Planning Commissioners Training

Posted by Betsey Krumholz, General Manager, Planning Commissioners Journal

The PCJ is excited to announce a collaboration with Planetizen on a new planning commissioners online training course -- something we have been talking about with Planetizen for years. Using PCJ content from 16 years of publishing, along with new material, Ric Stephens (a PCJ author) will "teach" the course virtually.

I don't know about your community, but training was not exactly a high priority for mine when I joined the planning commission more than a decade ago. I was handed a book with the city charter, zoning code, municipal development plan and a few words of encouragement from the planning director and mayor. Then I was expected to sit in a large room with all the other new city commissioners (library, parks, cemetery, etc.) to hear about open meeting laws, and not much else. I did not feel "trained."

For all of our 16 years, editor Wayne Senville (who I served with as a member of our local planning commission) has been publishing articles that help planning and zoning commissioners, governing body officials and other citizens involved in the planning process understand the job, the issues and the "universe" in which they operate. It's terrific that with Planetizen we can now break down the topics into smaller training modules and offer a real training that will help people get up to speed faster -- especially since the issues grow more complex each year.

Of course, we will still be publishing timely articles in the PCJ that will keep you fresh and excited about planning in your community --- but if you know a planner or two who would appreciate a leg up, send them to the Planetizen website at: www.planetizen.com/courses/commissioner

For those of you who prefer hard copies of training materials, let me suggest two of our publications:

1. "Welcome to the Commission: A Guide for New Members" and
2. Our latest publication -- by Elaine Cogan -- "Now that You're on Board: How to Survive ... and Thrive ... as a Planning Commissioner"

Use the links for details about these two very helpful booklets.