Job Description
Salary : $49,590.07 - $59,184.96 Annually
Location : Lansing, MI
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 400-2025-MN
Department: PUBLIC SERVICE
Division: Public Service
Opening Date: 07/01/2024
Job Advertisement The City of Lansing is seeking an Arborist-Forestry Worker to join the Operations and Maintenance Division within the Public Service Department to maintain and provide the proper care for various trees. This is a great opportunity for those who enjoy working outdoors and utilizing their skills and abilities to provide excellent tree service throughout the City.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to: - Performing tree removal, pruning, planting, cabling, fertilizing, spraying, pest control and other types of maintenance work requiring walking, standing, climbing, balancing, using ladders, ropes, saddles, spurs, heavy power assisted tools and working in awkward positions for prolonged time periods.
- Regularly lifting and hauling loads weighing in excess of ninety (90) pounds.
- Diagnosing tree hazards and problems with insects, fungus, viruses, bacteria and recommends corrective action.
- Inspecting work of others and ensuring all work functions are carried out in safe and efficient manner by providing verbal and written instruction on proper and safe procedures.
- Operating a wide range of equipment such as; power and manual saws, brush chippers, log loaders, backhoes, aerial lifts, stump grinders, tractor loaders, skid steer units, hydraulic sprayers, light and heavy-duty vehicles by seizing, grasping levers, turning wheels and operating pedals.
- Performing emergency work during a storm, which requires exposure to all types of weather conditions.
Ideal candidates will possess: - High School Diploma or GED
- Three years of experience in all phases of tree maintenance work including climbing with rope, saddle, and spurs; or an equivalent combination of training and experience
- One (1) year of experience supervising or serving as a group leader on a tree maintenance crew preferred.
Special Requirements: - MUST possess valid CDL License, Group B, with Air Brakes to be considered.
- May be in an on-call status 24 hours a day for storms and other emergencies
- Must be able to operate standard transmission vehicles
- Must be able to work at heights in excess of 100 feet
- Must be able to become certified as a Qualified Line Clearance Tree Trimmer through the City of Lansing
- Must be able to obtain First Aid and CPR certifications
- Must obtain a Michigan Commercial Pesticide Applicator's License within 1 year of taking the position
- Must be Aerial Work Platform certified within 180 days of taking the position
- Must be Traffic Regulator Trained within 180 days of taking the position
FULL JOB DESCRIPTION AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST The City of Lansing is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Certified Veteran Friendly Employer. The City of Lansing provides reasonable accommodation to applicants and employees with disabilities where appropriate. If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, or during employment, notify the Department of Human Resources at (517) 483-4004. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
See links below for our Anti-Retaliation and Anti-Religious Discrimination and Religious Accommodation Policies:
THERE ARE THREE (3) POSITIONS AVAILABLE FOR THIS POSTING. HAND DELIVERED APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Application Special Instructions Attach resume and cover letter, relevant verification of education (college courses/degree), and/or certifications with application. City of Lansing U.A.W. Local #2256 Fringe Benefits Summary Health Insurance : Coverage will be effective the first day of the month following your date of hire. However, there is a contract provision that in the event a new employee does not successfully complete his/her 120-day probationary period or terminates employment with the City of Lansing during his/her probationary period, said employee will be required to reimburse the City for all insurances premiums costs paid by the City. If an employee chooses the Base plan, they will be eligible for a $400 cash bonus annually. Cost of the Option 1 plan will be based upon the State Mandated Hard Cap amount, which changes annually. You may choose coverage under either Blue Cross Blue or PHP. Current plans offered are:
- Base - includes a $40.00 co-pay for office visits. Prescription drug co-pays are $10/$40/$80. This plan includes a $1000/single and $2000/family in network deductible and 80% co-insurance. Emergency room services have a $250 co-pay and Urgent Care visits have a $60 co-pay.
- Option 1 - includes a $30.00 co-pay for office visits. Prescription drug co-pays are $10/$40/$80. This plan includes a $500/single and $1000/family in network deductible and 80% co-insurance. Emergency room services have a $150 co-pay and Urgent Care visits have a $50 co-pay.
- Option 2 - includes a $15.00 co-pay for office visits. Prescription drug co-pays are $0/$15/$40. Emergency room services with a $50 co-pay, and a 50% co-pay for mental health and substance abuse services.
