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MSU Extension offers citizen planner program.
HART – A premiere training program for local officials working in the areas of planning, zoning, community and economic development will be held at the Oceana County Services Building this fall.
Registration prior to the event is required.
Michigan State University Extension is offering its comprehensive Citizen Planner Program from Sept. 26 through Nov. 7, 2019. The program runs Thursday evenings from 6–9 p.m. There will be no class Thursday, Oct. 31.
Of participants in 2018 Citizen Planner programs, 94 percent felt more confident or much more confident to use their knowledge and skills to be a more effective planning official, compared to before the program. “Provides such high-quality, proactive information; I can’t imagine getting anything better from any other source,” said one student about the course.
Online registration is available at https://events.anr.msu.edu/CPOceana
or by contacting Janean Danca at (269) 657-8213 or cplanner@msu.edu. Payment can be made by credit card, check, or invoiced for payment. The registration deadline is Sept. 19.
The course has recently been completely updated and is being offered at a price of $295 per participant, which covers registration, course materials, snacks, and refreshments. Discounts are available for groups with a minimum of four participants ($275 per person). Participants that complete all six sessions will receive a certificate of completion and may continue on to become a Master Citizen Planner.
Scholarships for attending Citizen Planner may be available from a government’s liability insurance provider, such as the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority, Michigan Township Participating Plan, and others. The scholarships are offered because this training is viewed as an important strategy to avoid liability risk and associated costs to local taxpayers. The training includes proper procedure for planning and zoning, and knowledge to avoid compromising people’s due process and private property rights, as well as much more.
Instructors for the training program include MSU Extension educators who specialize in land use planning, law and zoning. The course includes multiple instructors so participants receive different perspectives.
The six-class series includes:
1. Understanding the Planning and Zoning Context: Learn the legal sources and limitations of planning and zoning authority, and explore your understanding of ethical decision-making.
2. Planning for the Future of Your Community: Recognize the function and importance of a master plan, know the process for developing one and its relationship to zoning.
3. Implementing the Plan with Zoning: Discover the importance of zoning, learn how zoning is administered and gain confidence in your zoning reviews, including site plans.
4. Making Zoning Decisions: Learn how to adopt and amend a zoning ordinance, understand the role of the zoning board of appeals and obtain skills in basic property development methods.
5. Using Innovative Planning and Zoning: Strategize with placemaking and design-based solutions for local and regional success in the New Economy.
6. Successfully Fulfilling Your Role: Strengthen your ethical decision-making skills, apply standards to your decision-making and know when to ask for help.
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