In November, 2011, attorney Elizabeth A. (“Betsy”) Lane will be leading the following three workshops:
November 1: Roles & Responsibilities of Planning and Zoning Boards (Part I): 7 P.M. at Hingham Town Hall, 210 Central Street, Hingham. This is a Level 1 core course program designed to provide the support new appointees could use in learning their roles as local officials. Attorney Lane will explain the functions of planning and zoning boards, with emphasis on their similarities and differences, and summarized the laws, procedures, and sources of information that constitute the main tools of planning and zoning.
November 2: Writing Reasonable and Defensible Decisions: 7 P.M. at the office of Old Colony Planning Council, 70 School Street, Brockton. Attorney Lane will explain the key points of writing clear and defensible decisions and conditions, focusing on the necessary content of land use permit decisions from a legal and practical perspective. This session will highlight the “do’s and don’ts” of decision writing in understandable terms. MIIA credit* is available for this workshop.
November 10: How to Hold a Perfect Public Hearing: 7 P.M. at the office of the Southeast Regional Planning & Economic Development District, 88 Broadway, Taunton. This CPTC module will use a video presentation that attorney Lane has used to guide participants in understanding how to meet the legal requirements for a public hearing, including the requirements added by recent amendments to the Open Meeing Law, as well as tips for effective preparation for and conducting a hearing, methods to maintain hearing decorum, and tips for drafting decisions.
*Individuals who attended MIIA credit workshops could earn credit for their towns under the MIIA Rewards Program for public officials’ liability insurance.