Have planning and zoning questions? Get answers at SOG workshop

County commissioners are regularly confronted with controversial and complicated decisions about land use and development. They must balance the sometimes competing needs of their various constituencies – for example, an industrial proposal that brings in jobs but is located next to a residential area or a large residential development in a rural area that will impact farming, transportation and school construction.

The School of Government is offering a one-day workshop, "Community Planning and Zoning: Making Better Decisions," with faculty member David Owens to help elected officials know the right questions to ask about planning and zoning issues, how to navigate the zoning process, work effectively with others, and consider the long-term impact of the zoning decisions they are asked to make.

Owens is author of Land Use Law in North Carolina and Introduction to Zoning, along with numerous additional books and articles on zoning law.

Elected officials who attend will receive credit toward recognition through the Local Elected Leaders Academy (LELA). In addition, scholarships are available for elected officials through LELA. Applications can be found on the course registration website. Register online at www.sog.unc.edu/node/1354.

The workshop will be held Jan. 11 in Greenville, Jan. 25 in Asheville, Feb. 17 in Chapel Hill, Feb. 23 in Wilmington and Feb. 28 in Charlotte.

This workshop will also include two hours of ethics training to fulfill the ethics education requirements for local elected officials that is mandated by state law each time an official is elected or re-elected. If an official on the November 2011 ballot wins the initial election or re-election, two hours of ethics training is required prior to November 2012. Attorneys will be awarded two hours of general CLE credit.

For more information, contact Susan Hutchinson at smhutch@sog.unc.edu or (919) 966-4171.