Agenda - Planning Commission - 06/02/1998

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MAY 1998 II AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION I Plannlng&Zoning Officials Go To Class By Martin Roupe Ordinary citizens make decisions affecting their communities by se~ing on planning commissions, zoning boards of appeal, and other planning-related authorities. The reasons for serving are many, but all'ultimately share a desire to improve the community. Allowing these volunteers to enter the world of community planning without prior training is risky because an imprudent decision could cost a community millions of dollars or compromise its quality of life. This issue of Zoning News explores current trends in training programs and offers resources to initiate citizens into the world of planning. Know Your Subject Matter New officials should be encouraged to read and ask questions about the community's comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance. They should also become familiar with leadership and management s!~ills, and legal issues, such as ex porte communications. Unfortunately, staffare not always available to address the concerns of new initiates, and outside help may be needed. Established training programs confront these issues by covering the basic tenets of planning and zoning, the legal responsibilities of the positions held by the trainees, and the specifics regarding comprehensive plans and zoning ordinances. Many training in. stitutions offer advanced-level workshops that address the needs of veteran officials. These workshops cover more complex issues, such as capital improvement programming and growth management, as well as specific regulatory techniques, like planned unit developments and transferable development rights. Still, veteran officials may not have a good understanding of the basics. Training has revealed that some boards and commissions have done procedures incorrecily for years. According to Bill Ross, president of Georgia's APA chapter, "We sometimes have a hard time reaching the veteran commissioners. Some of them feel very secure with the way they have been doing things, and the), are reluctant to change." The Logistics of Training No consensus exists on the right format for training. Weekday workshops typically run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but some begin in midafternoon to prevent participants from missing an entire day of work. Many programs are even held on weekends to accommodate busy weekday schedules. The length of training sessions also varies greatly. Some programs do not exceed three hours per session for fear of overwhelming participants with too much information, while others opt to expose students to as much as possible. Robert Mitchell, planning director in Amherst, Massachusetts, and trainer with the Citizen Planner Training Collaborative (CPTC), admits frustration with this dilemma. CPTC conducts 2~-hour sessions on weekday evenings. "We always have more information than we can fit into our allotted time," Mi[~hell says. There is a general consensus on a few aspects of training. For example, adults often respond better to participation-based exercises than lectures. Therefore, many trainers have shortened lectures in favor of hands-on exercises. Role-playing activities, such as mock public hearings, make programs engaging. Also, participants like to experience the hearing process before facing a real situation. Program administrators also agree on the need to define their audience. "When an organization is conducting both basic and advanced courses, the distinction between the two must be clear," says Mitchell, who finds that new commissioners may unknowingly sign up for advanced workshops. The problem is preventable by simply modifying the title of the program ro make the distinction clear. Finally, commissioners and trainers place value on social time during training programs. Conversation with peers can solidify ideas discussed in the classroom. For some students, this is when the most learning takes place. Commissioners reviewing a mock site plan at Michigan's Grand.Valley State University during an MSPO site plan review workshop. Who Are the Trainers? The most common training format is the workshop. State APA chapters, university extension services, and nonprofit planning and education organizations are frequent hosts of the workshops, and some have collaborated successfully to create training programs. Collaboration Is the Key, Collaboration is an effective way to implement training programs storewide. Less rime is required of each organization, and pooled resources allow for better program development. Such a strategy also prevents repetition of topics in a region. An example of successful cooperation is the Citizen Planner Training Collaborative (CPTC) of Massachusetts. CPTC consists of four planning-related associations--the