The Town of Swansboro Planning Intern
Public Service Fellows Program Overview
The Public Service Fellows (PSF) Program began in 2014 with support from the State Employees Credit Union (SECU) Foundation. Since its inception 101 undergraduate students have completed internships with 58 organizations located in 14 North Carolina counties. The goal of the program is to foster workplace experiences for undergraduates at ECU while helping rural communities build professional capacity to address public issues.
Starting in 2020, up to 20 students will be chosen each year for SECU Public Fellow Internships (PFI). PFI participants will take part in 20 hours of leadership and professional development workshops in addition to the 330-hour PSF internship experience. Each student selected for the program receives a stipend of $4,500.
Students will be expected to attend a two day orientation May 14-15 at ECU, attend 2 scheduled workshops one midway through the internship, one at the end within a few weeks of school starting and they will be required to present at a SECU advisory board meeting either during or after their internship.
Position Summary
The intern will assist in updating the Town Code of Ordinances and Unified Development Ordinance for the Town of Swansboro to coincide with the recently adopted Chapter 160D, a new chapter of the North Carolina General Statues. This change requires updates to all local government development regulations by January 1, 2021.
Internship Location & Supervisor Information
The Town of Swansboro Planning/Permitting department works with the Town Manager, Planning Board and other advisory boards to conduct studies, produce plans, identify program needs and develops policies that promote the physical, economic, and social development of the community.
The planning department works to advance the orderly growth of the community through professional land use planning, environmental planning, small area planning, and corridor planning. These efforts have resulted in the development of the Town’s Land Use Plan, Parks and Recreation Comprehensive Plan, Hazard Mitigation Plan, and the Swansboro Transportation Plan.
The planning department also ensures that changes to the community’s physical environment comply with applicable reviews, development proposals, policies, codes, and ordinances to ensure consistency with Town policy and land development code requirements.
The development proposals reviewed by our department include building permits, requests for zoning map and text amendments, special use permits, site plans, variances, certificates of appropriateness, and subdivision plans.
The Unified Development Ordinance provides guidance to the Planning and Zoning Board, the Board of Adjustment, the Historic Preservation Commission, and to citizens/developers who submit applications to these boards.
Town of Swansboro is located at 601 W. Corbett Ave, Swansboro, NC. The PFI student will report directly to Jennifer Ansell, Planner.
Desired Knowledge, Skills, Abilities
Ability to work well in a fast-paced environment, can multi-task, demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills, maintain confidentiality, demonstrate time management skills, and work collaboratively in a diverse, team-based environment. Social media, writing, people skills, cultural awareness, graphic design, video production.
Start & End Dates
May 14th, 2020 to August 15th, 2020
Majors Targeted
Urban and Regional Planning, Community Engagement, Political Science, Communication/English
Application Process
Applicants must complete a PFI application and submit a resume to be considered. Applications are available at https://rede.ecu.edu/engagement/programs-and-initiatives/secu-pfi/ .
All students selected for the PFI program must have undergraduate status and meet the following eligibility requirements by the internship start date:
- North Carolina resident
- 0 GPA or higher in major field of study
- Completion of at least 60 semester credit hours
East Carolina University is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer and as such encourages applications from qualified women and minorities.
Individuals requesting accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) should contact the Department for Disability Support Services at 252.737.1016 (voice/TTY). Federal law requires proper documentation of identity and employability at the time of employment.