JOB PROSPECTUS MPO Offlcer Farmington MPO

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1 NORTHWEST NEW MEXICO COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS JOB PROSPECTUS MPO Offlcer Farmington MPO August 7, 2018 THE COG ORGANIZATION: Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments ( the COG ) was formed in 1972 as one of 7 regional planning districts in the State of New Mexico, currently covering Cibola, McKinley and San Juan Counties. The northwest region is also home to four Native American tribal nations, inhabiting many dozens of rural communities across the 15,000-square-mile landscape, and the COG has a history of positive working relationships with these nations and communities. The Council s annual budgets range from $1 million to $2 million, fluctuating year-to-year based on available grants and contracts from various sources. Base funding comes from membership dues from the cities and counties of the region, by the State Legislature through annual appropriations for regional planning districts, by the State Department of Transportation for management of the Regional Transportation Planning Organization (RTPO), and by the US Economic Development Administration (EDA) for economic development planning and technical assistance. Other funding comes from special grants and contracts from Federal, State, Local, and Foundation agencies. In the current year, this portfolio will include a management contract for the Farmington Metropolitan Planning Organization (FMPO). The COG Board of Directors is comprised of representatives from the 6 city governments and the 3 county governments in the region, and the COG maintains a team of 6 to 10 staff, depending on available budget for personnel. The mission of the Council of Governments is to advance Northwest New Mexico by serving local governments in regional partnership. To that end, the COG s vision is to lead the field in the work of empowering communities, promoting regional competence and moving the region forward. The COG work includes research and technical assistance to local governments and other stakeholders in policymaking, planning, project development, research, resource development, regionalization, convening and facilitating groups, communicating between and among agencies, and coordinating efforts across the many disciplines of community and economic development.

2 THE FARMINGTON MPO: The Farmington Metropolitan Planning Organization (FMPO) was formed in 2003 by virtue of the designation of the Farmington area as an Urbanized Area (UZA) based on the 2000 Census, in which the Farmington area was documented as exceeding 50,000 in population. The FMPO was formed under a Joint Powers Agreement by the Cities of Aztec, Bloomfield and Farmington and San Juan County, with the City of Farmington serving as fiscal agent (starting in Federal FY 2019, the new Town of Kirtland will join this JPA). In this formation, the FMPO joined Las Cruces and Santa Fe as small-metro MPOs in the State of New Mexico, with Mid-Region MPO serving as the State s only designated Transportation Management Area with population exceeding 200,000. The Farmington MPO s mission is to provide a forum for planning and developing an effective transportation system in the Farmington urbanized area to support the movement of people and goods safely, economically and efficiently, while maintaining a high quality of life. The Farmington MPO s work is guided by a Unified Planning Work Program, (UPWP), approved periodically by the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT), as well as by the terms of a set of inter-party agreements designed to ensure FMPO compliance with Federal and State mandates and requirements, while engaging local leadership in fashioning plans and setting priorities for investment in the area s transportation facilities. In its role as the regional planning agency, the Northwest New Mexico COG assisted in the formation of the FMPO in the early 2000s, and in the past year entertained, and with concurrence by the FMPO Policy Committee and the NMDOT has now accepted, a request by the City of Farmington to assume management of the FMPO organization on behalf of the member entities, effective the beginning of Federal Fiscal Year 2019 (October 1, 2018). This new management arrangement will enable the COG to tap its planning history and expertise to serve the FMPO s joint powers as a neutral party, while enhancing the capacity and the cross-disciplinary integration of both the FMPO scope of work and the broader regional development work of the COG. The FMPO budget is established pursuant to formulaic funding levels set by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), with required local matching funds provided by the FMPO member entities. Total annual budget for the FMPO is about $300,000, supporting three full-time personnel. As of this announcement, only the Administrative Assistant position is filled (and very competently so to be continued in the coming year under agreement between the City of Farmington and the COG). Under the new management agreement with the COG, the City of Farmington will maintain its role as fiscal agent for the Federal funding provided through the NMDOT, along with local matching funds contributed by formula from the FMPO s member entities. The City will also provide the office space that has been and will continue to be occupied by the FMPO staff in downtown Farmington. Staffing and day-to-day operations of the FMPO will be performed under the general management of the COG.

3 THE POSITION: [NOTE: This summalyis intended to highlight the COG S keypriorities and expectations for this position but is not intended to conflict with or supersede the more formalposition description attached hereto.] The COG is looking to re-staff the farmington Metropolitan Planning Organization (FMPO), beginning with hiring the position of MPO Officer. This officer will then lead the hiring process for a professional planner on the MPO team. The MPO Officer will need to be a seasoned professional, with expertise and experience in both planning and program management. Specific background in transportation planning and in smallmetro localities will be important professional assets. Qualified applicants will need to demonstrate a strong academic background in fields related to the transportation planning work of the FMPO, as well as training and successful experience in managing complex programs and projects, and in supervising professional personnel. Advanced technical expertise in the electronic and conceptual tools of the transportation planning trade, such as in GIS mapping and traffic modeling skills, will be much preferred. As importantly, we will be looking for professionals with desire and motivation to take on the challenge of planning and development in a small-metro area that is some distance from major metropolitan centers and that has infrastructural and socioeconomic needs that exceed available resources. We will also place high priority on social skills, including the ability to communicate with staff, to manage complex communication networks and to build trust and confidence with a diverse range of stakeholders. In addition to overseeing the professional planning work of FMPO staff, the MPO Officer will need to have competence and interest in, as well as a keen eye for, managing, documenting and reporting both program and budgetary compliance with the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP,), as well as other applicable agreements, rules and requirements. The position will be housed in the FMPO offices on the second story of the Downtown Center in downtown Farmington. In-region and out-of-region travel will be required on a periodic and asneeded basis. Close and cooperative communications will be necessary with the COG administration, both electronic and in-person, as well as with the prime FMPO stakeholders. Beginning annual salary for this position is budgeted in the Senior Professional range ($60,000 - $70,000), with starting salary for the selected applicant to depend on qualifications and experience.

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