Agenda - Planning Commission - 06/02/1998

Home

VCPCP participants obtain certification upon completion of the course. While the state does not officially recognize certification, many Virginia municipalities now require commissioners to pass the course. Eighty-eight percent of the more than 1,200 participants have obtained certification since the program began in 1985. At 10 weeks, VCPCP's course is longer than most. It is divided into three parts, beginning with 15 hours of classroom instruction covering fundamentals, roles, and responsibilities. A self-stud7 component follows, in which participants must appl7 their knowledge. Participants also critique a planning commission meeting outside their jurisdiction before attending the two-day workshop that concludes the course. VCPCP offers the course three times annually. In 1997, the cost was $300 a person. "People were very suspect that we were trying to cover too much information when we began this program," says Chandler, "but it has turned out to be a phenomenal success." He also runs the Virginia Certified Boards of Zoning Appeals Program, which he suspects is the only program in the nation certifying zoning board of appeal members. A collaborative venture also formed the Planning Commission Training Program (PCTP) in Texas. The program began in 1996 when the Texas Department of Community Affairs, the local branch of the National Association of Regional Councils, and the Texas APA together expedited 22 training workshops around the state. Costs remain minimal ar $25 per person this year because 22 of the Councils of Government offices supply space free of charge. In 1997, the Texas Municipal League provided attorneys to ...'5- assist at the workshops, a move that proved beneficial to participants with legal questions, says Dick Lillie, executive administrator of the program. The format used by PCTP is quite different from other programs in that only one hour is spent lecturing before opening ~ !' the floor to planning-related questions. While most programs include a question- and-answer period, PCTP's lasts for three hours. According to Lillie, participants like this aspect of the program. "Veteran com- missioners and new commis- sioners both learn a lot during this period," he says. ~ e newcomm~ss~oners get answers to specific questions about their positions, and they are exposed to the tech- nical expertise of the veterans. R,,h,~d Hed .... Also, many veterans feel a sense of gratification when they know the answer to a question posed by someone else," says Lillie, adding that this extended Q-and-A period is a great way to keep everyone involved and interested. The Michigan Way. Although collaboration between agencies has proven successful in many states, a decidedly different approach is underway in Michigan. At any given time, five different agencies are doing training in the state independently of each other. The Michigan Society of Planning Officials (MSPO), based in Rochester, was formed in 1945 for the sole purpose of training planning officials and has since trained more than 16,000 commissioners. MSPO conducts a basic workshop series and a second-level series that focuses on more specialized topics. To keep the programs timely and topical, MSPO updates at least one program each year. Dave Downey, executive director at MSPO, says, "Often when we update the programs, we choose to shorten the length of the lectures in favor of more hands-on exercises. Adults seem to respond better to these exercises. Also, our handouts are mo~e concise now. This makes it easier for participants to retain the information instead of feeling overwhelmed by it. We make sure they know where to get more information if they want it." Another active Michigan organization, the Planning & Zoning Center (PZC) in Lansing, trains throughout the state. PZC represents Michigan's only private-sector entity involved in training. Since 1982, PZC has averaged one workshop per week, all of which are well attended, notes PZC President Mark Wyckoff. Most of PZC's workshops concentrate on the fundamentals, but they also offer customized workshops upon request. The latter are based on a fiat fee for unlimited attendance. Before customized workshops, Wyckoffrequests a copy of the community's current zoning ordinance and minutes from the community's last six planning commission meetings. He then tailors the workshop to meet specific needs. Many communities ask that he come back for a second round of training, a request that Wyckoffsays gives him satisfaction. "I really enjoy doing a second round of training because it gives me a chance to see how we have directly affected the quality of planning taking place there." He says, once the officials have had a 'Nj'~ to put their training practice, they chance into often come into the second session with new insight and educated questions about previously covered topics. Wyckoff notes that most Michigan developers would like long-term Effective training alleviates jTustration associated with an absence or bombardment of ~.'nformation. training to be implemented and cites the constantly evolving complexity of land- use regulation as the primary reason for this desire. ~/ With five different agencies training in the state (the Michigan Municipal League, the Michigan Townships Association, and the Michigan Association of Regions are the others), Michigan officials have an abundance of workshops from which to choose. Dave Downey, executive director at MSPO, thinks the agencies should attempt to coordinate their programs. "Similar training programs sometimes take place within weeks of each other in the same region. We could definitely improve upon this aspect of training," says Downey. Still, Michigan is not doing a bad job. In fact, the state is regarded as one of the best in the nation for training planning and zoning officials. Cybertraining. New technologies, such as compressed video and the Inreroet, are broadening the available training options.