obtain a California Class B Driver License by the end of probationary period.
• Climb and prune trees using ropes, cables, climbing saddles, and spurs with greater independence and less lead supervision than the Tree Pruner Trainee.
• Operate aerial tower truck.
• Operate a computer.
• Operate chain and hand saws, power or pole pruners, axes, and other hand tools used in tree pruning and maintenance work.
• Perform journey-level work without direct supervision in pruning and removing City trees.

Experience:
Any combination equivalent to experience and education that could likely provide the required knowledge and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Three years of qualifying experience pruning or removing large trees.

PROOF OF EDUCATION

Should education be used to qualify for this position, then proof of education such as, but not limited to, university/college transcripts and degrees should be submitted with your application and will be required at the time of appointment . Unofficial documents and/or copies are acceptable.

An applicant with a college degree obtained outside the United States must have education records evaluated by a credentials evaluation service. Evaluation of education records will be due at time of appointment.

Probationary Period:
Employees must complete twelve (12) months of probation at a satisfactory performance level prior to gaining permanent status.

SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS:

Driver License:
Possession of a valid California Class C Driver License is required at the time of appointment. Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to physical disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Possession of a Class B Driver License is required within 12 months of appointment . Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to physical disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Assessment:
If considered for appointment, candidates must pass a pre-employment drug test.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:
The conditions herein are typically required of an incumbent to successfully perform the essential functions of their job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Working Conditions:
May be required to be on-call and to work various shifts or emergencies during evenings, weekends, and holidays to resolve emergency problems.

Environmental Conditions:
Incumbents work in the field and are exposed to uneven terrain, extreme noise levels (e.g. chainsaws, chippers, and heavy equipment), cold and hot temperatures, inclement weather conditions, road hazards, vibration, electrical utilities and road hazards, hazardous substances, dust, and fumes; must wear protective equipment; exposure to saw dust, dirt dust, and diesel and gasoline exhaust, gasoline, lubricants, and animal feces; work around moving machinery, equipment, high traffic areas, and heavy falling objects; exposure to insects, bees, and wasps; and, work at elevation

Physical Requirements:
Must possess depth perception, far, near, and peripheral vision; eye-hand coordination; multi-limb and body coordination; arm-hand steadiness; quick reaction time; trunk strength; wrist-finger speed; muscle endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue; ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or vehicle to exact positions, quickly move hand and arm to grasp, perform repetitive hand motions, grasping, finger dexterity; exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull or carry objects; quickly and repeatedly bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs; quickly move arms and legs; keep or gain body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position; hear, talk, stand, sit, walk, climb at elevation, bend, squat, kneel, and reach.
Must be able to lift and carry 10-90 pounds occasionally. Push and pull up to 50 pounds frequently and 50-100 pounds occasionally.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD:

Employees must complete twelve (12) months of probation at a satisfactory performance level prior to gaining permanent status.

THE SELECTION PROCEDURE

Please note, the City of Sacramento's preferred method of communication with applicants is via e-mail. As such, please ensure you verify the e-mail address on your application, and check your e-mail frequently , including your spam and junk folders. All e-mail notifications can also be accessed through the governmentjobs.com applicant inbox.

1. Application: (Pass/Fail) - All applicants must complete and submit online a City of Sacramento employment application to the Employment Office by the final filing cut-off date:

• Employment applications must be submitted online; paper applications will not be accepted.
  
• Employment applications will be considered incomplete and will be disqualified:
  

• If applicants do not list current and past job-related experience in the duties area of the "Work Experience" section. Note: Qualifying experience is based on full-time experience (40 hours per week). Qualifying experience is calculated to the full-time equivalent (pro-rated if less than 40 hours/week ).
  
• If "see resume" is noted in the "Work Experience" section; a resume will not substitute for the information required in the "Work Experience" section.
  

• Proof of education such as, but not limited to, university/college transcripts and degrees should be submitted online with your application . Proof of education will be required at time of appointment.
  
• Position/job titles will not be considered in determining eligibility for meeting the minimum qualifications for this position.
  

• If you’re requesting Veteran’s credit, a copy of your DD214 must be submitted online with your application or emailed to the Employment Office by the final filing cut-off dates . Information regarding the use of Veteran’s credit can be found in the Civil Service Board rules under rule 4.9C.
  
• Applicants are responsible for attaching a copy of their DD214 to each position for which they apply.
  

2. Screening Committee : (Pass/Fail)- Human Resources will evaluate employment applications for the minimum qualifications stated on the job announcement.

3. Screening For Most Qualified: (Pass/Fail) - In the event of a large candidate pool, each candidate's Work Experience section of the application will be evaluated and rated. Only those candidates determined to be the most qualified will proceed to the next step in the selection process. A resume will not substitute for the information required in the Work Experience section of the application.

4. Performance Test: (Weighted 100%) - Qualified candidates will be notified by email of the test date, time, and location approximately one to two weeks prior to the test. The performance test will be job related and may include, but not limited to, the knowledge and abilities as outlined above. The performance exam will be administered in English only.

TEST EXEMPTION - If you have previously taken the Tree Pruner II exam within the past year of the final filing date of this posting, you may be considered exempt from taking the Tree Pruner II Exam.

The City of Sacramento’s Human Resources Department will verify applicant’s eligibility at the time of the final filing deadline of this job posting.

5. Eligibility - Candidates who pass the performance test will be placed on an eligible list. The hiring department may contact those on the eligible list for an interview at any time during the life of the one-year list. Candidate’s eligibility expires year from the date of notification of a passing score for the Tree Pruner II examination. Candidates can take the examination at any time to maintain eligibility.

• If you are currently on an active eligible list for the Tree Pruner II classification, it is unnecessary to retake the examination.
  
• The eligible list is effective one year from the date of passing the examination for the Tree Pruner II .
  

• If you are hired from the eligible list you will no longer have active status on the eligible list per Civil Service Board Rule , 5.7( i ). Applicants interested in maintaining their eligibility will need to take and pass the exam after their hire date.
  

6. Conditional Hire : Upon receipt of a conditional offer, the selected candidate must complete and pass Live Scan / fingerprinting ; review by Human Resources, a pre-employment medical exam, controlled substance and / or alcohol test, and possess any required licensure or certification prior to receiving a start date from the Department. Failure to meet these prerequisites will be grounds for withdrawal of your conditional offer of employment.

QUESTIONS:
For questions concerning this job announcement and the application process:

• Please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/Home/ApplicationGuide for a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to the application process.
  

• For technical support between 6 AM - 5 PM PT, contact Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627.
  
• Visit the City of Sacramento Human Resources Department website at https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/HR/employment ;
  
• Send an email to employment@cityofsacramento.org ;
  
• Call the Human Resources Department at (916) 808-5726
  

Bilingual Pay
Did you know that the City offers bilingual pay? That's right, most labor agreements offer the option of providing employees with bilingual pay if the department deems it to be operationally necessary.

Pension Reform Act
The City of Sacramento is covered by the California Public Employees' Retirement System, and as such, must adhere to the California Public Employee's Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) of 2013. Please note that the provisions within this act may affect or impact an applicant's eligibility and/or selection for open vacancies at the City of Sacramento.

Equal Opportunity Employer
The City of Sacramento is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

Additional Information
Civil Service Rules: https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/content/dam/portal/hr/documentlibrary/CivilServiceBoardRules62012.pdf

Union Contracts: https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/HR/labor-agreements.html

Salary Schedule: https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/content/dam/portal/hr/documentlibrary/SalarySchedule.pdf

Closing Date/Time: 12/31/2024 11:59 PM Pacific

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• City of Sacramento

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