Learn About Local Planning on July 14

“A Short Course on Local Planning,” hosted by San Juan County, will be given at the  Deer Harbor Community Club from 2- 5 p.m on Thursday, July 14.

The course will be presented by members of the Planning Association of Washington and The Washington State Department of Commerce.

The course schedule is as follows:

• Welcome and Introductions by Janet Rogerson
• The Legal Basis of Planning in Washington State by Jon Sitkin — The statutory basis of planning in Washington State, Constitutional issues in land use planning, the Open Public Meetings Act, the Appearance of Fairness Doctrine, conflicts of interest, quasi-judicial and legislative functions of the planning commission, ex parte communications and how to deal with them, the conduct of meetings, the uses (and misuses) of email, and recent case law affecting land use planning.
• A 15 minute break will be followed by announcements before the next session at 3:30
• Comprehensive Planning and Implementation by  Paul Rogerson –An overview of the local process of vision-based comprehensive planning, the basic components of a plan, including the goals of the plan, the basic elements, the concepts of consistency and concurrency, and the tools and techniques available for implementing the comprehensive plan.
• The role of the Planning Commission by  Dee Caputo — Discussion of the varous roles of the planning commission and its relationships with elected officials, planning staff and citizens. Suggestions developing good working relationships, conducting meaningful public participation and holding effective meetings and hearings.

A half-hour question-and-answer session will conclude the event.

Contact Colin Maycock, County Planner, at 360-370-7573 or email colinm@co.san-juan.wa.us

Janet Rogerson is Senior Planner, Growth Management Services, Department of Commerce and can be reached at Janet.rogerson@commerce.wa.gov

Jonathan Sitkin is an Attorney at Chmelik Sitkin & Davis P.S.in Bellingham, jsitkin@chmelik.com

Paul Rogerson, AICP, is Director of Community Development for the City of Sumner. His email is: paulr@ci.sumner.wa.us

Dee Caputo, AICP, is Senior Planner, Growth Management Services,Department of Commerce in Spokane, Wash.  Her email is  dee.caputo@commerce.wa.gov

Additional information and training is available at

• Growth Management Services Web site at www.commerce.wa.gov/growth – click on “Educational Resources for Planners”;
• Planning Association of Washington (PAW) Web site at www.planningpaw.org;
• Western Planning Resources at www.westernplanner.org; and
• Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington at www.mrsc.org