New Training Requirement for ZBA & Planning Boards

TRAINING MANDATED FOR PLANNERS, ZONERS:

Under a new state law, municipal planning and zoning officials will be required to undergo four hours of training annually, which some local planners said would not be a difficult requirement to meet.

The new law, which goes into affect Jan. 1, states that members of local and county planning boards and zoning boards of appeal must undergo a minimum of four hours of training each year. There are no uniform statutory standards currently in existence for training municipal planning and zoning officials who are responsible for regulating local land use in the state.

According to a press release from the state Legislative Commission on Rural Resources, well-considered and timely land use decisions by a municipal board or commission help attract promoters of quality community development, including those considering residential, commercial, agricultural, industrial, open space, recreational and main street projects. Sound land-use decisions result in fewer lawsuits and can help lower municipal liability insurance costs, the release added.

See my prior post about this here. The law is nice but toothless because it permits municipalities to opt out of the requirements.