If the employee chooses to "buy up" to Option 1, they will pay the difference between the premium cost and the State Mandated Hard Cap amount. If an employee chooses the Option 2 plan, they will be responsible for the premium cost difference between Option 1 and Option 2. Benefit summaries and rate sheets are available in the Department of Human Resources.
Opt out: Members of the bargaining unit, up to a maximum of fifteen percent (15%) of the bargaining unit, will be allowed to opt out of the City's health care plan annually, during the City's open enrollment period provided the employee provides written proof of coverage from another source. When one (1) to nineteen (19) employees select to opt out of the City's health care plan, they will be eligible to receive $1800 in any year which they receive coverage from another source. When twenty (20) or more active employees elect to opt out of the City's Health Care plan in a Plan Year, they will be eligible to receive twenty-five hundred dollars ($2500) in any calendar year they receive coverage from another source. In addition, such payments will be made twice a year, by separate check, following the period the employee had alternate coverage. City employees married to City employees are entitled to one coverage only and are not entitled to opt out payments unless the UAW member is in the Opt Out program on or before July 1, 2017.
Dental Insurance : The City pays the full premium costs for the Dental plan provided by the City; coverage includes the employee and family members. Coverage is effective the first day of the month following thirty calendar days of service. Coverage includes 100% coverage for cleaning: 50% coverage for treatment costs with an $1500 maximum per person per contract year. Employees and dependents will also receive orthodontic coverage which provides fifty percent (50%) of treatment costs with a $3,000.00 lifetime maximum per person. Booklets and summaries are available in the Department of Human Resources.
Vision Plan: Employees are eligible for the BCBS VSP 12/12/12 Vision Plan. This plan provides vision exams, lenses, and frames, and contact lenses with a co-pay. Benefit summaries are available in the Department of Human Resources.
Life Insurance : The City pays the premium for a base $50,000 of group life and $50,000 Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance for full-time regular employees. Life insurance coverage for dependents is available for a reasonable cost to the employee, in accordance with the following schedule:
Spouse $50,000
Unmarried child, age
14 days to 6 months $ 500
6 months to 23 years $ 2,500
Medical and Dependent Care Reimbursement: Employees have the opportunity to pay for unreimbursed medical expenses, and dependent care costs with pretax dollars through AFLAC. AFLAC also offers supplemental insurances that may purchased on a pretax basis through payroll deduction. Unreimbursed medical will be limited to $2,500 per plan year.
Sick and Accident Insurance: Employees will be eligible for a twenty-six (26) week sickness and accident policy that includes a benefit beginning on the eighth (8) day.
following accidents and the fifteenth (15) day following illnesses. The weekly benefit will be 66 2/3's percent of the employee's weekly wage, with a maximum benefit of $1,500.
Bereavement : At the time of the death of a spouse, child, stepchild, parent, stepparent and parent of a current spouse, an employee will be entitled to use a maximum of the next five (5) working days with pay, to arrange for and/or attend the funeral. Additional time may be taken off with the approval of the department head and charged to vacation, personal leave, or compensatory time. An employee will be entitled to use a maximum of three (3) working days with pay, to make arrangements and attend the funeral for child-by-law, brother, sister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, grandparents, grandparents-in-law, grandchild, aunt and uncle.
Holidays : Employees will be eligible for holiday pay for the following holidays:
New Year's Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Good Friday
Memorial Day
Juneteenth
Independence Day
Labor Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving Day
Friday After Thanksgiving Day
Day Before Christmas
Christmas Day
Day Before New Year's Day
Longevity: Longevity bonuses will be paid to employees as follows:
5 but less than 10 years of service 2%
10 but less than 15 years of service 4%
15 but less than 20 years of service 6%
20 but less than 25 years of service 8%
25 years or more of service 10%
Following completion of five (5) years of continuous full-time service by October first of any year and continuing in subsequent years, each employee will receive annual longevity payments as provided in the schedule. Payments to employees will be paid by December first.
No longevity payment as above scheduled will be made for that portion of an employee's regular salary or wage which is in excess of the negotiated maximum base wage, which is currently $25,000.
Vacation : A new full-time employee shall be credited with forty (40) hours vacation time credited to their leave bank following 6 months of service. After the first year of service the regular full-time employee will receive an additional forty (40) hours of vacation time credited to their leave bank. In subsequent years two (2) years through five (5) years of service, employees receive 10 days' vacation. Thereafter, employees will receive one (1) additional day per each year of additional full-time service, not to exceed a maximum vacation leave of 20 workdays.
