The Champaign County Regional Planning Commission held a Plan Commission Training Workshop on April 12, 2018. Several jurisdictions sent representatives including: Champaign County, Urbana, Champaign, Rantoul, Savoy, St. Joseph and Mahomet. The thirty people who attended were members of Plan Commissions or Zoning Boards of Appeal, elected officials, or staff.
The CCRPC requested a newer format with training provided by an attorney, David Silverman, AICP and a planner, Cindy Winland, FAICP – instead of by two planners. The workshop, which was co-sponsored by the APA-IL and the Chaddick Institute of DePaul University, is the 84th workshop since the chapter began providing the training in 2011.
The commissioners noted on the anonymous evaluation forms that the most helpful topics were: conducting a meeting, public participation, and how past cases and precedents explain policy.
Attendees offered some thoughtful suggestions for topics at future workshops:
The benefits of good zoning
The evolution of comprehensive plans
A mock hearing – (Stay tuned and save the date, we already have this planned for September 27 at the APA-IL State Conference in Springfield!)
Want to know how to get training for your officials? Visit the Plan Commissioner Training website and contact the APA-IL Planning Officials Development Officer, Michael Blue, FAICP at podo@ilapa.org
(photos by Kathleen Oldrey, Champaign County RPC)