Personal Leave : Employees receive two (2) personal leave days annually on January first or at time of hire. Personal days must be used by December 31, or they will be forfeited.
Sick Leave : Employees will be credited with 3.70 hours of sick leave each pay ending
(Approximately (1) one day per month). Employees may use sick leave for absences due to his/her illness or injury, including pregnancy, or an illness or injury in his/her immediate family. No sick leave credit will be accrued by an employee during an unpaid leave of absence.
An employee who has accumulated 60 days of sick shall have the option at the end of the calendar year to relinquish and receive a reimbursement for up to the first four unused sick leave days accrued that year over 60 days.
Compensatory Time: In lieu of receiving pay for overtime, which is worked, an employee may, with prior approval of the department representative, request to receive compensatory time off earned at the rate of one and one-half (1 ½) hours compensatory time off for one (1) hour of overtime worked. Compensatory time shall be cumulative up to a maximum total of one hundred twenty (120) hours.
Boot Allowance: An annual boot allowance of $250 for full time employees will be issued to members who are on active payroll as of April 15th of the year. Seasonal employees will be eligible for a $150 allowance under the same provisions as above.
Education Reimbursement : The City will reimburse for tuition and lab fees for approved college level course work or other departmentally approved training or education programs which are taken off-duty. Costs will be reimbursed at a rate not to exceed $500.00.
Parking/Transportation Subsidy : An employee will be eligible for a monthly CATA bus pass at the City's expense or elect to receive a parking subsidy.
Deferred Compensation : Employees are eligible to participate in the City's 457 Deferred Compensation Plans. Currently the City contracts with two vendors that employees may choose from; these vendors are VOYA and T. Rowe Price. Employees may contribute up to a maximum annually allowed through payroll deduction. The minimum contribution is $15.00 per pay period. The City of Lansing will match up $250 per year. Summaries are available in the Department of Human Resources.
Retirement : Employees will belong to the City of Lansing General Employees Retirement System (ERS) and a Deferred Compensation Plan.
Defined Benefit Plan - The retirement factor for full time members will be one and one-half percent (1.50%). Employee contributions for retirement will be three percent (3%) and deducted on a pretax basis. Vesting in the Defined Benefit plan is based upon eight (8) years of full-time service. Pension eligibility is twenty-five years of service and age 50 or age 58 and eight (8) years of service. Annual retirement amount is calculated by final average compensation the sum of a) 1.5 times the first 35 years of credited service, plus b) 1.5% times the next 5 years of service, plus c) 1% times credited service in excess of 40 years of credited service. The maximum pension allowance is not to exceed 110% of an employee's base wage.
Deferred Compensation Plan - The employee is required to make a 2% mandatory contribution, and the City of Lansing will contribute 4% calculated on the member's base salary. Base salary includes the amount the employee receives prior to any premium payments. Vesting in this plan is immediate, and eligibility to access this fund is the date of termination.
Retirement healthcare will consist of an account through MERS. Employees will contribute 3% of their base wages, and the City will contribute 4%. Vesting in this plan will be five (5) years.
NOTE: The benefits listed above reflect the current benefits for United Auto Workers bargaining unit members. These benefits are subject to change depending upon the terms and conditions that are negotiated in future collective bargaining agreements between the City of Lansing and UAW Local 2256.
Department of Human Resources, 8th Floor City Hall, 124 West Michigan Avenue, Lansing MI 48933. Phone: 483-4014
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER 01
Do you possess a valid Michigan Driver's License?
02
Have you earned a High School Diploma or GED?
03
Do you currently possess a valid CDL B, with Air Brakes?
04
Are willing to acquire your CDL, B endorsement within ninety (90) days of employment with assistance and training from the City of Lansing?
05
Do you have at least three (3) years of experience in all phases of tree maintenance work including climbing with rope, saddle and spurs?
06
How many years of experience do you have with tree maintenance work including climbing with rope, saddle, and spurs?
- 0-11 months
- 1 year-23 months
- 2 years-47 months
- 3 years or more
07
Do you have one (1) year of experience as a supervisor or serving as a group leader?
08
Are you able to work at heights in access of 100 feet?
09
Do you have any of the following certifications?
- Qualified Line Clearance Tree Trimmer
- First Aid and CPR
- Michigan Commercial Pesticide Applicator's License
- Aerial Work Platform
Required Question City of Lansing, MI
Job Tags
Holiday work, Full time, Contract work, Part time, Christmas work, Seasonal work, New year, Local area, Immediate start, Outdoor, Gangs,